The AILA NSC liaison committee has received inquiries from members regarding the issuance of biometrics appointments to applicants filing a refugee travel document or reentry permit who are below the age of 14 and over the age of 79, who have not paid the biometrics fee, and whether these applicants are required to attend the biometrics.
The instructions for the I-131 for reentry permits and refugee travel documents state on page 5 that applicants between the ages of 14 and 79 must be fingerprinted, and are required to pay the additional $85 biometric fee. Further, the instructions do not require paper photographs to be submitted with the I-131 for reentry permits.
On a September 13, 2012 stakeholder call, the NSC has advised that all applicants, regardless of age, are now being issued biometrics appointments (AILA Doc. No. 12092748).
For the applicants below the age of 14 and over the age of 79, the purpose of the appointment is to capture a digital photograph, since they are not required to be fingerprinted.
Digital photographs make it easier for the NSC to produce the re-entry permit document.
AILA’s NSC liaison committee asked the NSC whether an applicant below the age of 14 and over the age of 79 could submit the I-131 application with two paper photographs, and if the NSC could issue the document using those photographs without the need for the applicant to attend a biometrics appointment.
NSC confirmed that if the applicant is below the age of 14 and over the age of 79 and submits two paper photographs when filing for the reentry permit, in addition to all other required documentation for the I-131 (including proof he or she was physically present in the country at the time of filing per 8 C.F.R. § 223.2(b)(1) of the regulations), the NSC will issue the reentry permit without requiring the applicant to attend a biometrics appointment.
