I am a refugee

or asylee D4

How do I get a refugee 

travel document?

A person with refugee or asylum status who wishes to travel 

outside the United States needs a Refugee Travel Document in order 

to return to the United States. 

In most cases, a refugee or asylee may use the Refugee Travel 

Document for travel in place of a passport. The Refugee Travel 

Document is similar in appearance to a U.S. passport.

How do I apply for a Refugee Travel Document?

To apply for a Refugee Travel Document, file Form I-131, 

Application for Travel Document. Filing instructions and forms 

are available on our Web site at www.uscis.gov. Follow the 

instructions on the form carefully. For further information please visit 

our Web site or call Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283.

How long is a Refugee Travel Document valid?

A Refugee Travel Document is valid for up to 1 year.

I have been granted asylum or refugee status in the 

United States, and I need to travel abroad. Can I file a 

Form I-131 for a Refugee Travel Document after I leave 

the United States?

You should file a Form I-131 for a Refugee Travel Document before

you leave the United States. We recommend that you file the form 

no less than 60 days before you leave the United States. 

If you do not file for a Refugee Travel Document before you leave 

the United States, a USCIS office overseas has discretion to accept 

your application. You may only apply if you have been outside the 

United States for less than 1 year at the time of filing. You should 

not, however, assume that an overseas office will automatically 

exercise this discretion, particularly if it is evident that you could 

have filed your Form I-131 before you left the United States.

 

If I file Form I-131 to get a Refugee Travel Document 

while I am in the United States, will USCIS deny the Form 

I-131 if I leave the United States while the form is still 

pending?

We recommend that you file Form I-131 while you are in the United 

States. However it is not required for you to be present in the United 

States for USCIS to approve your Form I-131 and issue a Refugee 

Travel Document if your biometrics (photograph, fingerprints) have 

been obtained. You can indicate on your Form I-131 that you want 

USCIS to send your Refugee Travel Document to a U.S. Embassy or 

consulate, or a DHS office overseas, so you can pick it up from one 

of those facilities.

If I file Form I-131 for a Refugee Travel Document while I 

am in the United States, can I submit my biometrics while 

I am outside the United States?

No. When you file your Form I-131 to obtain a Refugee Travel 

Document, USCIS will notify you when to appear at the designated 

Application Support Center (ASC) for collection of your biometrics. 

You must provide your biometrics at the ASC while you are in the 

United States. If you leave the United States before you have your 

biometrics collected, USCIS may deny your application. 

If a USCIS office overseas in its discretion permits you to file Form 

I-131 for a Refugee Travel Document while you are abroad, that 

office will advise you about the procedures for submitting biometrics. 

To complete your biometrics, you may need to visit a USCIS office or 

a U.S. Embassy, consulate, or military installation for fingerprinting. 

Can I travel back to the country where I experienced past 

persecution or claim a fear of future persecution?

Yes. However, if you have been granted asylum, you should be 

aware that your grant of asylum may be terminated if, among 

other things, it is determined that you voluntarily availed yourself 

of the protection of your country of nationality, you have acquired 

a new nationality, or you are no longer eligible for asylum due to a 

fundamental change in circumstances. Similarly, your asylum status 

may be terminated if there was fraud in your application such that 

you were not eligible for asylum. Therefore, if your travel suggests 

D4—I am a refugee or asylee...How do I get a refugee travel document?

M-611B (October 2013) Y 1
2 D4—I am a refugee or asylee...How do I get a refugee travel document?

M-611B (October 2013) Y

that you may have re-availed yourself of the protection of your 

country, you should be prepared to explain how you were able to 

return to the country from which you fled.

If you have been admitted as a refugee, your status may be 

terminated if the U.S. Government determines that you were not, in 

fact, a refugee at the time you were admitted to the United States 

as a refugee. As a result, if your travel patterns indicate that you 

did not experience past persecution, that you did not have a wellfounded fear of persecution on account of a protected ground, or 

that you persecuted others, you may need to explain your travel to 

that country to avoid losing your refugee status.

Key Information

Key USCIS forms referenced 

in this guide 

Form #

Application for Refugee Travel Document I-131 

Other U.S. Government Services–Click or Call

General 

Information

www.usa.gov 1-800-333-4636

New 

Immigrants

www.welcometoUSA.gov

U.S. Dept. 

of State

www.state.gov 1-202-647-6575

For more copies of this guide, or information 

about other customer guides, please visit 

www.uscis.gov/howdoi. 

You can also visit www.uscis.gov to 

download forms, e-file some applications, 

check the status of an application, and more. 

It’s a great place to start!

If you don’t have Internet access at home 

or work, try your local library. 

If you cannot find what you need, please call 

Customer Service at: 1-800-375-5283 

Hearing Impaired TDD Customer Service: 

1-800-767-1833

Disclaimer: This guide provides basic information 

to help you become generally familiar with our 

rules and procedures. For more information, or 

the law and regulations, please visit our Web 

site. Immigration law can be complex, and it is 

impossible to describe every aspect of every 

process. You may wish to be represented by 

a licensed attorney or by a nonprofit agency 

accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals.