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  4. Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records

I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records

Alert Type info

Alert: On Oct. 11, we published a new Form I-131 (06/17/24 edition). The new form is named “Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records." This 06/17/24 edition of Form I-131 replaces the 04/01/24 edition of the Form I-131 (Application for Travel Document).  There is no grace period for the 06/17/24 edition of Form I-131. Effective Oct. 11, we will reject applications on the 04/01/24 edition of Form I-131. If you file Form I-131 on or after Oct. 11, you must use the 06/17/24 edition of Form I-131.

If you file Form I-131 on paper by mail, please note that:

  • We will accept an 04/01/24 edition of Form I-131 that is postmarked before10/11/24.
  • We will not accept an 04/01/24 edition of Form I-131 that is postmarked on or after 10/11/24.
Alert Type info

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 Type info

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 Type info

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.

Use this form to apply for travel documents, parole documents, or arrival/departure records.

Travel Documents

You may use this form to apply for a reentry permit, refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization document, advance parole document, or advance permission to travel for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) long-term residents.

If we approve your Form I-131 and you are a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) beneficiary in the United States who wishes to travel outside the United States, we will issue you Form I-512T, Authorization for Travel by a Noncitizen to the United States.

If we approve your Form I-131 and your initial application for TPS (Form I-821) is still pending, we will issue you a Form I-512L, Advance Parole Document.

If you are a TPS beneficiary or have a pending initial TPS application, you should carefully read the Form I-131 Instructions. These instructions explain certain risks you may face if you are outside the United States while we are considering your TPS re-registration or initial application, such as missing important requests for evidence or other notices or being denied TPS while you are outside the United States.

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.

DHS will determine at inspection whether you may be admitted into TPS. If you travel and return in accordance with your TPS travel authorization, you will be admitted into TPS if your TPS remains valid and you are not inadmissible for certain criminal or security grounds that are mandatory ineligibility grounds for TPS. Note that if you were previously granted parole, this admission will render you ineligible for a new period of parole (re-parole).

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

Initial Parole Documents

You may use this form to apply for parole into the United States for yourself or someone else who is a noncitizen and who is currently outside the United States based on urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.  A parole request from outside the United States may fall under an existing program or process, such as the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program, parole under the Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative, or the Family Reunification Task Force (FRTF) process.  Your initial parole document may be a boarding foil that is placed in your passport, or it may be a Form I-512L travel document.

Arrival/Departure Records for Parole in Place

If you are a noncitizen who is currently inside the United States and you are present without having been admitted, you may use this form to apply for parole in place based on urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit, including requests for military parole in place and the FRTF process.

Arrival/Departure Records for Re-Parole

If you are a noncitizen who is inside the United States, who was previously granted parole, and who needs an additional period of parole, then you may use this form to apply for re-parole based on urgent humanitarian reasons or a significant public benefit.  If we authorize your re-parole, you will be issued a Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record with a new Admit Until Date or Parole Until Date.

Generally, the DHS component that initially authorized parole has jurisdiction over any request for re-parole, unless DHS or USCIS provides alternate filing instructions.  Please see the Memorandum of Agreement between USCIS, ICE, and CBP for more information about each agency’s jurisdiction over re-parole requests. Form I-131 includes filing instructions for specific types of re-parole requests processed by USCIS. 

 Your re-parole request may fall under an existing program or process, such as for those who were initially paroled under the family reunification parole processes, certain Afghans paroled into the United States after July 31, 2021, certain Ukrainians paroled into the United States after Feb. 24, 2022, the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program, Immigrant Military Members and Veterans Initiative, Central American Minors Program, FRTF Process, or military parole in place.

File Online   

Form Details

Forms and Document Downloads
Form I-131 (PDF, 641.3 KB)
Instructions for Form I-131 (PDF, 646.57 KB)
Edition Date

06/17/24. Starting October 11, 2024, we will accept only the 06/17/2024 edition. 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. 

Where to File

You have 2 options for filing your Form I-131 application with USCIS:

  • Online (only available for certain application types); or
  • By mail (on paper).

Filing Your Form I-131 Online

The first step is to create an account.  To learn more, visit our How to Create a USCIS Online Account page. After you submit your Form I-131 online, we will send you a receipt notice to your USCIS online account.

You cannot file your Form I-131 online if you are applying for a fee waiver.

