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What if I lost my green card while traveling outside the United States?

By October 19, 2022Immigration
A woman looking at a map

A legal permanent resident losing his green card will be problematic since the green card is required to seek admission and be allowed to re-enter the United States.

Fortunately, the U.S. Government has a process for a legal permanent resident to gain re-entry into the United States under circumstances where a green card was lost, damaged or stolen as long as the trip abroad was for less than one year.

The legal permanent resident will need to apply for what is called a Transportation Boarding Foil which has a maximum validity time of 30 days and is good for only a single entry into the United States.

The length of time outside the United States is measured from the time of departure from the United States to the time of paying the filing fee of Form I-131A.

Precise instructions in applying for a Boarding Foil will vary from U.S. consulate or embassy abroad. However, all instructions require the payment of the filing fee for the Form I-131A which is paid online through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service, “USCIS” website. Note, that although the application form is a USCIS form and the fee is paid directly with USCIS, it is a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate who will decide whether to grant the Boarding Foil.

One the payment is made, the legal permanent resident should print out the payment receipt and attach it to the Form I-131A which must be filled out to be presented before a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate.

Most consulates or embassies may require submitting an inquiry first with them before applying and/or scheduling an appointment with the consulate online. It should be noted that the method to contact an embassy or consulate may vary from country to country, so a legal permanent resident should review the specific filing instructions for the particular embassy or consulate located in the country the legal permanent resident is present.

You must also take to embassy or consulate:

  • Your original passport.
  • One additional copy of the passport biographic page.
  • Evidence that you are a legal permanent resident. Typically, a photocopy of the front and back of the green card is acceptable.
  • A copy of the plane ticket, itinerary, or evidence indicating the most recent date of departure from the United States and the day intended to return to the United States
  • One passport-style photograph of the legal permanent resident taken within 30 days of filing the application.
  • Evidence of payment of the I-131A fee

Once the application is approved the Boarding Foil will be attached to the passport.

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