Choose the document from your status first. Form I-131 is used by people waiting for a green card, people who already have permanent residence, and people with refugee or asylee status. Those applicants need different benefits, evidence, and departure plans. USCIS form overview.
If your green card case is pending, start with the distinction between adjustment of status and work permission versus travel permission. An application receipt, work permit, and approved travel document do different jobs. Submitting a request does not itself authorize a trip. USCIS travel guidance.
This guide covers how to pick the category, the main filing rules, and what to check before you leave. Have your status evidence, your planned travel dates, and any earlier travel document within reach as you read.
Contents: choosing a document, advance parole risks, permits and refugee documents, filing, costs, timing, and common questions.
Which I-131 travel document fits your status?
Start with what you have now, not the document your friend used. A pending green card application is different from an approved green card. Granted asylum is different from a pending asylum application. The form separates these situations because they support different requests. USCIS application categories.
| Your current situation | Document to consider | Application selection | Main limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your I-485 is pending and you want temporary foreign travel | Advance parole | Part 1, Box 5.A | Usually obtain approval before departure; border parole remains discretionary |
| You are a permanent or conditional resident planning an extended absence | Reentry permit | Part 1, Box 1 | File while physically in the United States; the permit does not guarantee admission |
| You hold valid refugee or asylee status | Refugee travel document | Part 1, Box 2 | Apply before departure and complete required biometrics; generally valid for one year |
| You became a permanent resident directly through refugee or asylee status | Refugee travel document; assess extended-absence needs separately | Part 1, Box 3 | A green card does not erase this eligibility or the separate abandonment issue |
| You have been granted TPS | TPS travel authorization | Part 1, Box 4 | This is a separate category, generally resulting in Form I-512T |
Source for the table: USCIS category and filing table, official instructions, pages 1–6.
Three examples of how this plays out:
- Your spouse sponsored your pending green card case. You do not yet have permanent residence. The request to look at is advance parole based on the pending I-485; a reentry permit is for someone who already holds the card. USCIS application categories.
- You already have a green card and expect a lengthy overseas assignment. A reentry permit addresses extended travel by a permanent resident. It does not preserve every requirement for citizenship. USCIS permanent-resident travel guidance.
- You received asylum and later became a permanent resident through that status. A refugee travel document can still be the right document. If you also plan a long absence, look at residence and reentry-permit issues separately. Official instructions, pages 5–6.
If you have TPS, see the separate context in adjustment of status for TPS holders. USCIS distinguishes granted TPS travel authorization from advance parole for a pending initial TPS application. The form also handles humanitarian parole, parole in place, and re-parole; those requests have their own rules and are outside this three-document comparison. USCIS form overview.
Choose separately for each traveler. The instructions require a separate application for each person seeking a document. A spouse's approval does not cover the whole family. Before copying another family member's category, compare your own status evidence and purpose of travel. Two relatives taking the same flight can need different documents. Official instructions, page 3.
Advance parole: protect the pending case and assess the trip
Advance parole lets an eligible traveler request parole on return. It is not a green card, passport, or promise of admission. USCIS warns that DHS can revoke the document, including while you are abroad. Approval and safe return are separate questions. Official instructions, pages 1–2.
You still need to address any passport requirement. USCIS says advance parole is not a substitute for a required passport and cannot be used simply to bypass normal visa procedures. Keep the approved document with your other return papers; a screenshot showing that you filed is a different thing. Official instructions, page 2.
Departure can affect your green card application
If your I-485 is pending, leaving without first obtaining advance parole generally causes USCIS to treat that application as abandoned. Filing a travel request before your flight does not satisfy the approval requirement. A receipt notice acknowledges a filing; it is not permission to leave and return. Official instructions, page 2.
There are conditional exceptions for qualifying H-1/H-4, L-1/L-2, K-3/K-4, and V travelers who remain eligible and meet the relevant return requirements. A visa category alone does not establish that the exception applies. K-1 is not K-3. For employment-related adjustment context, see adjusting status from H-1B. Official instructions, page 2.
For H/L workers, the regulation includes continued eligibility and return to resume the relevant employment. For H-4/L-2 dependents, the principal worker's maintained status also matters. Check these conditions against your actual circumstances before relying on an exception. 8 CFR 245.2(a)(4)(ii).
If your case changes while you are outside the country, your return plan may change too. Keep a way to receive USCIS notices and respond to requests. Do not treat an earlier travel approval as protection from a later denial or revocation. USCIS travel guidance.
The August 2026 unlawful-presence change matters
On August 13, 2026, the Board of Immigration Appeals decided Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, overruling Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly. USCIS now warns that departure on advance parole counts as a departure for the unlawful-presence inadmissibility provisions. Older advice saying advance parole prevents those bars is no longer reliable for a new trip. USCIS unlawful-presence alert, official BIA decision.
