Why We Need Change: Refugee Travel Documents Are Broken

Refugees and asylees rely on Refugee Travel Documents (RTDs) as their only means of international travel for work, family, and other essential needs. The current system is failing us on every level.

The Processing-Validity Paradox

It takes approximately 16 months to receive an RTD that is valid for only 12 months. We wait longer for the document than we can use it.
Under 8 U.S. Code § 1571, immigration benefit applications should generally be processed within 180 days — a threshold RTD processing routinely exceeds.

An Irrational and Costly Policy

Issuing a one-year document after a 16-month wait is fundamentally inefficient.
Under the Administrative Procedure Act, agency policy must have a rational basis. Issuing a one-year document with a 16-month wait has none.

Furthermore, because many countries require at least six months of remaining document validity, applicants may have only 6 to 9 months of practical travel time.

The result is a cycle of repeated Form I-131 filings and growing USCIS backlogs, despite applicants’ eligibility remaining unchanged.

A Real Human and Economic Cost

This affects hundreds of thousands of lawful, productive residents. Business professionals and employees whose work requires travel face unnecessary restrictions and lost opportunities. Families remain separated for years and miss major life events.

The United States also falls behind international standards. The United Kingdom issues RTDs valid for up to 10 years, while many European countries issue them for 2 to 5 years.

Our Ask

Extend RTD validity to at least 2 years, consistent with Re-entry Permits and international standards.

Enforce the existing 180-day processing requirement.