Filing Your Form I-131 By Mail

Please check our Filing Addresses for Form I-131 page for information on where to mail your application, if you are not filing online via myUSCIS.gov. If you do not send your application to the appropriate direct filing address, it may take longer to process.

Filing Fee

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, or if you are requesting re-parole and you check the box in Part 9 to request a separate Employment Authorization Document (EAD), pay each filing fee separately. We are transitioning to electronic processing of 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 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 2 or 5A;
  • You filed 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 fees to the cashier at the USCIS international field 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.

Employment Authorization

Individuals granted parole under INA section 212(d)(5)(A) may generally apply for employment authorization during their period of parole by filing Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, under eligibility category (c)(11).  Employment authorization may only be granted after parole is approved.  If you file Form I-765 while your Form I-131 parole request remains pending, USCIS may reject or deny your Form I-765.

Form I-131 applicants who were previously paroled into the United States and are requesting a new period of parole (re-parole) may request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) by checking the box in Part 9 of Form I-131.  Re-parole applicants who check the box in Part 9 will not need to file a separate Form I-765 to request an EAD if the request for re-parole is approved.  Note:  In order to utilize the EAD checkbox in Part 9 of Form I-131, the individual requesting the EAD in Part 9 must be listed as the requestor in Part 2 (“Information About You”) and must sign the certification in Part 10.

Checklist of Required Initial Evidence (for informational purposes only)

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.

Did You Provide the Following?
If you are applying for:Then you must submit:
A refugee travel document
  • A copy of an official photo identity document;
  • Proof of refugee or asylee status;
  • 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 reentry permit
  • 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
  • Certified English translations of non-English documents (if applicable).
Travel authorization document for TPS beneficiaries who are inside the United States
  • A copy of the Form I-797, Notice of Action, for your I-821 application.
An advance parole document if you are currently in the United States
  • 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 parole document for someone outside the United States (for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit) 
  • A description of the urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit warranting parole, including documentation of a need for expedited handling, if applicable, and the length of time the beneficiary needs parole for;
  • A copy of a photo identity document for the beneficiary, petitioner, and financial supporter;
  • A copy of the beneficiary’s passport identity page;
  • 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 (if applicable).
     
Arrival/departure records for parole in place for a service member or family of service member
  • A completed Form I-131;
  • Any available primary or secondary proof of identity and nationality; and
  • Evidence that the service member is an Active Duty or Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve member of the U.S. armed forces, such as a photocopy of both the front and back of the service member’s military identification card (DD Form 2), Common Access Card (CAC) that displays the branch of service, or dependent/family member ID card (DD Form 1173);

OR

  • Evidence that the requestor’s family member previously served in the U.S. armed forces and did not receive a dishonorable discharge;
  • Evidence of urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit; and
  • Evidence of any additional favorable discretionary factors that you want considered.

Family members of a service member should submit the above documentation, plus:

  • Documentation to establish a qualifying familial relationship; and
  • If the requestor is filing as the parent of a service member, the requestor must submit a signed letter from the service member in which the service member states that they have no objection to the requestor seeking parole in place based on being the service member’s parent.
Arrival/departure records for parole in place for Family Reunification Task Force
  • Please refer to tailored filing instructions on the DHS webpage.

Arrival/departure records for parole in place for other situations

Note:  To file a request for parole in place under the Keep Families Together process, please use Form I-131F.

  • Completed Form I-131, with filing fee
  • Any available primary or secondary proof of identity and nationality
  • 2 identical, color, passport-style photographs; and
  • Evidence of any favorable discretionary factors that you would like considered.
Arrival/departure records for someone inside the United States requesting a new period of parole (re-parole) for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit
  • Evidence that the beneficiary was previously paroled into the United States;
  • A description of the urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit warranting re-parole, including documentation of a need for expedited handling, if applicable, and the length of time the beneficiary needs re-parole for and why the previously authorized time frame is not sufficient to accomplish the purpose of parole;
  • A copy of a photo identity document for beneficiary and petitioner (such as a copy of the passport identity page); and
  • A statement explaining why the beneficiary cannot obtain a U.S. visa (if applicable).
     

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 – Application Type
    • 1. - 11.       You must select only one application type.
  • Part 2 –  Information About You
    • Your Full Name
    • Current Mailing Address or Safe Address (if applicable)
    • Date of Birth

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
  • Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Parole for Individuals Outside the United States
  • Guidance on Evidence for Certain Types of Humanitarian or Significant Public Benefit Requests
  • 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
Last Reviewed/Updated:
10/11/2024
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