If you plan to file a Form I-131A to apply for a LPR boarding foil, please note that you must pay the filing fee online on the USCIS website and schedule an appointment before appearing in person at any Mission Italy consular section. 

Information on the new form and fee is located here.  You must bring evidence of payment, in the form of a printed email receipt notice or confirmation page, when you appear in person to file Form I-131A.  As with all immigration fees, USCIS does not issue refunds, regardless of the decision on the application.

You may find additional information on and instructions for the Form I-131A on the I-131A Form and Instructions page.

LPRs applying for this document must be ready to travel because it expires 30 days from issuance.

Scheduling an Appointment

Please contact a consular section in a U.S. Embassy or consulate nearest you.  Contact information can be found here:

On the day of your interview, please bring the following to the embassy:

• Completed Form I-131A (available at http://www.uscis.gov/);
• Your valid passport;
• Your green card (if expired or damaged);
• Two color photos on white background (5×5 cm or 2 inx2in)
• Police report explaining the circumstances of the loss or theft (if applicable);
• Proof of your departure from the United States within the last year.

Note: Applicants who were issued a conditional resident card valid for two years should also bring proof that they filed a Form I-751 petition to remove conditions of residence with USCIS.

Note: We are unable to issue Boarding Foils for same-day travel.  Boarding foils require a minimum 24 hours after the interview to process.

Form I-131A – Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can the Form I-131A fee paid to USCIS be refunded? A Form I-131A fee will only be refunded in the event of U.S. government error.  USCIS will not process a refund if an applicant later determines that a LPR boarding foil was unnecessary.  Please contact the relevant USCIS Field Office for more information.
2. What evidence can LPRs present at an airport, rather than applying for a boarding foil? To enter the United States, a LPR may present at least one of the following items in place of a boarding foil:

• An expired Permanent Resident Card with a 10-year expiration date,

Or

• A valid Permanent Resident Card (with a two-year validity), and a Form I-797, Notice of Action, indicating that status is extended,

Or

• Orders from the U.S. government (civilian or military) showing that time outside the U.S. was on official government business.  These individuals should consult their air carrier prior to completion of a Form I-131A and payment of the fee.

 

3. Where can I obtain my A number or find out more information? Please direct your inquiries to the nearest USCIS field office location.

A lawful permanent resident or conditional resident who has remained outside the United States for longer than one year, or beyond the validity period of a Re-entry Permit, will require a new immigrant visa to enter the United States and resume permanent residence.  You can learn more about Returning Resident Visas on usvisas.state.gov.

Note: SB-1 visas in Italy can only be processed at the U.S. Consulate General in Naples, Italy.

If you are a lawful permanent resident who gave birth while in Italy on a temporary visit, your child may be able to travel to the United States without a visa.

To qualify:

1. The child’s mother was a lawful permanent resident when she gave birth outside of the United States during a temporary visit;
2. The child will enter the United States before s/he turns two; and
3.     The child will be taken to the United States by either parent on that parent’s first return to the United States after the child’s birth.

What you need:

• Travel with the child’s original birth certificate
• Your Form I-551 card (Green Card) which you can show to the airline to board the airplane and to Customs & Border Protection upon arrival in the United States.

8 CFR 211.1(b)(2) specifically authorizes a child who meets these criteria to travel without a visa, and states that an airline will not be fined for allowing such a child to travel to the United States.

If you or your child does not meet all the criteria, you will need to file a Form I-130 petition for your child with USCIS.  Learn more at http://www.uscis.gov/.

NOTE: Although the U.S. Embassy and Consulates General in Italy have communicated this information to the airlines serving the United States from Italy, we recommend that you print a copy of this information on this website to present to the airline when you check-in for travel.

If you are no longer able to meet your legal permanent residency requirements, you may wish to abandon your residency.  This is a decision you should not take lightly.

To abandon your status, you may fill out the Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status, and mail it to the USCIS Eastern Forms Center.

Mailing from Inside the US:
USCIS Eastern Forms Center
P.O. Box 567
Attn: I-407 Unit
Williston, VT 05495

Mailing from Outside the US:
USCIS Eastern Forms Center
124 Leroy Road
Attn: I-407 Unit
Williston, VT 05495

Note: The abandonment of your residency does not guarantee issuance of a non-immigrant visa.

Please see the USCIS public website for filing instructions. If you received a notice from USCIS indicating that your travel document was sent, at your request, to an Embassy or consulate overseas, please contact the appropriate consular section.

If you received a notice from USCIS indicating that your reentry permit was sent, at your request, to an Embassy or consulate overseas, please contact the appropriate consular section.