Where to file 131?
A travel permit is a document that allows someone living in the U.S. while awaiting their green card to travel abroad without nullifying their green card application.
What is USCIS Form I-131
Form I-131 is officially called the Application for Travel Document, and can be used to apply for one of several types of travel documents, such as a re-entry permit, refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization document, or the advance parole travel document, which is the subject of this guide.
What is Advance Parole
The advance parole travel document permits you to travel back to the U.S. without applying for another visa, and without nullifying the application you have in progress. It is commonly used when someone has a pending application for permanent residence, adjustment of status or asylum.
Your green card application will be terminated if you leave the United States while that application is pending, unless you have a valid travel document at the time you leave the country.
Even if you don’t have any specific travel plans, it’s a good idea to apply for a travel document at the same time you first submit your green card application. Then, if you do need to travel for a family emergency, a business opportunity, or any other reason, you won’t need to decline because of your pending green card application.
In this guide you will learn:
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- USCIS Chicago Lockbox.
- U.S. Postal Service (USPS): USCIS. Attn: I-765 C14. P.O. Box 8453. Chicago, IL 60680-8380.
- FedEx, UPS, and DHL deliveries: USCIS. Attn: I-765 C14 (Box 8453) 131 South Dearborn-3rd Floor. Chicago, IL 60603-5517.
The answer would normally be "no." Someone who simply leaves the U.S. while an immigration application is pending risks forfeiting it altogether; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) could think the applicant has lost interest, and close the file altogether. However, there's a simple way around this: You can, before leaving the United States, obtain permission from USCIS to reenter the country, which also makes sure USCIS will keep your file open and your residency application (Form I-485, Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) active.
To obtain this permission, you will need to file an application for what's called "advance parole," using Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. Ideally, you will have filed the I-131 at the same time that you initially filed Form I-485, thus avoiding any delays in USCIS processing your travel document. But the I-131 can also be filed later than the I-485.
Read on for practical advice about the benefits of applying for advance parole and detailed instructions on how to prepare Form I-131 as an adjustment-of-status applicant.
If you are an applicant for adjustment of status (a green card), you will likely find that many months pass between the time you file your application for residency with USCIS and the agency's decision on your application. During this time, you should spend most of your time in the U.S., so that you can appear for a biometrics (fingerprinting) appointment, your in-person interview at a USCIS office (required in most cases), and to receive any requests for evidence (RFEs) that USCIS might send you.
Nevertheless, you might need to travel abroad before you get your green card. To plan ahead for this possibility, file Form I-131 at the same time you apply for permanent residency. (It's also smart to submit a Form I-765, Application for an Employment Authorization Document, in case you would like to work or show a U.S. photo id card before your residency application is approved.)
You must remain in the U.S. until your advance parole is approved and your travel document is mailed to you. Again, USCIS will cancel your adjustment of status application if you leave before advance parole is issued.
Advance parole and Form I-131 are not just for adjustment of status applicants. Persons with other types of status in the U.S. sometimes need advance parole, and Form I-131 is also used for seeking reentry permits and refugee travel documents. Don't be confused by irrelevant questions on the form! This article focuses on advance parole for adjustment applicants only.
Even with an advance parole document, you can still be denied U.S. reentry at the discretion of Customs and Border Protection (CBP). This was, in the past, a particular problem for people who had been unlawfully present in the U.S. for 180 days or more; and it remains a problem for anyone who is inadmissible for some other reason. (For more on the grounds of inadmissibility that can railroad your attempts to reenter the U.S., see Inadmissibility: When the U.S. Can Keep You Out.)
If you think you might be inadmissible, check with an immigration attorney before you leave the country.
The good news regarding unlawful presence, however, is that the Board of Immigration Appeals (B.I.A..) ruled in Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly, 25 I&N Dec. 771 (B.I.A. 2012), that people with a pending permanent residency application who leave the U.S. with advance parole do not trigger the three– and ten-year unlawful presence bars. USCIS has agreed to follow the BIA's decision.
Much of Form I-131 is self-explanatory. Here, we provide guidance for some of the more confusing aspects of the application for adjustment of status applicants.
Form I-131, the instructions, and the latest filing fees are available on the I-131 page of the USCIS website. This article discusses the version of the form issued 10/31/2022 (expiring 10/31/2024).
Here are the items you will need to include with your Form I-131:
The best way to fill out the I-131 form is on your computer. If you are going to be writing on the form, use black ink.
If the form doesn't provide enough space to fit your answer to a question, you will need to staple a continuation sheet to the end of the form. On the top of each continuation sheet, write your name and, if you have one, your Alien Registration Number ("A" Number). Indicate which part and item number you are providing additional information for. At the bottom of each sheet, sign your name and put the date you signed it.
Sometimes a question just doesn't apply to you or your situation. If that's the case, it's best not to leave the space blank. Instead, type N/A in the box. If the form won't let you type N/A, write it in by hand.
