I-131, Application for Travel Document

ALERT: If you are filing a request under the Keeping Families Together process, do not use Form I-131. For Keeping Families Together, please file Form I-131F, Application for Parole in Place for Certain Noncitizen Spouses and Stepchildren of U.S. Citizens, with USCIS. Additional information is available on the Keeping Families Together page.

ALERT: On Feb. 27, 2024, we announced a process for eligible Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members to apply for re-parole so they can continue to temporarily remain in the United States.

We encourage eligible Ukrainian citizens and their immediate family members to submit their re-parole requests to us no earlier than 180 days (6 months) before the expiration of their current period of parole. You can find your parole expiration date on your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, issued by U.S. Customs and Border Protection when you were paroled into the United States.

Filing during this window reduces the risk that your current period of parole and employment authorization will expire before you receive a decision on your re-parole request. If you submit a request for re-parole more than 180 days before the expiration of your current period of parole, we may reject or deny your re-parole application without refunding the filing fees. Please note that filing earlier than 180 days before your current parole expiration date will not result in a faster decision.

ALERT: Beginning July 1, 2022, we will issue a new travel authorization document to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries: Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States, at our discretion if we find the beneficiary merits this authorization. We will no longer issue advance parole documents as evidence of our prior authorization for a TPS beneficiary to be permitted to reenter the United States if the beneficiary travels outside the United States.

Beginning July 1, 2022, we will issue a new travel authorization document to Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiaries: Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States, at our discretion if we find the beneficiary merits this authorization. We will no longer issue advance parole documents as evidence of our prior authorization for a TPS beneficiary to be permitted to reenter the United States if the beneficiary travels outside the United States.

If you are a TPS beneficiary with an existing, unexpired advance parole document, you may continue to travel and seek reentry to the United States after a trip outside the United States through the period of validity printed on your advance parole document.

If you are a TPS beneficiary applying for a new travel authorization document, you should continue to use Form I-131, Application for Travel Document. If you have a pending Form I-131, you do not need to file a new application.

We will continue to issue advance parole documents to noncitizens with pending initial applications for TPS (Form I-821).

TPS beneficiaries and individuals with pending initial TPS applications should carefully read the Form I-131 Instructions which contain warnings about certain risks an individual may face if they are outside of the United States while USCIS is considering their TPS reregistration or initial application, such as missing important request for evidence or other notices or being denied TPS while outside the United States.

ALERT: Court decisions regarding DACA.

On Sept. 13, 2023, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a decision finding the DACA Final Rule unlawful and expanding the original July 16, 2021, injunction and order of vacatur to cover the Final Rule. However, the court maintained a partial stay of the order for “all DACA recipients who received their initial DACA status prior to July 16, 2021.” See the Memorandum and Order (PDF, 1.35 MB) and Supplemental Order of Injunction (PDF, 72.53 KB) .

Accordingly, current grants of DACA and related Employment Authorization Documents (EADs) remain valid until they expire, unless individually terminated. In accordance with this decision, USCIS will continue to accept and process DACA renewal requests and accompanying applications for employment authorization under the DACA regulations at 8 CFR 236.22 and 236.23, as it has since October 31, 2022. We will also continue to accept initial DACA requests, but in accordance with the District Court’s order, we will not process initial DACA requests.

Current valid grants of DACA and related EADs will continue to be recognized as valid under the Final Rule. This means that individuals with DACA and related EADs do not have to submit a request for DACA or employment authorization until the appropriate time to seek renewal.

Please see the DACA Litigation Information Page for important updates and information related to court rulings on the DACA policy.

Use this form to apply for a reentry permit, refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization document, advance parole document (including parole into the United States for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit), or advance permission to travel for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) long-term residents.

For information on travel documents, including potential immigration-related consequences of traveling outside the United States, see our Travel Documents page. If you are in the United States and you have an urgent need to travel outside the United States, see our Expedite Requests page and Emergency Travel page.

If you file this form to request an Advance Parole Document authorizing you to seek parole in the United States when you return to the United States after temporary travel abroad, and you depart the United States before we issue your Advance Parole Document, we will consider your Form I-131 abandoned unless you were previously issued an Advance Parole Document that remains valid for the entire time you are outside the United States.

If you file this form to request an advance permission to travel for CNMI long-term residents document, and you leave the CNMI without having an advance permission to travel document, your status will automatically terminate.

Form Details

04/01/24 . You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.

If you complete and print this form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages and that all pages are from the same form edition. If any of the form’s pages are missing or are from a different form edition, we may reject your form.

If you need help downloading and printing forms, read our instructions.

Please check our Filing Addresses for Form I-131 page for information on where to mail your application. Applications that are not submitted to the appropriate direct filing address may experience processing delays.

