Embassy of the United States La Paz, Bolivia

When a Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) of the United States is undocumented (i.e.  the LPR has lost his/her resident card or left the U.S. without it or the card has expired), the Consular Section may be able to provide the applicant with a Boarding Foil that allows him/her to re-enter the United States as a Legal Permanent Resident.  Before applying for this document, the applicant must consider whether he/she is eligible to receive a Boarding Foil.

You are NOT eligible for a Boarding Foil if:

• You have changed your residency to another country with the intent to stay as a permanent resident
• You have been out of the United States for more than one year without a Re-entry Permit from the Immigration Service of the United States.  Please note that only the Immigration Officer at the port of entry has the authority to determine whether you are admissible to the United States or not, even if you have a Boarding Foil and even if you were outside the United States for less than one year.
• You have not filed Federal Taxes in the United States
• You have declared yourself as a "non-immigrant" on the Federal Tax forms

If you think you are eligible to obtain a Boarding Foil, you need to visit the Call Center's web page to make an appointment with the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in La Paz.  Interviews for Boarding Foils take place only on Mondays.  You will be able to schedule your appointment for the next available Monday.  To contact the Call Center, please visit the site http://bolivia.usvisa-info.com and follow the instructions provided there.

Once you have an appointment, please contact the Consular Office by e-mail at consularlapaz@state.gov and send us scanned copies of the following documents, whose originals you will need to bring to the interview:

• Police report (in case of lost or stolen document)
• 1 passport photo, 5cm x 5cm, on a white background
• Documents to prove your residency in the United States, such as a copy of the Form I-551, job certificates, proof of tax payments from the most recent year, letters from a church, and/or other documents that prove that you and your family live in the United States
• Personal identification (e.g.  your passport showing the entry stamps to Bolivia) or your migratory registration in case you do not have your passport
• Airplane tickets showing the date when you entered Bolivia
• Airplane tickets for your return to the United States (you need to have at least a confirmed airplane reservation)
• Completed I-90 form

The Boarding Foil, which allows the LPR’s re-entry into the United States, is issued after the verification of the applicant's LPR status.   This process may take up to five working days.  This is why we request to receive scanned copies of all documents in advance.  Please do not make the appointment more than four weeks in advance because the Boarding Foil is only valid for four weeks and one entry.

If the Consular Officer determines that you are eligible for a Boarding Foil, you will need to return to the U.S. Embassy the day after the interview at 11:00am to pick up your passport with the Boarding Foil.