Overview
Form I-131 is the USCIS application for travel documents, parole documents and arrival/departure records. On the same form you can ask for a reentry permit, a refugee travel document, an advance parole document, TPS travel authorization or CNMI advance permission to travel, or ask for parole (permission to come into or stay in the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit). The sections below take the main documents one at a time.[1]
Which document fits your situation
- Reentry permit (Form I-327): for permanent residents, including conditional permanent residents. You must file while you are in the U.S. and hold that status. It lets you apply for admission when you return from abroad during the permit's validity without first getting a returning resident visa.[2,6,7]
- Refugee travel document (Form I-571): for people in valid refugee or asylum status, and for permanent residents who got their green card as a direct result of refugee or asylum status.[2,7]
- Advance parole document (Form I-512L): for certain people inside the U.S. who need to travel and come back. The form lists, among others, people with a pending Form I-485 (green card application), a pending Form I-589 (asylum application) or a pending initial TPS application; people granted Deferred Enforced Departure (DED); people with an approved Form I-821D (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA) or approved T or U status; current parolees; and people in V status. The document lets you appear at a port of entry to seek parole back into the U.S.[1,3,4]
- TPS travel authorization (Form I-512T): for TPS beneficiaries in the U.S. who want to travel abroad. If USCIS approves the I-131 while your TPS application (Form I-821) is still pending, it issues an advance parole document (Form I-512L) instead. When you return, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) decides at inspection, at its discretion, whether to admit you in TPS; if you were previously granted parole, that admission makes you ineligible for a new period of parole (re-parole). USCIS asks TPS beneficiaries and applicants to read the Form I-131 instructions, which explain risks of being abroad while USCIS considers a TPS re-registration or initial application, such as missing requests for evidence or other notices, or being denied TPS while you are outside the U.S.[1]
- Advance permission to travel: for CNMI long-term residents. If you apply for it and then leave the CNMI without having the document, your status automatically terminates.[1]
Reentry permit (green card holders)
- High confidence Generally, a valid, unexpired green card works as your entry document only when you return after a temporary absence of less than 1 year. A valid, unexpired reentry permit is a separate entry document for a returning permanent resident: during its validity you can apply for admission without first getting a returning resident visa.[6,7]
- If, since becoming a permanent resident or during the last five years (whichever is less), you have been outside the U.S. for more than four years in total, a new reentry permit is limited to one year. A two-year permit may still be issued to people covered by 8 CFR 211.1(a)(6) or (a)(7) (U.S. government employees abroad on official orders and their spouses and children, and certain American University of Beirut employees), to employees of a public international organization of which the U.S. is a member by treaty or statute, and their permanent resident spouse and children, and to professional athletes who regularly compete in the U.S. and worldwide.[2,7]
- If you are a permanent resident entitled to diplomatic or treaty nonimmigrant status (A, E or G) because of your occupation, a reentry permit can be issued only if you submit with the application, or have already submitted, the written waiver required by 8 CFR part 247.[2]
Refugee travel document (refugees and asylees)
- If you hold refugee or asylum status, you must have a refugee travel document to return to the U.S. after temporary travel abroad, unless you have a valid advance parole document. The regulation cross-references one further exception (8 CFR 223.3(d)(2)(i)).[6]
- USCIS says that if you have refugee status and are in the U.S., you must apply for the refugee travel document and appear for any required biometrics appointment before you leave.[8]
- If you were admitted as a refugee or granted asylum and left without applying for one, USCIS may, at its discretion, accept your application at a port of entry, a pre-flight inspection location or an overseas USCIS office. The officer must be satisfied that you did not intend to abandon your refugee or asylum status when you left, that you did nothing abroad inconsistent with that status, and that you have been outside the U.S. for less than 1 year since your last departure. USCIS says refugees applying from abroad must explain why they did not apply before leaving. USCIS also says that if you return to the country you fled from, you must explain how you were able to return there safely.[2,8]