You can find the filing fee for Form I-131 by visiting our Fee Schedule page.

You can pay the fee with a money order, personal check, or cashier’s check, or pay by credit card or debit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request. If you pay by credit card or debit card, you cannot later dispute the payment. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.

If you are submitting multiple forms, pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronically processing immigration benefit requests, which requires us to use multiple systems to process your package. We may reject your entire package if you submit a single, combined payment for multiple forms.

Payment if you file at a field office: You cannot pay fees with a money order or cashier’s check when filing at a field office. You can only pay with a personal check, debit card, credit card, or reloadable prepaid credit or debit card.

You do not need to pay an additional fee for Form I-131 if:

• You are filing Form I-131 Application Type B or D;
• You filed a Form I-485 with a fee on or after July 30, 2007, and before April 1, 2024; and
• Your Form I-485 is still pending.

For refugee travel document applications filed from outside of the United States, you must pay the applicable fee(s) to the cashier at the USCIS overseas office or U.S. embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your location. Please see the website of the appropriate embassy or consulate to confirm acceptable forms of payment. Include the fee receipt from the U.S. embassy or consulate when you file your application package.

Please do not mail cash, personal checks or traveler’s checks. If you do not include a fee receipt with your filing, we will reject your application.

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-131. The checklist is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations.

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.

• A copy of an official photo identity document;
• Proof of refugee or asylee status; and
• A statement explaining the reason for a “yes” response to any question in Part 6, and
• If outside the United States, you also must submit:
  • 2 identical color passport-style photographs of yourself taken within 30 days of filing this application;
  • Evidence of your last date of departure from the United States, if available (such as airline tickets, boarding passes, etc.);
  • Fee receipt as proof you have paid the applicable filing fee(s) for the application at the USCIS Office or U.S. embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your location outside the United States; and
  • A statement explaining:
    • The purpose of your trip outside the United States. Include documentary evidence to support your reasons for leaving the United States, if available;
    • The reason you left the United States without first applying for a refugee travel document;
    • A description of where you have traveled since you left the United States;
    • Your activities while outside the United States; and
    • An explanation of whether you intended to abandon your refugee or asylum status at the time you left the United States.
    • A copy of an official photo identity document; and
    • Evidence that you are a lawful permanent resident:
      • A copy of the front and back of your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card or a Form I-551);
      • A copy of the biographic pages of your passport and a copy of the immigrant visa page showing your initial admission as a lawful permanent resident;
      • A copy of the Form I-797, Notice of Action, approval notice of your application to replace your Green Card; or
      • Temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status; and
      • A copy of an official photo identity document;
      • 2 identical passport-style photographs of yourself taken within 30 days of the filing of this application;
      • A copy of any document showing your current status in the United States;
      • An explanation or other evidence showing the circumstances that warrant issuing an advance parole document;
      • Evidence that your trip is for educational, employment, or humanitarian purposes, if you are a DACA recipient;
      • A copy of a USCIS receipt as evidence that you filed Form I-485, if you are applying for adjustment of status; and
      • A copy of the U.S. consular appointment letter, if you are traveling to Canada to apply for an immigrant visa.
      • A copy of a photo identity document for beneficiary, petitioner, and financial supporter;
      • A copy of the beneficiary’s passport identity page;
      • A description of the urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reason, including documentation of a need for expedited handling, and the length of time the beneficiary needs parole for;
      • A completed Form I-134 with appropriate documentation, as described in the form instructions;
      • A statement explaining why the beneficiary cannot obtain a U.S. visa (if applicable);
      • A statement explaining why the beneficiary cannot obtain a waiver of inadmissibility (if applicable); and
      • A copy of any decision on immigrant or nonimmigrant applications or petitions.

      Read more information about the types of evidence that may be relevant to specific parole requests on our Humanitarian Parole page.

      Form Filing Tips

      Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

      • Part 1 – Information About You
        • Family Name
        • Physical Address
        • Date of Birth
        • 1.a. – 1.f.
        • Family Name (If 1.f. selected)
        • Physical Address (If 1.f. selected)

        Filing Tips: Review our Tips for Filing Forms by Mail page for information on how to ensure we will accept your form.

        Don’t forget to sign your form. We will reject any unsigned form.

        Special Instructions

        E-Notification: If you want to receive an e-mail and/or text message that we have accepted your form at a USCIS lockbox, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the first page of your form.

        Related Links
        • Re-Parole Process for Certain Ukrainian Citizens and Their Immediate Family Members
        • Re-Parole Process for Certain Afghans
        • Card Delivery Tracking
        • Department of State: Photo Specifications
        • Travel Documents