To ask about emergency processing of a travel document, call the Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or request an appointment through My Appointment. If your situation qualifies for emergency processing, we will schedule an appointment for you with a local field office.
Standard processing: Usually, it takes a few days for an emergency travel document to be issued. Contact the embassy for specifics about your case. Urgent cases: In some urgent situations, the emergency travel document can be issued within 24 hours.
The travel document usually arrives within 150 days (sometimes longer) after submitting your application. You can't leave the country until you have your approved travel document in hand, so you should expect to spend the 3–5 months after submitting your green card application in the United States.
Ing to USCIS data from 2023, the average processing time for Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document) varies between 3 to 7 months, depending on the service center handling the case and the specific category (e.g., refugee travel document, re-entry permit).
You must file a Form I-131 and prove supporting documents (your immigration lawyer can file this for you). Your Form I-131 must be filed while you are physically present in the United States. You must attend a biometrics (fingerprinting) appointment.
If you are requesting expedited processing of a travel document, you generally need to apply for and obtain the document before you leave the United States. You should make your expedite request on your pending application at least 45 days before you plan to leave the United States.
Who already have a visa in their passport. Travelers may wish to avoid buying plane tickets until they have obtained an ESTA (or a valid visa, in case the ESTA is not approved). ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. The processing of an ESTA can take up to 72 hours.
You may ask us to expedite adjudication of your Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records, by calling the Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (TTY 800-767-1833) or by asking Emma. (You can access Emma by clicking on the Ask Emma icon on the top right of this page.)
A travel document lets the U.S. government know about your travel plans. This is for anyone who is not a U.S. citizen but is living in the USA. You can use a travel document instead of a visa as proof of travel authorization. You must get your travel document before you leave the country.
Examples of Countries Can You Travel to With a US Refugee Travel Document Australia. Brazil. Canada. Denmark. Egypt. France. Greece. Italy.