What documents do I need to travel outside the United States? In general, you will need to present a passport from your country of citizenship or your refugee travel document to travel to a foreign country. In addition, the foreign country may have additional entry/exit requirements (such as a visa).
If you are a permanent or conditional permanent resident who has been outside the U.S. for one year or longer, apply for a re-entry permit before you travel. Use Form I-131 - Application for Travel Document. For permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years from the date of issue.
Each line on the back of the green card contains 30 characters. The green card number is located in the last 13 characters of the first line, followed by two space holders. To be exact, the green card number is the characters for digits 16-28, followed by “>>.”
Use Form I-131 - Application for Travel Document. For permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years from the date of issue. For conditional permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years after the date of issue.
To apply for a re-entry permit, you must file Form I-131 (“Application for Travel Document”). This form collects details about your planned trip, your foreign travel since becoming a green card holder, and whether you've been properly filing U.S. tax returns.
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.
If you are a permanent or conditional permanent resident who has been outside the U.S. for one year or longer, apply for a re-entry permit before you travel. Use Form I-131 - Application for Travel Document. For permanent residents, the re-entry permit is valid for two years from the date of issue.
NOTE: Each individual seeking to travel and return to the United States must file their own Form I-131 in order to apply for an Advanced Parole Document. USCIS does not permit filing on behalf of another individual under Item 5 on any basis.
To travel, you usually need your permanent resident card, a valid passport, and whatever visas are required by the country you intend to visit. While the US does not require permanent residents to have a valid passport to re-enter the US, foreign countries and airlines require you to have a passport.
You may use this form to apply for parole into the United States for yourself or someone else who is a noncitizen and who is currently outside the United States based on urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.