Filing Location Changes for Form I-131, Application for Travel Document
A change in the form filing locations for Form I-131 has been announced by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS.) Further, the USCIS has also revised the form filing instructions for the same.
In order to get a reentry permit, an advance parole document, or a refugee travel document, a permanent resident of the United States can apply for the Application for Travel Document (Form I-131).
A permanent or a conditional resident of the United States is permitted to re-enter U.S. after returning from abroad, without a returning resident visa from a U.S. Embassy or consulate, with the help of a reentry permit. With an advance parole document an alien can re-enter the United States without an immigrant or a non-immigrant visa, after traveling abroad. A refugee can make use of the refugee travel document to re-enter into U.S.
The purpose of changing the form filing locations for the Application for Travel Document is the transfer of USCIS forms from the USCIS local offices and Service Centers to the respective USCIS Lockbox facility. With the centralization of the form filing locations to the Lockbox, the processing of the immigration applications by the USCIS will be put in order. This process also facilitates the USCIS to respond to the applicants faster.
Commencing from March 19, 2010, the visa applicants are obliged to file their applications either at the USCIS Vermont Service Center or at any one of the USCIS Lockbox facilities. Until April 19, 2010, the USCIS Service Centers will work towards transferring the Form I-131 applications that are incorrectly filed to the U.S. Lockbox facility. After this period of 30 days' duration, the incorrectly filed forms will be sent back to the applicant directing to resent it to the correct location.
An E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (Form G-1145) should be filled up and attached to the first page of your Form I-131 application to be notified of the application processing status through an email and/or a text message.
