I-131 Reentry permit in lieu of passport: which countries?

[Silmaril 8]

Hi everyone,

 

Hope you're all doing OK during these troubled times.

 

My spouse is an LPR, with a 10 year GC.

Her passport expired a few years ago, and her home country demands various documents, Clearances etc. for renewal which is presently difficult since she no longer has family there.

We'll pursue that, but at this point we're likely going to just have to wait until she can naturalize.

 

We've applied for an I-131 reentry permit, which we understand resembles a passport and can hold visas. 

Per online research, some countries will accept a visa plus GC, or a visa plus reentry document plus GC, in lieu of a passport.

The list may include Germany and Costa Rica. 

Description here:

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/B5en.pdf

states:

0. Many countries throughout the world may allow you to use a reentry permit much like you would use a passport—placing necessary visas and entry and exit stamps in the permit—so you may use it as your main travel document. 

 

Our questions:

1. Is there a list of countries known to accept the reentry permit as a passport substitute?

2. Are airlines generally familiar with the reentry permit, or do they add roadblocks/delays when boarding?

 

Thanks and best wishes to all.

[Crazy Cat 41,845]

Deleted after re-reading the post...LOL

Edited April 5, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[Just Paul 4,595]

You can not travel on a re-entry permit alone.  The I-131 is used for multiple purposes, 1) such as applying for a AP Card, 2)permission to re-enter the US for up to 2 years, 3)a boarding foil for returning to the US with a lost green card or 4) a travel letter in the case of a lost (US) Passport.

 

Airlines will not allow you to board without a passport or a document similar to the above from the country of naturalization.

 

 

 

[Dashinka 24,493]

I agree with @Paul & Mary, the I131 is not a passport substitute for a foreign national that also happens to be a US LPR, and as it actually says, it is a document for re-entry into the US under various circumstances, not for entry into other countries. 

[Boiler 45,486]

What is her home country?

[Silmaril 8]

16 minutes ago, Paul & Mary said:

You can not travel on a re-entry permit alone.  The I-131 is used for multiple purposes, 1) such as applying for a AP Card, 2)permission to re-enter the US for up to 2 years, 3)a boarding foil for returning to the US with a lost green card or 4) a travel letter in the case of a lost (US) Passport.

 

Airlines will not allow you to board without a passport or a document similar to the above from the country of naturalization.

Paul/Mary,

 

Thank you for your response. It is certainly plausible that airlines are unfamiliar with the reentry permit booklet (I-327) and will make difficulties.

 

However, if the statement is that the booklet, also known as a "travel document", cannot serve as a passport substitute, I believe you are mistaken. This role is primarily intended for stateless persons and refugees. USCIS themselves state, as noted in my earlier post:

 

Description here:

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/B5en.pdf

states:

0. Many countries throughout the world may allow you to use a reentry permit much like you would use a passport—placing necessary visas and entry and exit stamps in the permit—so you may use it as your main travel document.

The wiki article here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Re-entry_Permit

 

(which I always take with a grain of salt)

references this document for the Schengen zone:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130830023535/http://www.udiregelverk.no/en/documents/schengen/562412-og-576212/

 

indicating that several European states accept the I-327 as an "alien's travel document" (plus the requisite entry visa of course).

 

I understand that airlines consult a database known as Timatic to determine specific requirements for each country:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timatic

 

but I don't know how we can check that. I can certainly see that the average airline employee would find it unfamiliar since it's rare.

 

I imagine there are some experienced travelers or ex-airline employees here who can shed some light. Thank you.

[Boiler 45,486]

Your wife is not stateless?

[Quarknase 1,072]

41 minutes ago, Silmaril said:

Paul/Mary,

 

Thank you for your response. It is certainly plausible that airlines are unfamiliar with the reentry permit booklet (I-327) and will make difficulties.

 

However, if the statement is that the booklet, also known as a "travel document", cannot serve as a passport substitute, I believe you are mistaken. This role is primarily intended for stateless persons and refugees. USCIS themselves state, as noted in my earlier post:

 

Description here:

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/B5en.pdf

states:

0. Many countries throughout the world may allow you to use a reentry permit much like you would use a passport—placing necessary visas and entry and exit stamps in the permit—so you may use it as your main travel document.

The wiki article here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Re-entry_Permit

 

(which I always take with a grain of salt)

references this document for the Schengen zone:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130830023535/http://www.udiregelverk.no/en/documents/schengen/562412-og-576212/

 

indicating that several European states accept the I-327 as an "alien's travel document" (plus the requisite entry visa of course).

 

I understand that airlines consult a database known as Timatic to determine specific requirements for each country:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timatic

 

but I don't know how we can check that. I can certainly see that the average airline employee would find it unfamiliar since it's rare.

 

I imagine there are some experienced travelers or ex-airline employees here who can shed some light. Thank you.

I think that's some wild mis-interpretation that you have going here. Countries will allow you to board a plane TO the us with a re-entry permit and valid greencard (and valid passport since the greencard . Neither the greencard, nor advance parole will help you entering ANY country except the US.