The decision applies prospectively. USCIS identifies departures from August 13, 2026, onward and warns people who accrued more than 180 days of unlawful presence about possible three- or ten-year inadmissibility. Whether time counts, an exception applies, or a waiver is available requires an individual assessment. USCIS unlawful-presence guidance, official BIA decision.
Read adjustment after an overstay for background on the pending green card case. Do not assume that eligibility to adjust status automatically settles the legal consequences of leaving. USCIS unlawful-presence guidance.
Reentry permits and refugee travel documents solve different problems
Reentry permit: plan an extended absence
A reentry permit is for someone who already has permanent or conditional residence. You must be physically in the United States when you file and satisfy the biometrics requirement. Do not plan to submit the application after settling abroad. Official instructions, page 4.
The permit helps establish that an absence is temporary. While it remains valid, USCIS will not find abandonment based solely on the duration of the absence. Other facts can still matter, including whether you maintained the United States as your permanent home. The document does not guarantee admission. Official instructions, pages 4–5, USCIS permanent-resident travel guidance.
A permit is generally valid for two years from issuance. Conditional residents can receive validity limited by the end of their conditional status. Substantial prior time abroad can also shorten validity to one year, subject to specified exceptions. USCIS does not extend an existing permit. Official instructions, page 4.
For example, a planned 18-month assignment is a reason to examine a reentry permit before departure. But do not assume the permit will run for 18 months after your flight: its validity runs from issuance, and a conditional resident can face a shorter period. Compare the actual expiration date with both your expected return and your residence obligations. Official instructions, page 4.
An application can remain pending after you leave, but being in the country to file, attending biometrics, and receiving approval are separate events. Follow the appointment instructions and arrange any permitted overseas pickup when applying. A pending receipt does not replace the document you need for return. USCIS travel guidance, official instructions, page 4.
Citizenship uses a separate residence test. A permit does not preserve continuous residence for naturalization. Review continuous residence requirements before a long trip. Conditional residents should also check their filing obligations in travel with a pending removal-of-conditions case. USCIS permanent-resident travel guidance.
Refugee travel document: start from granted protection
This document is available to people with valid refugee or asylee status, including permanent residents who obtained their green cards directly through that status. A pending asylum application is a different category. Do not select the refugee-document category solely because you have applied for asylum. Official instructions, pages 5–6.
Apply before leaving and attend required biometrics before departure. USCIS says departure before the decision usually does not affect the application and permits requested pickup at certain overseas locations. That processing rule does not mean a receipt alone provides a safe route home. Verify your return documentation and pickup arrangements before leaving. Official instructions, pages 5–6.
A refugee travel document is generally valid for one year and cannot be extended. USCIS has limited discretion to accept certain applications from abroad within one year of departure. That provision is narrow and discretionary. Do not leave without applying and count on it afterward. Official instructions, page 5.
Travel to the country of claimed persecution can raise questions about renewed reliance on that country's protection and possible termination of asylum. A travel document does not remove that concern. Obtain advice about that destination and your history before booking. Official instructions, page 5.
Before any trip, check the destination's entry requirements with its official authorities; USCIS itself tells travelers to do this. Approval of a U.S. document and permission to enter another country are separate matters, and a refugee travel document does not give you visa-free travel everywhere. USCIS permanent-resident travel guidance.
Choose the filing route and build the right packet
Check whether online filing is available
USCIS currently allows standalone advance parole based on a pending I-485 to be filed online under Box 5.A when the I-485 receipt number begins with IOE. Other receipt prefixes are ineligible for that standalone online route. Reentry permits and refugee travel documents remain paper filings. USCIS current filing table.
USCIS also permits eligible concurrent submissions through its I-485 PDF-upload process. That is different from uploading a standalone request after receiving your adjustment receipt. Check the exact category and package instructions before choosing either route. USCIS forms available online. Our concurrent-filing guide explains the broader green card package.
Download from the current official page
Use the official I-131 form PDF linked on the USCIS form page. On October 14, 2026, the page lists edition 01/20/25. Check it again at filing time. The edition date and the OMB expiration date are different things; the OMB date is not your application deadline. USCIS edition guidance.
For a mailed application, keep the edition and page numbers visible and use the same accepted edition throughout. Do not combine pages from different downloads. Read the instructions for your category before you fill anything in; not every section of the form applies to every request. USCIS edition guidance, official instructions.
Keep a complete copy of the submission and the supporting records you used. Check names, dates of birth, addresses, and immigration identifiers against those records before signing. The instructions distinguish an Alien Registration Number from a USCIS online account number; do not substitute one for the other. Official instructions, pages 18–19.