Part 1, "Information About You": In this section, you will provide your basic personal information. Provide the address of where you actually live—not your mailing address—in questions 2.a. through 2.i. Question 6 asks for your "class of admission," which you can find on the visa you used the last time you entered the United States. For example, if you came to the U.S. originally as a temporary visitor for business, you should write "B-1." If you have no class of admission, like if you crossed the U.S. border without inspection, you can type N/A and perhaps an explanation like "entered without inspection." (But in that case, doublecheck with an attorney that you are truly eligible to adjust status in the United States; it's unlikely.) For Question 9, you might not have a Social Security Number (SSN) yet (or a valid one). Leave this blank if you have no valid SSN.
Part 2, "Application Type": Check box 1.d (assuming you are still in the U.S.). Do not check any other box. You do not have to fill in any other box in Part 2.
Part 3, "Processing Information": If you know your date of departure and how long the trip will last, include that information in the boxes for questions 1 and 2. If you do not already have a trip planned, don't worry about it—USCIS does not require you to know exactly when in advance. You can write something like "TBD" ("to be determined") in the boxes. Question 3.a. asks whether you are in immigration proceedings (meaning that you have been called to immigration court for a hearing to decide whether you should be removed from the U.S.). Note that you must check "No" here in order to be eligible for an advance parole document. After answering question 4 of Part 3, you can skip to Part 7.
Leave Parts 4, 5, and 6 blank.
Part 7, "Complete Only If Applying for Advance Parole": You are asked to attach documents to prove that you qualify for an advance parole document. If you have already submitted your application for a green card, include a copy of the USCIS receipt notice from your pending application. (If you are submitting this at the same time as an adjustment of status application, USCIS will be easily able to tell that this is your basis for eligibility, so there's no need to attach anything extra.)
For Question 1, it's wise to check "More than one trip" even if you only plan on leaving the U.S. once. This way you will be issued a multiple entry document, which is useful in case you need to make an additional trip outside the United States. You can leave the boxes for questions 2, 3, and 4 blank, because you are not outside the United States.
Part 8, "Signature of Applicant": Make sure to sign and date your application and provide a phone number where you can be reached. USCIS will reject your form if your signature is not on it.
Part 9, "Information About Person Who Prepared This Application, If Other Than the Applicant": This section needs to be filled out only if someone else prepared your application, like an attorney. Otherwise leave it blank.
Using the Form I-131 application, you can request a travel document from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. You can obtain one of these travel documents from USCIS:
Do NOT confuse Form I-131 with Form I-131A: They are two different forms each serving its own purpose. You can know more about Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document, on a dedicated page.
Note also that USCIS will update Form I-131 application soon, and you will need to use the correct form. However, during the first couple of months USCIS usually accepts the old forms. Please check out with the USCIS official website to know for sure that you are using the correct form.
USCIS gives the following general recommendations on how to complete Form I-131:
Without the evidence, USCIS will reject your application. You may need to provide an official photo identity document such as your passport, an ID card, a citizen card, or any similar document. You may need to provide any document that USCIS already issued in your name to show your current status in the United States. For example, you may need to provide the photos of your green card or a document proving that you are a refugee or an asylee.
The amount for filing Form I-131 is calculated in a complex way. The two amounts you have to pay are $575 for the actual processing the form and additional $85 for the biometric services (USCIS may need to take your fingerprints, photograph, and signature). However, you do not need to pay for biometrics if you are younger than 14 or older then 80. Note that the information we have just provided is true for only the applicants who file Form I-131 to obtain a Reentry Permit or Advance Parole Document.
If you are filing your Form I-131 to obtain a Refugee Travel Document, than the fee is $105-220:
Finally, you do not need to pay for biometric services if you request an Advance Parole Document using Form I-131.
It may take three months or longer for USCIS to process your application. But the exact timeframe is difficult to predict. You can, however, increase your chances of obtaining the necessary travel document if you provide sufficient information and documentation to USCIS.
USCIS specifies many mailing addresses where you can send your Form I-131 depending on the state where you live.
USCIS Phoenix Lockbox
If you want to use U.S. Postal Service (USPS), send your Form I-131 to the following address:
USCIS
P.O. Box 21281
Phoenix, AZ 85036
If you want to use FedEx, DHL, or UPS, send your Form I-131 to the following address: USCIS
Attn: NFB AOS
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S
Ste. 100
Phoenix, AZ 85034
USCIS Dallas Lockbox
If you want to use U.S. Postal Service (USPS), send your Form I-131 to the following address:
USCIS
P.O. Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266
If you want to use FedEx, DHL, or UPS, send your Form I-131 to the following address: USCIS:
Attn: NFB AOS
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business
Ste. 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
Note that if you are filing Form I-131 under specific conditions, consult the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-131, Application for Travel Document on the official USCIS website.
Do you need a free Form I-131 application? You can download it from our website.
Download the I-131 Download instructions Form I-131 | Application for Travel Document