Advance parole while your green card application is pending
High confidence If you need to leave the U.S. temporarily while your Form I-485 is pending, you may apply for an advance parole document on Form I-131. The document authorizes you to appear at a port of entry to seek parole after your trip; the officer there reviews your case and may parole you under terms and conditions the officer sets.[3,9]
Under the regulation, apart from the exceptions below, leaving while your I-485 is pending counts as abandoning it unless USCIS granted advance parole before you left and you were inspected and paroled when you came back. If you returned on advance parole and USCIS later denies the I-485, you are treated as an applicant for admission. If you are in exclusion, deportation or removal proceedings, any departure counts as abandonment.[10]
Some nonimmigrants who are not in proceedings can travel without advance parole and keep the I-485. The trip is not abandonment if you are in lawful H-1 or L-1 status, remain eligible for H or L status, return to resume work for the same employer, and have a valid H or L visa if one is required; if you are in H-4 or L-2 status, the spouse or parent you derive from is maintaining H-1 or L-1 status, you remain otherwise eligible, and you have a valid H-4 or L-2 visa if required; if you are in K-3 or K-4 status and return with a valid K-3 or K-4 visa while still eligible; or if you are in V status and are admissible as a V nonimmigrant when you return.[10]
Parole requests: from abroad, in place, and re-parole
- Initial parole: you can ask for parole into the U.S. for a person who is currently outside the U.S., whether that is you or someone else, based on urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit. Some requests fall under an existing program, such as the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program or the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative. The parole document may be a boarding foil placed in the passport or a Form I-512L.[1]
- Parole in place: if you are in the U.S. and present without having been admitted, you can ask for parole in place on the same grounds, including military parole in place.[1]
- Re-parole: if you were paroled and need more time, you can ask from inside the U.S. for a new period of parole based on urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit. If USCIS authorizes it, you receive a Form I-94 with a new Admit Until Date or Parole Until Date. Generally, the DHS component that first authorized your parole handles re-parole, unless DHS or USCIS gives other filing instructions.[1]
- High confidence Parole ends automatically, without written notice, when you leave the U.S. or, if you stay, when the authorized period runs out. Current parolees who want to travel and return can ask for an advance parole document (Part 1, Item 5.H of Form I-131).[1,9]
How to file
| Request (Form I-131, Part 1) | File online? |
|---|---|
| Reentry permit (Item 1) | No, paper only |
| Refugee travel document (Items 2 and 3) | No, paper only |
| TPS travel authorization (Item 4) | Yes |
| Advance parole with a pending I-485 (Item 5.A) | Yes, only if your I-485 receipt number begins with IOE |
| Advance parole: pending initial TPS application (5.C), DED (5.D), approved DACA (5.E), approved U status (5.G) | Yes |
| Advance parole and CNMI advance permission to travel: pending asylum application (5.B), approved T status (5.F), current parolee (5.H), approved Family Unity benefits (5.I), pending Form I-687 (5.J), V status (5.K), CNMI long-term resident (5.L), other (5.M) | No, paper only |
| Initial parole for someone outside the U.S., not under a specific program (Item 7) | Yes |
| Re-parole, not under a specific program (Item 11) | Yes |
Choose the right category before you file online: you cannot change the application type afterward, and if you pick a different category only so that you can file online, USCIS may deny the I-131 and will not refund the fee. If you mail it, the address depends on your reason for filing (USCIS changed the I-131 filing locations on Oct. 7, 2026), and sending it to the wrong address may slow processing.[1]
With an I-485: when you ask for advance parole together with your I-485 or while it is pending, select only Item 5.A in Part 1. If you file both at the same time, you can leave the I-485 receipt number blank; if you file the I-131 later, include a copy of your I-485 receipt notice (Form I-797C). If you file the I-485 online by PDF upload, you can file the I-131 with it.[1,11]
