Traveling as an asylee with a RTD and a pending I-485

[mmbt]

Hi everyone!

I'm sure this has been asked before but I'm looking for people who have traveled internationally in the past as an asylee with a RTD and a pending AOS. Is it possible and there is no issues to re-enter the US? The I-485 won't be considered abandoned? Thanks in advance!

[Johnny6751]

Hi everyone!

I'm sure this has been asked before but I'm looking for people who have traveled internationally in the past as an asylee with a RTD and a pending AOS. Is it possible and there is no issues to re-enter the US? The I-485 won't be considered abandoned? Thanks in advance!

It depends. . Refugees and asylees cannot travel on passports from their home countries, as doing so could be
viewed as availing themselves of the country of feared persecution's protection. Even after a refugee
or asylee has been granted lawful permanent resident status (LPR), he or she still cannot rely on his or
her previous passport for international travel. Instead, refugees, asylees, and LPRs granted permanent
residence under INA §209 must apply for Refugee Travel Documents (RTD), which facilitate their
entry into foreign nations and authorize their re-entry to the United States after temporary travel
abroad. Most refugees, asylees, and LPRs granted under INA §209 must rely upon RTDs to travel
abroad if and until they are granted U.S. citizenship – a period of at least five years for most, and
indefinitely for others.11
Currently, USCIS issues RTDs for asylees and refugees with validity dates of only one year. This
short validity period presents an undue burden on asylees and refugees, interfering with their right to
travel abroad for business and personal reasons and generally disrupting their freedom of movement.
While current processing times for these documents are reported at three months, processing times
have been much longer in the past, forcing asylees and refugees to plan international travel far in
advance to ensure that their RTD has the required validity period for entry into certain countries and
re-entry to the United States. Additionally, according to Form I-131 instructions, a new RTD may not
be issued if the current document is still valid, and many countries require visitors to have at least
three months of validity on their travel document before admission will be granted, sometimes more.
A U.S. refugee or asylee applying for admission to one of these countries may be barred from entry
until he or she can obtain a new travel document with a longer validity period. However, he or she
cannot obtain the new document until his or her current document has expired.
Having that said, I'd rather consult a lawyer first. RTD's are a little tricker and it's better that you ask a professional about it.
Good luck!