Foreign Affairs Manual Updates

What is the Foreign Affairs Manual?

The Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM) and the handbooks associated (FAHs) are a comprehensive source for all of the policies and procedures that govern the U.S. Department of State and Foreign Service. They contain thousands of documents regarding the responsibilities of the organization and authorities of each of the components of the DOS.

FAM Updates

Every Friday, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) publishes updates about changes in the Foreign Affairs Manual. Last Friday, February 1, AILA reviewed the new regulations about the issuance of boarding foils for returning lawful permanent residents. These regulations were in 9 FAM 202.2-7 (A) to (F).

In January 2019, the process for issuing a boarding foil was updated in the FAM. A boarding foil is a document that allows a green card holder to board a plane without their green card. Boarding foils will not be issued without a Receipt Notice or if it is past the second year of conditional residency status. However, boarding foils can be issued to a lawful permanent resident with a lost, stolen, or expired Form I-551 (reentry permit) as long as it was valid when the I-131A was filed. The lawful permanent resident must have online proof of having paid the Form I-131A filing fee in order to be issued a boarding foil. This boarding foil will only be valid for 30 days.

There were also updates about the one-year absence limit for I-551 applicants and the two-year absence limit for reentry permit applicants. The update clarifies that the one-year eligibility is calculated from the date the individual left the U.S. to the date that the I-131A fee was paid.

For More Information:

Visit and search the Foreign Affairs Manual and Handbook website here.

This blog post does not serve as legal advice and does not establish any client-attorney privilege. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our legal team directly.

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This information comes from a news release from the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA Doc. No. 19020108).