I-485 & Refugee Travel Document

Ehzan

New Member
Hi there ,

I received my Green card on basis of asylum and had a confusing situation.

I applied for my Refugee travel document for the second time after my first one expired in January this year. This was after i applied for my green card. Now before i got the new travel document i received my green card and i still have not received a confirmation receipt for my RTD.

Now my first question is since now i have permanent resident status would i be issued a RTD thats valid for two years or just the regular one year one. And do i need to call USCIS and ask them to update the application as i am a green card holder now ?

Second ! i wanted to travel to canada and since i dont have a refuge travel document now can i just use my green card to travel via land border to canada and back ? keeping in mind i cant use the passport of my country of nationality. Would i be able to do that or do i need to carry a RTD or National Passport to travel via road ?

Thank you !
 
A Refugee Travel Document is valid for at most 1 year. A Re-entry Permit (which you are now eligible for as a permanent resident) is the one that is valid for 2 years. But you can't have both at the same time. Yes, since you got your green card on the basis of asylum, you can use an RTD.

Yes, a green card is enough to go to Canada and come back to the U.S.
 
If you haven't even got a receipt for your RTD application since January, you ought to call them and ask to talk to a higher level officer.

As newacct said, you can use your GC to go to Canada now - no RTD necessary. RTDs are always only issued for a maximum of 1 year.
 
A Refugee Travel Document is valid for at most 1 year. A Re-entry Permit (which you are now eligible for as a permanent resident) is the one that is valid for 2 years. But you can't have both at the same time. Yes, since you got your green card on the basis of asylum, you can use an RTD.

Yes, a green card is enough to go to Canada and come back to the U.S.
Thank you ! But I guess having a RTD is much better if you just want to travel for a short period of time.

Thank you for clarifying but is there a website or source I can use to show incase they make an issue at the point of entry ?
 
If you haven't even got a receipt for your RTD application since January, you ought to call them and ask to talk to a higher level officer.

As newacct said, you can use your GC to go to Canada now - no RTD necessary. RTDs are always only issued for a maximum of 1 year.
Thank you for replying ! Actually it's just been few weeks since I applied. It's just a hassle getting a new RTD as it takes 3 months to get a new one and you can only travel if you have a minimum of 6 months till the RTD expires so technically you have only 6 months and that too unplanned as you can only plan you travels within 6 months of gettin the RTD.
 

Thank you everyone ! i managed to find the information on official websites and thought id post them here to help out others.

This is the US website that states that Passport is not required for I-551 (Permanent Resident card)
holders
  • If you are a green card holder and you do not stay outside the U.S. for 1 year or more, you should have either your green card (INS Form I-551, or your returning resident visa to re-enter the United States. You are not required to present your unexpired passport, however it is not a bad idea to carry it with you
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de....---documents-required-for-foreign-nationals-

and this is the canadian website that states that US Permanent Residents dont need passport or visa to travel to canada
  • Indicates permanent resident status in the United States. Holders do not require a passport or temporary resident visa when travelling directly from the United States to Canada.
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5023-eng.html#a1x11
 
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