How to Apply for Advance Parole in 2026 (Form I-131, Step by Step)

To apply for advance parole with a pending I-485, complete Form I-131, gather your evidence, check the fee, and submit through the correct USCIS channel. Wait until you have the travel authorization before leaving. (USCIS I-131 instructions)

You may be preparing your adjustment of status application, adding travel permission after filing, or renewing an existing authorization. This guide covers all three situations. Work permission is separate; the EAD and advance parole guide explains combo cards. USCIS allows I-131 to be filed with I-485 or separately while the adjustment case is pending. (USCIS filing instructions)

Checked October 15, 2026. Start by choosing your filing route. Your route determines whether you need an I-485 receipt, how you can submit, and where to mail a paper application. The USCIS form page also lists an October 7 mailing-location change. Recheck any address you saved from an earlier application. (USCIS Form I-131)

Before filing: check what travel permission covers

The advance parole requirements below apply to adjustment applicants inside the United States. A green card holder seeking a reentry permit or a refugee seeking a different travel document should use the corresponding I-131 category. (USCIS I-131 instructions, page 1)

An advance parole document lets you request parole at a U.S. port of entry after temporary travel. It does not guarantee entry, replace a passport, or resolve every legal consequence of leaving. DHS makes a separate decision when you return and may revoke the authorization. (USCIS I-131 instructions, pages 1–2)

For most adjustment applicants, leaving without previously granted advance parole risks abandonment of the pending I-485. An I-131 receipt does not authorize travel. Certain H, L, K-3/K-4, and V nonimmigrants may qualify for exceptions, depending on their status, visa, employment, and other return conditions. A visa label alone does not establish an exception. (8 CFR 245.2(a)(4)(ii))

That warning follows Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, decided August 13, 2026. The Board overruled Arrabally and applied its new holding prospectively. Do not plan a new trip based on older articles saying advance-parole travel cannot trigger an unlawful-presence departure bar. (BIA decision, pages 830 and 836)

Unsure which travel request fits your status? Immiva's free I-131 eligibility check asks about your status and trip, with no account needed. The result can help you choose a filing route. Get legal advice for questions about your own unlawful presence or a removal order.

How to apply for advance parole: choose your filing route

Step 1: identify the application you are making

Use your I-485 filing stage to choose the route below. The receipt-number condition applies to the I-485 receipt, not a receipt from an unrelated USCIS application. (USCIS online-filing table)

You can find the first two routes on the USCIS form page and direct filing instructions. To request advance-parole reissuance, USCIS directs applicants to properly file I-131 while inside the United States. (USCIS reissuance policy)

Filing together: make I-131 easy to identify within the larger packet. Do not assume the I-485 filing fee covers it. For the broader adjustment package, use the I-485 document checklist; the travel-specific evidence appears below. (USCIS I-131 instructions; USCIS fee schedule)

Filing later: find your I-485 receipt notice before you begin. For example, an applicant with an IOE receipt can check the current online route. Someone with an SRC receipt should use the paper route for this category, even if they have a USCIS online account. A USCIS online account alone does not make you eligible to file online. (USCIS online-filing table)

Renewing: use the adjustment-applicant category if that remains your basis. Renewing travel permission is different from requesting a new period of humanitarian parole. The form lists humanitarian parole requests under separate categories. (USCIS Form I-131)

Prepare the form and supporting evidence

Step 2: complete the accepted form edition

As of October 15, 2026, USCIS lists edition 01/20/25. Download it from the official form page. Keep every page from that edition, with the edition date and page numbers visible; the OMB expiration date is a different date. (USCIS Form I-131)

For a pending-I-485 application, select Part 1, item 5.A. Do not follow an older tutorial telling you to select Part 2, box 1.d. Complete the applicable identity and background sections, then the proposed-travel information in Part 7: intended departure, trip purpose, destination countries, number of trips, and expected duration. (Current I-131 instructions, pages 18–21)

Use your records to check names, dates of birth, immigration history, and identifiers. The A-Number guide can help you locate that identifier. The form has separate fields for your A-Number and receipt number. (Official Form I-131)

For paper filing, sign and date the applicant certification in Part 10. Complete interpreter and preparer sections when applicable. USCIS does not accept a stamped or typewritten name in place of the required signature. Check every applicable field before you sign. (USCIS instructions, page 22)

Step 3: build the travel-request packet

For an ordinary paper request based on adjustment, gather the items below. They follow the requirements in the USCIS evidence instructions, pages 23–28:

1. Completed, signed I-131. Keep a copy of what you submit.
2. Official photo ID copy. It must clearly show your photo, name, and date of birth. An I-94 alone is not photo ID.
3. USCIS status evidence, if any. Include the applicable USCIS-issued document showing your current status.
4. I-485 receipt copy for separate filing. This includes a renewal filed separately. A concurrently filed package does not yet have that receipt.
5. Two recent, identical passport-style photos. Check the USCIS passport photo requirements before printing them.

