The whole I-131 checklist, on one page
I-131 runs differently depending on which of 3 routes you are on, so each one is listed separately below. The checklist above remembers where you are and what you have ticked; this is the same material in one piece, to read or print without ticking anything.
Routes covered: Advance parole · Refugee travel document · Re-entry permit
I131-01Step 1 Choose the right document
Three very different tracks live on one form.
The wrong document is worse than none
Advance parole You have a pending I-485
Leaving the United States while an I-485 is pending, without advance parole in hand, is normally treated as abandoning the green card application. This is the single most costly travel mistake we see.
- Do not leave the U.S. until the document is approved and in hand BLOCKINGAn application is not permission. Departing before approval can abandon the I-485.
- Copy of the I-485 receipt notice
- Evidence of the reason for travelMedical letters, a death certificate, business or study documents, whatever fits the purpose stated.
- Understand that advance parole is not a guarantee of entryYou are inspected again at the border like any other traveller.
- Check whether prior unlawful presence creates a bar on re-entry BLOCKINGTravel can trigger a three- or ten-year bar for some applicants. Ask before booking.
Refugee travel document You are a refugee or asylee
Refugees and asylees use this instead of a national passport, and must not use the passport of the country they fled. Travelling to that country can put the status itself in question.
- Copy of the refugee or asylee approval and I-94
- Do not travel on the passport of the country you fled BLOCKINGUsing it, or entering that country, can be treated as evidence you no longer fear harm.
- Apply before travelling, and allow months for processingExpedite requests exist but are not guaranteed.
- Check the document's validity period against the tripReturn before it expires: airlines refuse boarding on an expired document.
- If you already have a green card, you may need a different documentA permanent resident who obtained status through asylum may still use a refugee travel document; confirm which one fits.
Re-entry permit You are a permanent resident planning a long trip
A green card alone is not enough for a long absence. A trip of a year or more without a re-entry permit usually ends permanent residence, and even shorter trips can raise abandonment questions.
- File while you are physically inside the United States BLOCKINGThe application must be filed from inside the U.S., and biometrics taken here.
- Copy of the green card, front and back
- Explain the length and purpose of the tripEmployment abroad, family care, study, with supporting documents.
- Keep U.S. ties alive while awayFile U.S. taxes as a resident, keep a home, accounts, licence and family ties.
- Understand the effect on naturalizationA long absence can break continuous residence for citizenship even with a permit in hand.
I131-02Step 2 Build the application
Form, photos, evidence, biometrics.
Photos and biometrics Most travel-document filings need two photographs and a biometrics appointment inside the United States.
- Form I-131 completed and signedCurrent edition from uscis.gov. Tick the correct document type on the form.
- Two passport-style photographsTaken within 30 days.
- Copy of a government-issued photo ID
- Parent or guardian signs for a child under 14
- Supporting evidence for the stated purpose of travel
- Photocopy the whole package
I131-03Step 3 Fee
And when a fee is not owed.
Check before paying Fees differ by document type and by whether it is filed with a pending I-485. Confirm on the fee schedule the week you file.
- I-131 fee for the document you are requesting BLOCKINGWidely published at $630 for a travel document, with different treatment when filed together with an I-485. Confirm on the USCIS fee schedule (G-1055).
- Check whether your category is exempt FEE EXEMPTSome humanitarian categories are. The instructions list them.
- Consider a fee waiver (Form I-912)Based on income, means-tested benefits or hardship.
I131-04Step 4 While it is pending, and after
Travel discipline until the document is in your hand.
Wait for the document Almost every serious problem on this form comes from travelling before approval, or on the wrong document.
- Receipt notice received and checked
- Attend biometrics if a notice arrivesMissing it can lead to denial.
- Do not book non-refundable travel before approval BLOCKING
- Document received and checkedName, photo, validity dates, document type.
- Carry it with your other status documentsPlus the receipt notices for anything still pending.
- Return to the U.S. before it expires BLOCKINGAirlines refuse boarding on an expired travel document, and re-entry is not guaranteed even with a valid one.