Gather evidence by category
Use this as a starting check, then read the full official requirements:
- Identity: include the required official photo identity evidence. An I-94 alone is not photo identification. Official instructions, page 23.
- Eligibility: provide evidence for the selected benefit, such as permanent-resident evidence, refugee/asylee documentation, or a pending I-485 receipt for a separate advance-parole filing. Official instructions, pages 23–24.
- Photographs and translations: follow the requirements for your filing situation. Do not apply one photo rule to every category. See USCIS passport-photo requirements and certified translation requirements. Official instructions, pages 27–28.
- Signature and payment: check the applicant, interpreter, and preparer sections that apply and the current fee or exemption evidence. Official instructions, pages 17 and 22–23.
- Destination for the packet: use the live address instructions for your category and delivery method. USCIS changed filing locations on October 7, 2026; avoid an old saved label. USCIS direct filing addresses.
Immiva now prepares Form I-131 for advance parole, a reentry permit, a refugee travel document, TPS travel, and parole. See the Form I-131 page for what it covers, or take the I-131 eligibility check to see which document fits your status. Government fees are paid separately.
Compare application fees and the separate parole fee
The fee depends on the category. These standard application fees were checked against the October 7, 2026 edition of G-1055. Exemptions and waiver rules can change the amount for a particular applicant. USCIS fee schedule, pages 40–42.
| Request | Paper filing | Eligible online filing |
|---|---|---|
| Advance parole based on a pending I-485 | $630 | $580 |
| Reentry permit | $630 | Unavailable |
| Refugee travel document based on refugee status, including qualifying permanent residents | $0 | Unavailable |
| Refugee travel document based on asylee status, under age 16 | $135 | Unavailable |
| Refugee travel document based on asylee status, age 16 or older | $165 | Unavailable |
Source: USCIS fee schedule, pages 40–41. The online advance-parole price applies only when you qualify for that filing route. Do not add an old, generic $85 biometrics charge to these listed fees.
Do not assume travel filing is free because you paid an I-485 fee. The schedule retains an exemption for qualifying I-485 filings made on or after July 30, 2007, and before April 1, 2024, with the required fee paid and the case still pending. Check the exact exemption and retain proof. Our green card filing-cost guide explains the broader package budget. USCIS fee schedule, page 50.
A separate immigration parole fee can apply when parole is actually granted. As of October 14, 2026, that fee is $1,020. It becomes $1,050 for applicable grants on or after October 16, 2026, regardless of the application date, unless an exception applies. This is not an automatic extra charge for every reentry permit or refugee travel document. DHS fee notice.
For mailed payments, follow current card or ACH authorization guidance and any qualifying paper-payment exemption. See how to pay USCIS filing fees. Software preparation charges are separate: Immiva pricing lists a one-time fee for each supported application, with government fees paid separately. USCIS payment guidance.
Plan around biometrics, approval, and urgent travel
There is no single reliable wait for all three documents. Check the USCIS processing-time tool for the exact category and displayed office. This guide does not quote a number of months.
Use this order when planning:
- Confirm the category and filing rules. Resolve whether approval is required before departure for your situation. USCIS travel guidance.
- Protect appointment dates. Attend required biometrics and follow the notice. Review what happens at a biometrics appointment. Official instructions, page 28.
- Inspect the issued document. Check its dates, permitted entries, and conditions. Do not rely on someone else's validity period. Official instructions.
- Recheck the trip itself. Consider your immigration history, return documents, and whether anything has changed in the pending case. USCIS travel guidance.
For pressing travel, USCIS encourages an expedite request at least 45 days before departure, when possible. If you must travel in less than 15 days, emergency issuance may be available for advance parole or TPS travel authorization. Both routes are discretionary. Neither promises a delivery date, and neither is an emergency reentry-permit service. USCIS emergency travel guidance.
An emergency appointment requires a new signed application, the applicable fee, eligibility evidence, proof of the emergency, and two passport-style photos, even if a regular request is already pending. Foreign-language evidence needs a full certified English translation. Contact USCIS through the channels listed on its emergency page. USCIS emergency appointment requirements.
Keep the urgent route distinct from ordinary filing. USCIS's general instructions discourage duplicate requests for the same applicant and application type. The emergency page specifically requires a new application for the local appointment. Follow that procedure. Do not send a second routine packet on the assumption that it will move the first case faster. Official instructions, page 4, USCIS emergency requirements.
Choose the category before booking
Use I-131 to request the benefit that fits your current status. Start with advance parole for a pending adjustment case, a reentry permit for extended travel as a resident, or a refugee travel document for qualifying protection-based status. Then check the filing route, fee, biometrics, and departure rules. USCIS form overview.
Before committing to a trip, review the USCIS travel guidance. An approved document does not replace an assessment of your own return.