Form I-131: How to Fill Out Your Advance Parole Application

Form I-131, Application for Travel Document, is what lets certain noncitizens leave the United States and come back without giving up a pending immigration case or their status. If you have a pending green card application and need to travel, this is the form standing between you and a safe trip. Here is exactly how to fill it out, what to attach, and where to send it.

What Form I-131 Covers and Who Needs It

Form I-131 is a multi-purpose USCIS form. Depending on which box you check in Part 2, it produces one of several different documents: an advance parole document, a reentry permit, a refugee travel document, or an arrival/departure record for certain parole programs. The most common use case by far is advance parole for someone with a pending Form I-485 adjustment of status application.

If you filed Form I-485 and leave the country before an advance parole document is approved, USCIS treats your adjustment of status application as abandoned in most cases. That single rule is why this form matters so much: the timing has to be right, and the paperwork has to be complete before you book a flight.

You generally need Form I-131 if you are:

• An adjustment of status applicant (pending Form I-485) who needs to travel for work, family, or an emergency
• A conditional or lawful permanent resident planning a trip of a year or more who wants a reentry permit so the absence does not jeopardize your status
• A refugee or asylee who needs a refugee travel document because you cannot safely use a passport from your home country
• Someone approved for parole in place, deferred enforced departure, or a specific parole program such as the Family Reunification Task Force

One exception worth knowing: if you hold a valid H-1B, H-4, L-1, L-2, K-3, K-4, or V nonimmigrant visa, you may be able to travel and reenter on that visa without advance parole, though many attorneys still recommend applying for it as a backup. If you are unsure which category applies to you, a consultation with an immigration attorney before you file is worth the cost.

Advance Parole vs Reentry Permit vs Refugee Travel Document

Form I-131 covers different situations depending on your status. Use this table to confirm you are applying for the right document before you start filling out the PDF.

Part 2 of the form lists numbered boxes (5.A, 6.B, 7, and so on) for each of these categories. Checking the wrong box is one of the most common reasons USCIS issues a request for evidence, so match your situation to the exact box number in the instructions before you submit.

Documents to Gather First

Have these ready before you start typing into the PDF so you are not stopping halfway through:

• A copy of your government-issued photo ID (passport photo page or driver's license)
• Your USCIS receipt notice (Form I-797C) for the underlying application, such as your pending I-485
• Two passport-style photos if you are applying by mail (not required for most online filings)
• Evidence supporting your reason for travel: a letter from an employer, a family emergency document, a wedding invitation, or similar
• Your current I-94 arrival/departure record if you have one
• A copy of any prior advance parole or travel document, if this is a renewal

If you are also filing Form I-765 for work authorization at the same time as your I-485, USCIS can issue a combined EAD and advance parole card, often called a combo card, on a single piece of plastic. That is a strong reason to file all three forms together rather than staggering them.

Step by Step: Filling Out the PDF

Download the current edition of Form I-131 from uscis.gov, then open it with a browser-based tool like PDF Editify's fill-pdf tool so you can type directly into the fields, save your progress, and print a clean copy without lining up text by hand.

1. Part 1, Information About You. Enter your legal name exactly as it appears on your passport or green card, your USCIS Online Account Number if you have one, your Alien Registration Number (A-Number), date of birth, and current mailing address. Small mismatches between this section and your I-485 or prior filings are a common cause of delay, so double-check spelling against your receipt notice.
2. Part 2, Application Type. Check the single box that matches your document type and situation from the table above. If you are a pending I-485 applicant, this is usually box 5.A. Read the corresponding instruction paragraph carefully; some boxes require you to also answer follow-up questions about your current immigration proceedings.
3. Part 3, Processing Information. This section asks about your travel plans, including where you intend to apply for the document (inside the U.S. or at a specific location abroad) and details about your current or intended travel dates. Answer based on your actual plans; you do not need a locked-in itinerary, but USCIS wants a realistic picture.
4. Additional parts for your category. Depending on the box you checked in Part 2, you may need to complete extra fields specific to reentry permits, refugee travel documents, or a particular parole program. The form's instructions page tells you exactly which additional parts apply to your box number.
5. Signature. Sign and date the form yourself; USCIS does not accept a representative's signature on your behalf. If you are filing by mail, use a pen with black ink, since the form is scanned. If you are working from a digital copy, you can add your signature directly with a tool like PDF Editify's e-signature tool before printing and mailing, or before uploading a signed PDF to your USCIS online account.
6. Attach your evidence. Assemble your ID copy, receipt notice, photos (if mailing), and supporting evidence behind the signed form in the order listed in the instructions.

If you would rather start from a pre-formatted copy of the form instead of downloading it fresh from USCIS, PDF Editify's Form I-131 template gives you the current fillable version ready to complete in your browser.

Filing Online vs by Mail

USCIS allows online filing for several I-131 categories, including advance parole for pending I-485 applicants who already have an IOE receipt number, travel authorization for TPS beneficiaries, and several parole programs. As of USCIS's most recent fee schedule, the filing fee is $580 if you file online and $630 if you file on paper, with the gap intended to nudge applicants toward the online system. Refugees and asylees who file within one year of their status approval, along with certain military parole-in-place applicants, are generally exempt from the fee entirely.

If your category is not eligible for online filing, or you prefer paper, you mail the form and evidence to the USCIS lockbox address listed in the current instructions for your category and location; do not reuse an address from an older guide, since lockbox addresses change. Whichever method you use, keep a complete copy of everything you send, including the receipt notice once it arrives.

Processing currently runs roughly three to eight months depending on category and service center workload, and is generally faster when I-131 is filed concurrently with I-485 and I-765 as part of one combo package rather than filed alone afterward.

Every immigration form you touch this year, from I-131 to I-765 to I-9 paperwork for a new job, works the same way in a browser: fill it, sign it, download it. Rather than paying for a full annual subscription to a desktop PDF editor for a handful of government forms, PDF Editify's One Week Plan is a $3 one-time charge that covers you for exactly the week you need it, and it expires on its own with nothing to cancel.

If you are also petitioning for a family member alongside your own adjustment of status, our guide to Form I-130 walks through that companion form, and if you need work authorization while your case is pending, see our Form I-765 guide.