How travel documents (Form I-131) work

What the I-131 covers

The I-131 is used for a few different documents, depending on the situation:

• Advance parole, which lets certain people with a pending application (such as adjustment of status) travel abroad and return without abandoning that application.
• Reentry permit, for permanent residents who plan to be outside the United States for an extended period and want to preserve their status.
• Refugee travel document, for people in refugee or asylee status who need to travel.

Which one applies depends on the traveler's status and what they are trying to protect. This guide explains what each is for; it does not determine which a given person needs or whether travel is safe in their situation.

Why timing and status matter so much here

Travel while an immigration case is pending can have serious consequences, and in some situations leaving the country before the right document is approved can be treated as abandoning a case. Because the stakes are high and fact-specific, this is an area where reading a general guide is a starting point, not a substitute for advice on your own circumstances.

The steps, in order

1. Identify the right document for your status and travel purpose (advance parole, reentry permit, or refugee travel document).
2. File the I-131 with USCIS, with any required fee and supporting evidence, using the current edition of the form. The base filing fee is $630 (set by the April 2024 USCIS fee rule), and it generally applies even when the I-131 is filed together with a pending Form I-485 adjustment-of-status application. Reentry-permit applicants ages 14–79 also pay an $85 biometric services fee; refugee travel document fees are lower and vary by age. Because amounts and exceptions change, confirm the current figure for your document type with the USCIS Fee Calculator.
3. Biometrics, if required.
4. Decision and issuance. If approved, USCIS issues the travel document. For some documents, you generally need to wait for approval before traveling.

How long it takes

Times vary widely by document type and service center. As a general guide, reentry permits and refugee travel documents have recently been issued in roughly 3 to 6 months, while advance parole often takes considerably longer — frequently a year or more given current backlogs. These ranges shift, so check the USCIS processing-time tool for the current estimate tied to your form and office, and plan travel with the processing time in mind.

What it costs

Cost depends on the document and whether it is filed alongside another application. The base filing fee is $630, plus the $85 biometric services fee where it applies (reentry-permit applicants ages 14–79). There is also a separate, newer fee to be aware of for advance parole: as of October 15, 2025, a $1,000 fee applies to most people who actually travel into the United States on advance parole or are otherwise paroled in. It is paid to Customs and Border Protection at the time of entry, on top of the filing fee, and there are limited exceptions — for example, adjustment-of-status applicants traveling on advance parole tied to their pending green card application. Because these amounts and exceptions change and are fact-specific, confirm the current figures with the USCIS Fee Calculator before filing. Preparation costs are separate from the government fee.

When you may want an attorney

Because international travel can affect a pending case or your status, anyone with a pending application, time spent in removal proceedings, or a complicated travel history should strongly consider speaking with a licensed immigration attorney before relying on a travel document. ImFiled is a document preparation service, not a law firm.