Include a full certified English translation of any required document in another language. The translator must certify completeness, accuracy, and competence to translate. Use the certified translation guide to check the certification wording. (USCIS I-131 instructions)

Use legible copies unless USCIS specifically requests an original. Check that the photo and identifying details remain readable after copying. USCIS warns that it does not automatically return originals you send unnecessarily. Keep your passport and other original records out of an ordinary packet that calls for copies. (USCIS instructions, page 17)

For a renewal, use your current travel authorization to check the details and expiration against your draft. A copy can help you assemble the packet; it does not replace the pending-I-485 receipt required for separate filing. Follow any additional evidence instructions USCIS gives for your request. (USCIS evidence instructions)

For help preparing the packet, Immiva's I-131 preparation fills out the form using your plain-language answers and provides a document list and mailing instructions. The service currently prepares a paper package. USCIS also offers direct online filing to eligible applicants.

Check the fee and submit your application

Step 4: verify payment and the submission channel

Fees checked October 15, 2026: the ordinary pending-I-485 category costs $630 on paper or $580 online, when eligible. Filing concurrently does not automatically make I-131 free. The current G-1055 lists these amounts for Part 1, item 5.A. (USCIS fee schedule, page 41)

A $0 filing-fee exemption applies if you filed I-485 on or after July 30, 2007, and before April 1, 2024, paid its required filing fee, and that application remains pending. Other exemptions depend on the listed category. Check the current fee row for your category before relying on what an earlier applicant paid. (USCIS fee schedule, pages 50–52)

The separate immigration parole fee is not the I-131 filing fee. The schedule lists an exception for a lawful INA 245 adjustment applicant returning after temporary travel abroad. Do not automatically add that separate fee to every adjustment applicant's filing total. (USCIS fee schedule, pages 48–49)

For mailed filings, USCIS currently lists G-1450 for card payments and G-1650 for a U.S. bank-account ACH payment. If you qualify for an exception to electronic payment, use a signed G-1651. Do not enclose a check solely because an old checklist says to. The USCIS payment guide explains the methods; verify the current government instructions before sending. (USCIS fee payment instructions)

If filing online: confirm that your category and I-485 receipt qualify. Choose the correct application type and follow the upload instructions. Review the application before submitting it. USCIS warns that choosing a different category just to file online can lead to denial without a fee refund. USCIS also allows concurrent I-131 filing in an I-485 PDF-upload package. (USCIS online-filing instructions)

If filing by mail: open the current I-131 address page on the day you prepare the label. For ordinary standalone adjustment cases, MSC/IOE receipts or receipts without a three-letter prefix lead to the family-based lockbox chart. EAC/SRC/LIN/WAC receipts lead to the non-family-based chart. Follow any instructions for your special category first, then choose the address for your residence and delivery carrier.

For concurrent paper filing, use the applicable I-485 address. USCIS changed I-131 filing locations October 7, 2026, with a grace period for prior locations through November 9 postmarks. Use the current destination instead of relying on that grace period. Save a full packet copy and delivery confirmation for your records. (USCIS filing-location alert)

Immiva charges $99 for I-131 preparation.

After filing: track the case and plan renewal

Step 5: follow notices and check the issued authorization

Keep your receipt notice and follow any USCIS request for evidence, biometrics, or an interview. USCIS may require those steps; a separate biometrics appointment is not guaranteed for every applicant. (USCIS I-131 instructions)

Check the official processing-time tool for your form, category, and applicable office. No current category-specific wait was verified for this guide. Your proposed travel date does not set an approval deadline. The USCIS processing-time explainer helps you interpret published estimates without treating them as a promise.

Check both that USCIS has approved the request and that you have the usable travel authorization. USCIS identifies the travel authorization as Form I-512/I-512L; some applicants receive a card with travel authorization. Check the document itself, including your identity, validity dates, and permitted travel. An employment-only EAD does not authorize travel. (USCIS I-131 instructions; USCIS combo-card policy)

For advance parole renewal, prepare another I-131 while inside the United States, with evidence of your continuing adjustment case and the applicable fee or exemption. Recheck the edition and mailing route. USCIS's reissuance policy directs applicants inside the country to properly file I-131 with the required fees. (USCIS reissuance policy)

Plan around the expiration date printed on your authorization. This guide gives no universal validity term or earliest renewal window, and does not establish that a renewal receipt automatically extends your authorization. Do not assume you can use an expired travel authorization because a renewal is pending. USCIS says return generally requires a valid, unexpired entry or travel document. (USCIS Travel Documents)

Urgent travel: USCIS distinguishes expedite requests from emergency issuance. For a pressing need to travel in less than 15 days, request an emergency appointment through USCIS. If USCIS schedules an appointment, bring a new signed I-131, the applicable fee, evidence of eligibility and urgency, and two photos, even if another I-131 is pending. USCIS has discretion over whether to issue the document. (USCIS Emergency Travel)

Your next step: choose the route that matches your I-485 filing stage. Prepare the current form and evidence, then verify the fee and destination before submitting. Before travel, check your issued authorization and separately review the legal risks of your planned trip. (USCIS Form I-131)