Full Version: Traveling on Expired National Passport
I'm a GC holder but my national passport is about to expire and renewing it is a very lengthy and cumbersome process, especially considering I will be eligible for US citizenship soon. I heard I could travel with US travel document ( I-131 I assume) in lieu of passport. Can anyone confirm this? Thanks
I would assume you would still have to present a valid passport for international travel.
You can sometimes use a re-entry permit. You'd use form I-131 to apply for a re-entry permit, but the re-entry permit itself is not called an I-131.
Note that the typical use of a re-entry permit is to help with abandonment of status issues for lengthy trips abroad, but that's not the only reason to get one. See the instructions for the I-131. It says it may be used for those who cannot or do not wish to get a passport from their country of citizenship. But not all countries will accept the US-issued re-entry permit in lieu of a passport, so check with the embassy/consulate of the country or countries you'll be visiting.
Note that the typical use of a re-entry permit is to help with abandonment of status issues for lengthy trips abroad, but that's not the only reason to get one. See the instructions for the I-131. It says it may be used for those who cannot or do not wish to get a passport from their country of citizenship. But not all countries will accept the US-issued re-entry permit in lieu of a passport, so check with the embassy/consulate of the country or countries you'll be visiting.
Thanks lucyrich. According to instructions all re-entry permits are processed in Nebraska. I just checked the processing times and it doesnt look good--right now they're working on cases from summer 2007. I need to have a travel document sooner than that. Does anyone know how expedited processing works for this form?
IMHO you should have a valid passport when travelling internationally. A re-entry permit might work when coming to the US but other countries will most probably not accept it.
QUOTE(lucyrich @ Mar 30 2008, 11:18 PM) 
You can sometimes use a re-entry permit. You'd use form I-131 to apply for a re-entry permit, but the re-entry permit itself is not called an I-131.
Note that the typical use of a re-entry permit is to help with abandonment of status issues for lengthy trips abroad, but that's not the only reason to get one. See the instructions for the I-131. It says it may be used for those who cannot or do not wish to get a passport from their country of citizenship. But not all countries will accept the US-issued re-entry permit in lieu of a passport, so check with the embassy/consulate of the country or countries you'll be visiting.
Note that the typical use of a re-entry permit is to help with abandonment of status issues for lengthy trips abroad, but that's not the only reason to get one. See the instructions for the I-131. It says it may be used for those who cannot or do not wish to get a passport from their country of citizenship. But not all countries will accept the US-issued re-entry permit in lieu of a passport, so check with the embassy/consulate of the country or countries you'll be visiting.
Indeed, most countries will not allow you in unless you have a valid passport. So do check in advance and don't risk it. Good luck.
If you go to the website of the country you are visiting it will tell you the legal documents you require to visit that country. For instance, Canada accepts the greencard. I will be travelling to Europe this summer and just received this information from the travel agent:
Remember, a passport must be valid 6 months from the last day of your travel.
Remember, a passport must be valid 6 months from the last day of your travel.
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