Can one on GC still apply for an asylee's status

[AmericanWannabe]

Can one already on GC still apply for an asylee's status
in order to get some travel documents in place of passport?

[baikal3]

You can't apply for an asylee status, but as a permanent resident you can use I-131 form to apply for a re-entry permit. It looks more or less like a passport and many countries are willing to put visas in it. That's what my brother did for several years, since his Russian passport expired and was quite expensive to renew.

He traveled to France a few times and had a European "shengen" visa stamped in the re-entry permit when he needed to do it.

[noid]

Anyone with a GC that is Asylum or Refugee status based is still eligible for a Refugee Travel Document. See Form I-131

[AmericanWannabe]

Passport too expensive to renew is a reason
for travel document?

[baikal3]

You are eligible for a travel document as a permanent resident.
(your passport sitation is irrelevant to INS for this issue).

I think all you need to write in an I-131 re-entry permit application is that you need a re-entry permit since you intent to travel abroad and be absent for more than a year (but less than two years).
Of course, you can always change your mind later, after you get the permit -

[AmericanWannabe]

What if one only want to say abroad for 2 weeks but could not
get a passport from his own country's consulate for whatever
reasons (too expensive included)?

[baikal3]

I do not think that INS would accept "pasport renewal being too expensive" as a satisfactory reason for requesating a re-entry permit. But you can certainly try.

The instructions for I-131 say that a re-entry permit is meant to be issued if you plan to travel abroad for more than a year but less than two years. Since that's what they want to hear, that's what I'd tell them (even if you only really want to be abroad just for a day).

[AmericanWannabe]

Well, my thread-starting post is about how a
non-refugee/aslyum based GC immigrant get a
travel document to travel abroad if he can not
get or renew a passport from his own country
because political reasons

[baikal3]

That's exactly what I am talking about: apply for a re-entry permit using I-131. You'll get exactly what you want.

[AmericanWannabe]

But you said I-131 is only for those who want to
stay abroad for a very long time.

[baikal3]

Oh, come on, give me a break!
This one year abroad business is only relevant for what you will write in the I-131 application. Once you do get the re-entry permit itself, you just forget about this one year nonsense and use the re-entry permit as a passport, for short trips or long. That's what my brother did and quite a few other Russians that I know as well.

[AmericanWannabe]

I am not convinced. If one only wants to stay abroad for 2 weeks,
but he apply for I-131 by giving reasons that he wants to
say for 1 year, would he commited a perjury (nowadays
you have to be ultracareful)?

I checked I-131 out. It does have the type for
refugee's status or GC as a direct result of
refuge or asylum. But if a GC immigrant got
the GC thru other means, he does not fit either
type and that is why I asked if he still can
apply for an asylee's status after he gets a GC.

[baikal3]

Well, if you want to be overly cautious, that is of course your choice. I just told you what I now from experience: you can get a re-entry permit using I-131; the permit looks just like a passport and you can use it as such (the permit itself does nt say anything about the reason it was issued). There is nothing to preclude you from using the permit for short trips in addition to a long trip that you are planning, say for later on (and may change your mind about). I think it is reasonable to assume that no-one is going to bother you about the reason you got it. This is the case with Advanced Parole for I-485 applicants for example. Even though the instructions still say that you are supposed to give a reason for a particular trip with dates etc on an AP application, INS does not care about it now. When I was applying for an AP, I just wrote that I am eligible for it as an adjustment of status applicant and got AP with no problems. You could try a similar thing with re-entry permit: file an application and leave the reason for requesting it blank or write that you are eligible for it or even write that you are having trouble renewing your passport and need a travel document. In the worst case they'll reject your I-131, but this would not affect your GC status and you would have been perfectly honest...

On the other hand, unless you got I-485 approved
in a refugee/asylee category to start with, you cannot ask for a refugee travel document now that your GC has been approved and processed.