Refugee Travel Document - Questions and Answers

[Newboy01]

Hi guys, I have a US visa valid till 2022 on my seized Philippine assport, I applied for a RTD on August 12, 2016 and hoping to receive my travel document soon as I'm travelling to Cuba on October 1st. Got my plane ticket and resort done and paid.

My question is: can I travel to USA using only my refugee travel document without my USA visa stamp and can I bring just my US visa original photo copy from my Seized passport as a prove?

And other question is; what are the other countries that I can visit using my refugee travel document without visa require.

I want to go to USA, Argentina, Brazil, France, London, Italy and Germany and Greece. Please let me know if I need visa for those countries.

Is ReFugee travel document is similar as to Canadian passport free visa o travel?

I'd travel 15 countries before when I had my seized passport and now I'm stuck for almost 3 years and depressed and scared to travel I need to relax my mind and I'm working really hard in Canada I need a refreshment.

Please give me hope )))

 

[obib]

...Germany,Maldives,Madagascar however please do check before travel because of global Terrorism challenge,Countries can change their Travel requirements at any time.

 

[GhtoCa]

Hi
Please has anyone applied for USA visa with RTD? Was visa issued? Did they give you hard time while traveling or is it wiser to wait till my PR comes out . Sorry for the many questions just sceptical about applying for visa if traveling to the US will be a challenge.

 

[denrus89]

Hi
Please has anyone applied for USA visa with RTD? Was visa issued? Did they give you hard time while traveling or is it wiser to wait till my PR comes out . Sorry for the many questions just sceptical about applying for visa if traveling to the US will be a challenge.

Yes! Absolutely.
I had an active US Visa in my national passport, but it was seized, and I reapplied for the US visa using my Travel Document. I had an interview at the embassy, and it was very simple to explain that as a refugee, my passport was seized, and I don't have access to that visa anymore, so the officer cancelled that visa in my national passport in the system ,and issued a new one and put it in the Travel document. So now I can go to the US with this new visa.

 

[denrus89]

My question is: can I travel to USA using only my refugee travel document without my USA visa stamp and can I bring just my US visa original photo copy from my Seized passport as a prove?

Please see my answer above. You have to reapply for the US visa using your Travel document.
Submit your application online and have an interview at the closes US embassy (I did mine in Vancouver), and explain to the officer that you need a new visa in your Travel Document as you are a refugee and not allowed to use your national passport (besides it was seized anyways). They will cancel that visa in their system, so you don't end up having two active visas. And you Travel document will have a new US visa that you can easily travel with!

 

[obib]

I think it can also depend on the Visa Officer interviewing you.I know a Family who were denied US visa with their travel document. The US Embassy visa Officer during interview requested for their PR Card and when she was told that it is still under processing, she refused them and told them to come back when they have PR.

 

[Aseer]

Greetings,

When can I apply for Travel Document ? Is that right after submitting the asylum claimant or after getting approved and becoming a refugee ?

Thanks

 

[key78]

Greetings,

When can I apply for Travel Document ? Is that right after submitting the asylum claimant or after getting approved and becoming a refugee ?

Thanks

Usually 20 business days

 

[Aseer]

After approval of my case or just after submitting it ?

 

[betteka]

Very thorough information. Thank you so much!

 

[encantado]

Greetings,

When can I apply for Travel Document ? Is that right after submitting the asylum claimant or after getting approved and becoming a refugee ?

Thanks

After getting approved.

 

[key78]

After approval of my case or just after submitting it ?

after getting the approval of your claim

 

[denrus89]

A few updates:

1) I have recently contacted the Portuguese Consulate in Vancouver to inquire about the Travel Document (TRD) and if they accept it for visa applications.
So their reply was very disappointing as they said the following:

"Good afternoon,
Sorry, but we can´t issue visas without passport, you need have a passport to get a Schengen Visa, the Canadian Travel Document isn´t enough.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

Best regards,
Luís Filipe Silva
Consulado Geral de Portugal em Vancouver"

This contradicts the information posted in that table that someone previously published here. This table states that Portugal accepts Canadian TRD, but the Consulate has a different opinion. Not sure if the Consulate didn't get the question right (but I clearly stated what I was asking, and I wrote a second email to clarify and referred to this table (see below).
Let's see if I get a second reply. Something tells me that if you actually apply for the Schengen visa online and book an appointment, they will accept it and place a visa in the Canadian TRD. Just doesn't make sense that most of countries do, but Portugal won't... Again, the issue is that two different sources contradict each other.

2) I have also contacted the Greek Consulate in Vancouver with exact same question: will they issue a visa with TRD.
This time the situation was the complete opposite - the table below lists Greece as a country that does not accept TRD, but the Consulate confirmed that I am more than welcome to apply for visa and they have issued visas for TRDs before (the guy I spoke with said that it's only in some cases that they don't, but in most cases - they do accept it).
So that just proves that this table might not be the most reliable source of information, and I would encourage EVERYONE who applies for Schengen visa of any member country, please check with the Embassy/Consulate first before applying to clarify the visa issuance details.

http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/index_en.htm and then first under info. Direct URL is: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/document-security/docs/part_i_travel_documents_issued_by_third_countries_and_territorial_entities_en.xlsm

 

[encantado]

A few updates:

1) I have recently contacted the Portuguese Consulate in Vancouver to inquire about the Travel Document (TRD) and if they accept it for visa applications.
So their reply was very disappointing as they said the following:

"Good afternoon,
Sorry, but we can´t issue visas without passport, you need have a passport to get a Schengen Visa, the Canadian Travel Document isn´t enough.

If you have more questions, please feel free to ask.

Best regards,
Luís Filipe Silva
Consulado Geral de Portugal em Vancouver"

This contradicts the information posted in that table that someone previously published here. This table states that Portugal accepts Canadian TRD, but the Consulate has a different opinion. Not sure if the Consulate didn't get the question right (but I clearly stated what I was asking, and I wrote a second email to clarify and referred to this table (see below).
Let's see if I get a second reply. Something tells me that if you actually apply for the Schengen visa online and book an appointment, they will accept it and place a visa in the Canadian TRD. Just doesn't make sense that most of countries do, but Portugal won't... Again, the issue is that two different sources contradict each other.

2) I have also contacted the Greek Consulate in Vancouver with exact same question: will they issue a visa with TRD.
This time the situation was the complete opposite - the table below lists Greece as a country that does not accept TRD, but the Consulate confirmed that I am more than welcome to apply for visa and they have issued visas for TRDs before (the guy I spoke with said that it's only in some cases that they don't, but in most cases - they do accept it).
So that just proves that this table might not be the most reliable source of information, and I would encourage EVERYONE who applies for Schengen visa of any member country, please check with the Embassy/Consulate first before applying to clarify the visa issuance details.

Spain and Portuguese don't accept RTD.

 

[LoveCanada10]

So that just proves that this table might not be the most reliable source of information, and I would encourage EVERYONE who applies for Schengen visa of any member country, please check with the Embassy/Consulate first before applying to clarify the visa issuance details.

No where in the table it says Greece doesn't accept RTD. I mentioned couple times the only countries which do not accept RTD in Schengen are below:

1. Spain
2. Portugal
3. Norway
4. Iceland

There are so many other beautiful places in the world to visit before getting Canadian citizenship. So none of these countries are a big deal with the except of Iceland. Iceland is so beautiful and the Iceland Air and WOW Air are really good and cheap airlines to travel to Europe but we won't be able to use them as they don't ack'ed our RTD.