Fees
| Request | Fee | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Reentry permit (Item 1) | $630 (paper only) | No fee waiver available |
| Refugee travel document | $0 | You hold refugee status, or are a permanent resident as a direct result of refugee status |
| Refugee travel document | $165 (16 or older) / $135 (under 16) | You hold asylee status, or are a permanent resident as a direct result of asylee status; some applicants may qualify for a fee waiver (Form I-912) |
| TPS travel authorization (Item 4) | $630 paper / $580 online | Some applicants may qualify for a fee waiver |
| Advance parole, pending I-485 (Item 5.A) | $630 paper / $580 online | Unless the next row applies |
| Advance parole, refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization or re-parole | $0 (the Immigration Parole Fee may still apply) | You filed your I-485 on or after July 30, 2007, and before April 1, 2024, paid its fee, and it is still pending |
| Advance parole, other categories (Items 5.B to 5.M) | $630 paper; $580 online where offered | $0 with approved T status (5.F) or approved U status (5.G), or for a current parolee applying as a Ms. L. settlement class member or qualifying family member (5.H). Some applicants under 5.B and 5.C may qualify for a waiver of the USCIS fee; CNMI requests (5.L) cannot get a fee waiver |
| Initial parole, parole in place or re-parole, not under a specific program (Items 7, 9, 11) | $630 paper; $580 online for Items 7 and 11 | Some programs have different fees, including $0 |
| Re-parole with a work permit (Employment Authorization Document, EAD) request (Part 9) | $1,150 paper / $1,050 online, plus a separate $280 fee under Public Law 119-21 | The amount covers both the I-131 and the EAD; the $280 fee cannot be waived. Some military and Ms. L. settlement applicants pay different amounts |
| Immigration Parole Fee (Public Law 119-21) | $1,020 online if USCIS notifies you of conditional approval | Charged on top of the filing fee for certain approvals unless an exception applies; no fee waiver. For advance parole and initial parole documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) collects it at the port of entry each time you seek parole; for parole in place and re-parole, USCIS collects it |
| Any I-131 document, fee-exempt groups | $0 | Among others: current or former U.S. armed forces members; people seeking or granted Special Immigrant Juvenile classification, T or U status, or VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) self-petitioner classification; certain Afghan and Iraqi special immigrants. CBP may still charge the parole fee at the port of entry |
The Immigration Parole Fee under Public Law 119-21 is separate from the filing fee: if USCIS recommends approval, you must pay it to be granted parole unless USCIS or CBP determines that an exception applies. The exceptions listed on Form G-1055 include a lawful applicant for adjustment of status under INA 245 who is returning after temporary travel abroad. You cannot request a fee waiver for any fee required by Public Law 119-21. As of Feb. 5, 2026, under a court order in Ms. L. v. ICE, the fee does not apply to Ms. L. Settlement Class members and their qualifying additional family members.[4]
After you file
1. Before a decision
High confidence Leaving the U.S. before USCIS decides a reentry permit or refugee travel document application does not affect that application. Separately, if USCIS requires you to appear for biometrics and you do not appear, it considers the request abandoned and denies it, unless by the appointment time it has received a change of address or rescheduling request that it accepts. The departure rule does not cover a pending I-485: there, apart from the H, L, K and V exceptions above, advance parole must already have been granted when you leave, and you must be inspected and paroled when you come back.[2,10,12]
2. Decision
USCIS approves or denies a reentry permit or refugee travel document as a matter of discretion and, if it approves, issues the document. A denial can be appealed under 8 CFR 103.3. Receiving either document does not affect any exclusion, deportation or removal proceedings you are in.[2]
Current processing time
USCIS published processing time
OfficialMedian from USCIS's quarterly report
- I-131 · FY2026 Q3 · all offices5.8 months
Half of the cases USCIS completed in that quarter took this long or less, from receipt to decision. Half took longer. The report does not say whether premium-processing cases are included. It is a different measure from the processing-times tool, so the two are not compared.
