An AAO decision was released recently which commented on whether it is required for a petitioner who has filed a Form I-131, application for re-entry permit to be physically in the country when the application is filed. The answer, according to the AAO...
For green card holders who plan to be outside of the U.S. for six months or more and less than two years, the re-entry permit procedure now requires biometric processing. There are steps which can be followed to expedite the biometric processing.
Effective March 5, 2008, all applicants for re-entry permits and refugee travel documents must provide biometrics (fingerprints and photographs) as part of the application process. The significance of the revised procedure is that all applicants must submit to biometric processing after they file Form I-131 and before they leave the country. The new Form I-131 [...]