Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document)

What Form I-131 is

Form I-131 is the application form, published by USCIS at uscis.gov/i-131, that produces three distinct travel documents depending on the applicant's status:

1. Advance Parole. For adjustment-of-status applicants who need to travel during the I-485 wait.
2. Re-entry Permit. For lawful permanent residents who plan to remain outside the U.S. for an extended period.
3. Refugee Travel Document. For refugees and asylees who need a travel document.

The single form serves all three. The applicant selects the document type and provides the supporting evidence for that specific category.

Advance Parole

What it is

Advance Parole is discretionary permission for a non-citizen to leave the United States and return without abandoning a pending immigration application or status. The most common use case is Form I-485 (adjustment of status) applicants, who would otherwise abandon their pending green card application by leaving the U.S.

Without Advance Parole, departing the United States during a pending I-485:

• Generally treats the I-485 as abandoned (with narrow exceptions for applicants with underlying H-1B, L-1, K-3, or V status who can travel on those nonimmigrant visas).
• Can trigger inadmissibility analysis under INA section 212(a)(9)(B) if the applicant had accrued unlawful presence before filing the I-485.
• Wastes the filing fees and months of processing already invested in the case.

Who needs Advance Parole

• Form I-485 adjustment-of-status applicants planning international travel.
• Asylum applicants with pending Form I-589 (though travel is sensitive; see asylum-specific considerations below).
• Certain other applicants with pending applications that would be abandoned by departure.

Filing fee

• $0 when filed concurrently with Form I-485 (the I-485 fee covers the Advance Parole).
• $630 for stand-alone Advance Parole applications.

Validity

Advance Parole is typically issued for 1 to 2 years and is valid for multiple entries during that period. The document is a paper Form I-512, which the holder presents at U.S. ports of entry alongside their passport.

Asylum-specific considerations

Asylum applicants can apply for Advance Parole, but international travel during a pending asylum case is sensitive:

• Travel to the country of feared persecution generally undermines the asylum claim, often irreversibly. The State Department and USCIS view it as evidence the persecution claim was not genuine.
• Travel to a third country is permitted with Advance Parole and does not automatically harm the case, but should be undertaken carefully and only with counsel's guidance.
• Re-entry on Advance Parole as an asylum applicant generally does not constitute a new admission for purposes that would trigger the 1-year asylum deadline, but the rules are technical.

Re-entry Permit

What it is

The Re-entry Permit is a travel document for lawful permanent residents who plan to remain outside the United States for an extended period. It establishes that the LPR's absence is temporary and does not constitute abandonment of permanent residence.

Without a Re-entry Permit, an LPR who spends extended time abroad risks:

• Under 6 months: Usually no abandonment issue.
• 6 months to 1 year: CBP may question whether the trip was temporary at re-entry.
• Over 1 year: Generally results in loss of LPR status. The LPR may need to apply for a returning resident visa (DS-117) at a U.S. consulate, which is approved sparingly.

A Re-entry Permit issued before the LPR leaves the U.S. preserves status during the extended absence.

Who needs a Re-entry Permit

• LPRs planning extended international travel (more than 6 months but less than 2 years typically).
• LPRs whose work assignments require long postings abroad.
• LPRs with family obligations or other personal reasons for extended absence.
• LPRs who anticipate having to spend significant time abroad and want documentary protection.

Filing fee

The 2026 fee is $630. A biometrics fee of $30 applies. The LPR must be physically present in the United States at the time of filing and at the biometrics appointment.

Validity

Re-entry Permits are typically valid for 2 years. For LPRs who have been physically present outside the United States for 4 of the last 5 years, USCIS may issue a shorter validity (typically 1 year). The Re-entry Permit cannot be renewed from abroad; the LPR must return to the U.S. and file a new Form I-131 to obtain a subsequent permit.

Refugee Travel Document

What it is

The Refugee Travel Document is a U.S.-issued travel document for refugees, asylees, and certain derivatives. Refugees and asylees generally cannot use their home-country passports for travel because doing so would suggest the persecution-based claim was not genuine. The Refugee Travel Document is the U.S.-issued equivalent of a passport for travel purposes.

Who needs a Refugee Travel Document

• Asylees and refugees who have not yet obtained U.S. citizenship and need to travel abroad.
• Derivative asylees and refugees (spouses and children).
• LPRs whose status is based on asylum or refugee status who still cannot use a home-country passport.

Filing fee

The 2026 fee is $630. A biometrics fee of $30 applies in some cases.

Validity

Refugee Travel Documents are typically valid for 1 year.

Critical caveat: do not travel to the country of feared persecution

Refugees and asylees who travel back to the country from which they fled generally lose their refugee or asylee status. The act of returning suggests the persecution claim was not genuine or that the conditions have changed. The Refugee Travel Document does not protect against this. If a refugee or asylee must return for genuinely emergency reasons (a parent's death, etc.), consult counsel first.

How to apply

1. Complete Form I-131. Select the travel document type and provide the supporting information.
2. Pay the filing fee. Vary by document type (see above).
3. Attach supporting documents:
   • Two passport-style photos.
   • A copy of the applicant's current immigration document (green card, Form I-797 for pending I-485, asylum approval).
   • Copy of the applicant's identity document (passport biographic page).
   • Explanation of the planned travel (purpose, dates, destination).
4. Attend biometrics if scheduled.
5. Receive the travel document. USCIS mails the document; LPRs and asylees can request pickup at a USCIS field office in some cases.

Processing time in 2026

• Advance Parole filed concurrently with Form I-485: 3 to 5 months. The Advance Parole and I-765 EAD often issue together, sometimes on the same card.
• Stand-alone Advance Parole: 3 to 8 months.
• Re-entry Permit: 3 to 8 months. Allow extra time for the biometrics appointment and processing.
• Refugee Travel Document: 3 to 6 months. Refugees and asylees should plan well in advance.

Expedited processing is available for genuine emergencies (severe medical, death in family) through the USCIS Contact Center. Expedited requests are granted sparingly and require documentation of the emergency.

What the travel documents do not do

• None of the I-131 travel documents grant immigration status or work authorization by themselves.
• None guarantee admission at a U.S. port of entry. CBP retains discretion to question or refuse entry on grounds unrelated to the underlying document.
• None extend the validity of the underlying immigration application or status.
• None protect against new inadmissibility findings discovered at the port of entry.

Common pitfalls

• Traveling while the Advance Parole is still pending. Until the Advance Parole is approved and the physical document is in hand, the applicant should not depart.
• Letting the travel document expire abroad. A Re-entry Permit or Advance Parole that expires while the holder is outside the U.S. cannot be renewed from abroad. The holder must return before expiration and file a new I-131.
• Filing Re-entry Permit applications too close to departure. Biometrics must be completed inside the U.S., which means an LPR cannot leave the country until the biometrics appointment.
• Refugees traveling to the country of feared persecution. The Refugee Travel Document does not protect against the legal consequences of return to the persecution country.
• Asylum applicants traveling without counsel review. Even with Advance Parole, the asylum case can be affected by the destination, duration, and circumstances of travel.

Frequently asked questions

Go deeper

For deeper analysis of related immigration topics, see our I-485 vs Consular Processing decision guide (Advance Parole is essential for the AOS path), the Asylum Work Permit Under (c)(8) guide (related EAD process for asylum applicants), the Lawful Permanent Resident entry (Re-entry Permits are an LPR tool), and the Form I-485 entry. Return to the Immigration Glossary hub for other terms.