Being an immigrant makes several things difficult. Immigrants must treat their daily lives differently than citizens and permanent residents. A seemingly simple task that is actually incredibly difficult for immigrants is to leave the United States temporarily and then attempt to return. There are many reasons why an immigrant in the US might want or even need to leave the country. That person might have family or other important matters to attend to. Unfortunately, many have had to postpone their plans to temporarily leave the United States. Are there viable options available to immigrants?
The good news is that immigrants can legally leave and return to the United States, but they must have the proper documentation and paperwork to do so. It can be difficult to obtain the correct documentation without the help of an attorney, so it is highly recommended that you speak with an immigration attorney in your area. According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), immigrants must complete an application form I-131 called “Application for Travel Document”.
This form can be filed online and must be sent to one of the USCIS predetermined filing addresses. There is a filing fee for those who wish to obtain this application. In most cases, the fee is $360, but there are sometimes additions and exceptions in some circumstances. Please note that this is an application and not an automatic license. It can be particularly difficult for those with criminal histories to have their reentry applications granted. Requests may be denied in some circumstances. In these scenarios, immigrants can start the re-entry process again or file an appeal. Although these may be viable options, time is usually not on your side.
Immigration issues are notorious for being time sensitive and incredibly complicated. According to USCIS, it is possible to expedite immigration procedures, but these are only allowed on a case-by-case basis. They list the following criteria that generally warrant expedited approval: serious financial loss, emergency situations, humanitarian situations, national interest situations, USCIS error, or other compelling interests of USCIS. As an immigrant, you may feel that the battle at hand is you against an entire country. Why not get expert help on your side? Thousands of immigrants have been helped and allowed to re-enter the United States after they retained the services of an immigration attorney. You may want to consider this option.