For the current figure for your form and office, check USCIS directly: USCIS processing times
Source: All USCIS Application and Petition Form Types (Fiscal Year 2026, Quarter 3) · Retrieved Sep 27, 2026
Common mistakes
- Applying for a new reentry permit or refugee travel document while the one you already have is still valid. USCIS denies it unless you returned the earlier document to USCIS or show that it was lost.[2]
- Refugees and asylees applying for a green card: putting Form I-131 in the same envelope as Form I-485. USCIS asks you to send them separately.[13,14]
- Mailing a paper form with pages from different editions, or with pages missing. USCIS may reject it. The edition date and page numbers must be visible at the bottom of every page, and all pages must come from the same edition (the current edition is 01/20/25).[1]
- Asking for re-parole under the process for certain Ukrainians and their immediate family members more than 180 days before your current parole expires. USCIS may reject or deny an early request without refunding the fee, and filing early does not get a faster decision.[1]
Recent policy changes
Recent policy changes
Official- Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for InflationOct 1, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Not yet reviewed
- Certain DHS Immigration-Related Fees Required by HR-1: Fiscal Year 2027 Adjustments for InflationOct 1, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Not yet reviewed
- Fiscal Year 2027 Inflation Adjustment to H.R. 1 Immigration FeesOct 1, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Not yet reviewed
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment-Based Immigrant Visa, Fifth Preference (EB-5) Fee RuleSep 30, 2026 · Federal Register (federalregister.gov API) · Status: Final rule · Not yet reviewed
- USCIS Announces FY 2027 Inflation Increase for Certain Immigration-Related FeesSep 30, 2026 · USCIS alerts RSS feed · Not yet reviewed
Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa
Ask WELIVEINUSA Visa
Answers come from our sourced database and your own timeline, sorted into fact, public data, inference and unknown. No AI model is used in this version, so questions outside what we cover get an honest "not covered".
Questions people ask
I have a green card and will be abroad for a year or more. What should I do before I leave?
High confidence Consider a reentry permit, and apply before you go: the application must be filed while you are in the U.S. Generally, a green card serves as your entry document only after a temporary absence of less than 1 year, while a valid reentry permit lets you apply for admission during its validity without a returning resident visa. An immigration attorney can apply these rules to your travel plans.[2,6,7]
Can I leave the U.S. after filing for a reentry permit, before it is approved?
The regulation says leaving before USCIS decides does not affect a reentry permit or refugee travel document application. But if USCIS requires you to appear for biometrics and you do not appear, the request is considered abandoned and denied, unless by the appointment time USCIS has received a change of address or rescheduling request that it accepts. If you have refugee status, USCIS also says you must apply and appear for any required biometrics appointment before you leave.[2,8,12]
I am in H-1B status with a pending I-485. Do I need advance parole to travel?
Not necessarily. If you are not in exclusion, deportation or removal proceedings, travel does not abandon your I-485 if you are in lawful H-1 status, remain eligible for H status, return to resume work for the same employer, and have a valid H visa if one is required. If you are not in proceedings but one of those H-1 conditions does not fit, then to avoid abandonment, advance parole must have been granted before you leave, and you must be inspected and paroled when you return. If you are in proceedings, any departure counts as abandonment. An immigration attorney can check your facts before you book.[10]
Does an advance parole document mean I will be let back in?
High confidence Not by itself. It authorizes you to appear at a port of entry to seek parole; the officer reviews your case and decides. Since Aug. 13, 2026, leaving with an advance parole document also counts as a departure for the unlawful-presence bar, so if you have accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence you may be inadmissible when you return.[1,3,9]
My I-485 was filed in 2023. Do I pay for advance parole?
Not the I-131 filing fee, if you filed the I-485 on or after July 30, 2007, and before April 1, 2024, paid its fee, and it is still pending. The Immigration Parole Fee under Public Law 119-21 is separate: when you seek parole at a port of entry, CBP requires it unless it determines that you qualify for an exception. One exception listed on Form G-1055 is for a lawful applicant for adjustment of status under INA 245 who is returning to the U.S. after temporary travel abroad.[4,5]
Related categories
Content last reviewed: Oct 18, 2026 · General information, not legal advice.
Sources
- 1.I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 2.8 CFR 223.2eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 3.Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 4.Fee Schedule (Form G-1055) - USCISUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 12, 2026
- 5.8 CFR 106.2 - USCIS feeseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
- 6.8 CFR 223.1eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 7.8 CFR 211.1eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 8.Refugees - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 9.8 CFR 212.5eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 10.8 CFR 245.2 — Application (adjustment of status)eCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
- 11.I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust StatusUSCIS · Form / instructions · Checked Oct 12, 2026
- 12.8 CFR 103.2 - Submission and adjudication of benefit requestseCFR (Office of the Federal Register) · Regulation · Checked Sep 27, 2026
- 13.Green Card for Asylees - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026
- 14.Green Card for Refugees - USCISUSCIS · Agency page · Checked Oct 18, 2026