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U.S. Legal Permanent Residents/Green Card Holders
U.S. Visas

Overview

U.S. Embassy Paris does not accept submissions of I-407 Record for Voluntary Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status.

As of July 1, 2019, USCIS international field offices do not accept submissions of Form I-407, Record of Abandonment of Lawful Permanent Resident Status by mail or in person.

Individuals who wish to voluntarily record abandonment of their lawful permanent resident (LPR) status must submit Form I-407 via mail to:

USCIS Eastern Forms Center
Attn: I-407 unit
124 Leroy Road
PO Box 567
Williston, VT 05495

USCIS anticipates that processing times at the Eastern Forms Center, from receipt to completion, will be within 60 days, which does not include mailing time to or from outside of the United States.

In very rare circumstances, a U.S. embassy, U.S. consulate, or USCIS international field office may accept a Form I-407 in person if an individual needs immediate proof that they have abandoned LPR status.

U.S. Embassy Paris accepts applications for:

  • U.S. Legal Permanent Residents (LPR) whose “green” card (I-551) is lost, stolen, or expired may apply for a Boarding Foil.
  • U.S. Legal Permanent Residents (LPR) who have been residing outside the United States for more than one year may apply for a Returning Resident (SB-1).

How To Apply

Boarding Foil

  • If your “green” card (I-551 U.S. Legal Permanent Resident Card) has been lost, stolen, or is expired, you may schedule an appointment for a boarding foil.  You should come to the Embassy to apply for a boarding foil (formerly known as a Transportation Letter) if you are flying directly to the United States.  This one month validity foil will allow your airline to board you without liability.
  • Please be advised that in order to obtain a boarding foil, you must provide proof of your current legal permanent resident status (photocopy of green card, etc.) at the interview appointment. You must also prove that you have been in the U.S. within the last year.
  • If approved, boarding foils normally take 48 hours to process and sometimes more.  Post must keep your passport so please plan accordingly.
  • Once in the United States, you will need to apply for the replacement of your green card (I-551).  For information on replacing your lost/stolen/expired green card upon reentering the US, please consult the Department of Homeland Security U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service website for detailed instructions.

Returning Resident (SB1)

Schedule an appointment for a  Returning Resident Visa (SB-1 visa).

Qualifications

U.S. Legal Permanent Residents who are unable to return to the United States for reasons beyond their control within the travel validity period (one year) may be eligible for a special immigrant re-entry permit (SB-1 visa) under limited circumstances.  To qualify for such status, you must show:

  1. That you were a lawful permanent resident when you departed the United States.
  2. That when you departed you intended to return to the U.S. and have maintained this intent.
  3. That you are returning from a temporary visit abroad and if the stay was protracted, it was caused by reasons beyond your control and for which you were not responsible.
  4. That you are eligible for the immigrant visa in all other respects.

You must also submit supporting documents that show the following:

  • Dates of travel outside of the United States (Examples: airline tickets, passport stamps, etc.)
  • Proof of your ties to the United States and your intention to return (examples: tax returns, and evidence of economic, family, and social ties to the United States
  • Proof that your protracted stay outside of the United States was for reasons beyond your control (examples: medical incapacitation, employment with a U.S. company, etc).

Fees

All applicants are required to pay a non-refundable filing fee of $180 (or its local currency equivalent), which may be paid in cash, major credit card at the Embassy’s consular cashier.  The filing fee is NOT the visa application fee; this fee is for the determination of returning resident status. Payment of the filing fee does not guarantee that the returning resident status will be approved.

Exceptions

The one-year time limitation does not apply to the spouse or child of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, or of a civilian employee of the U.S. Government stationed abroad pursuant to official orders. In this case, the spouse or child must present the card mentioned above, not have relinquished residence, and be preceding or accompanying the member or employee, or be following to join the member or employee in the United States within four months of the return of the member or employee.

Travel Document – Re-Entry Permit

A re-entry permit establishes that you do not intend to abandon status and allows you to apply for admission to the United States after traveling abroad for up to 2 years without having to obtain a returning resident visa. Re-entry permits are normally valid for 2 years from the date of issuance. You must apply for a re-entry permit prior to departing the U.S. and await confirmation from USCIS, who will inform you when it is approved and sent to U.S. Embassy Paris.

To pick up your re-entry permit, you may come to the U.S. Embassy in Paris on the first Wednesday of the month (except for U.S. and French holidays). You must bring your Permanent Resident Card and passport. No appointment is required.

Security Information

SECURITY AT THE U.S. EMBASSY AND U.S. CONSULATES

WHAT CAN YOU BRING?

View Restrictions
1