Besides - the re-entry permit that you're referencing everywhere is the I-327, not the I-131 Advance Parole.

[Loren Y 2,755]

Not sure what country her passport is from, but you should be able to renew it at the embassy for that country here in the US( Should have did this before it expired). Otherwise she would be able to travel on her expired passport back to her home country to get a new one issued. I have not heard of a country yet that will not allow it's citizens to return on an expired passport as long as they are returning to the country they hold citizenship in. Not sure how long it takes to get a new passport issued in said country, but it shouldn't be too difficult.

[Nitas_man 3,100]

1 hour ago, Silmaril said:

Hi everyone,

 

Hope you're all doing OK during these troubled times.

 

My spouse is an LPR, with a 10 year GC.

Her passport expired a few years ago, and her home country demands various documents, Clearances etc. for renewal which is presently difficult since she no longer has family there.

We'll pursue that, but at this point we're likely going to just have to wait until she can naturalize.

 

We've applied for an I-131 reentry permit, which we understand resembles a passport and can hold visas. 

Per online research, some countries will accept a visa plus GC, or a visa plus reentry document plus GC, in lieu of a passport.

The list may include Germany and Costa Rica. 

Description here:

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/B5en.pdf

states:

0. Many countries throughout the world may allow you to use a reentry permit much like you would use a passport—placing necessary visas and entry and exit stamps in the permit—so you may use it as your main travel document. 

 

Our questions:

1. Is there a list of countries known to accept the reentry permit as a passport substitute?

2. Are airlines generally familiar with the reentry permit, or do they add roadblocks/delays when boarding?

 

Thanks and best wishes to all.

List of those countries below:

 

1.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Nitas_man

[Allaboutwaiting 2,503]

Many countries require advance passenger information prior traveling, so you wouldn't even be able to check in without a passport. 

Some countries allow entry to their citizens with other form of official ID.

Some, allow entry without a passport JUST to refugees -but still require a document-.

 

If you're interested in any country that allows entry without a passport, it means you just want to travel for leisure? 

[Dashinka 24,493]

1 hour ago, Silmaril said:

Paul/Mary,

 

Thank you for your response. It is certainly plausible that airlines are unfamiliar with the reentry permit booklet (I-327) and will make difficulties.

 

However, if the statement is that the booklet, also known as a "travel document", cannot serve as a passport substitute, I believe you are mistaken. This role is primarily intended for stateless persons and refugees. USCIS themselves state, as noted in my earlier post:

 

Description here:

https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/USCIS/Resources/B5en.pdf

states:

0. Many countries throughout the world may allow you to use a reentry permit much like you would use a passport—placing necessary visas and entry and exit stamps in the permit—so you may use it as your main travel document.

The wiki article here:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Re-entry_Permit

 

(which I always take with a grain of salt)

references this document for the Schengen zone:

https://web.archive.org/web/20130830023535/http://www.udiregelverk.no/en/documents/schengen/562412-og-576212/

 

indicating that several European states accept the I-327 as an "alien's travel document" (plus the requisite entry visa of course).

 

I understand that airlines consult a database known as Timatic to determine specific requirements for each country:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timatic

 

but I don't know how we can check that. I can certainly see that the average airline employee would find it unfamiliar since it's rare.

 

I imagine there are some experienced travelers or ex-airline employees here who can shed some light. Thank you.

You are confusing a re-entry permit (Form I327) with a refugee travel document (Form I571).  They are not the same thing even though they both use form I131 to apply.  I don’t believe you can file for the I571 refugee travel document unless one actually is a refugee or has asylum status.  The refugee travel document can be used to travel, but the re-entry permit can not.

 

Good Luck!

 

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Nov/New USCIS Travel Document 20191105_0.pdf
 

https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2019-Mar/2019 Carrier Information Guide - ENGLISH.pdf

 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Dashinka

[Nitas_man 3,100]

Even holding a travel document and travelling a LOT we never had an airline ever check it or open it.

 

Green card

Passport

 

Does the trick
 

We never had a country allow visa-free travel either.  Green card/no green card travel document aside if they required a visa from her home country we hadda go apply for and get one for her to enter that country.

 

The green card Seems To Help as documentation of US status and there were places we went where we attached a copy of the green card to the visa application.  Seems being key, I really dunno if it helped or not.

[geowrian 22,337]

47 minutes ago, Nitas_man said:

We never had a country allow visa-free travel either.  Green card/no green card travel document aside if they required a visa from her home country we hadda go apply for and get one for her to enter that country.

One exception is land crossings to Canada. A green card alone is sufficient, as are other travel documents like GE and such. No visa needed if you are an LPR.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=593&top=16

[Nitas_man 3,100]

1 minute ago, geowrian said:

One exception is land crossings to Canada. A green card alone is sufficient, as are other travel documents like GE and such. No visa needed if you are an LPR.

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=593&top=16

But Canada is a state geo.....

You are correct.  

Edited April 5, 2020 by Nitas_man