I-131Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
- Source
- uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/i-131.pdf
- Size
- 652,991 bytes
- SHA-256
- Revision (page)
- Edition Date 01/20/25
- Revision (footer)
- Form I-131 Edition 01/20/25 ✓ match
- Fetched
- 2026-11-02 06:15 UTC
Form I-131 covers several travel and parole documents: reentry permits for permanent and conditional residents, refugee travel documents, travel authorization for people with Temporary Protected Status, advance parole documents, initial parole documents for people outside the United States, and arrival/departure records for parole in place and re-parole. Part 1 is where you pick the one application type, and that choice controls which later parts you complete, what evidence you need and whether you can file online. The instructions carry serious warnings about travel: for example, a pending I-485 is generally treated as abandoned if you leave without advance parole, and an advance parole document can be revoked while you are abroad.
How to file Form I-131
USCIS online account (some types)
USCIS lists guided online filing of I-131 only for specific Part 1 types, such as initial parole for people outside the U.S. (Part 1, Box 7) and certain re-parole programs (Box 10.B–10.G). USCIS warns that choosing another category just to file online can lead to denial without a refund.
“You cannot change or amend your selected application type after you file online.”
Open on uscis.govUpload a completed PDF (some types)
PDF upload is listed for further types, including TPS travel authorization (Box 4), advance parole for certain pending or approved cases (Box 5.A with an IOE I-485 receipt, 5.C, 5.D, 5.E, 5.G) and several parole categories. A wet-ink signature must be on the PDF.
Open on uscis.govMail a paper application
Every other type is filed on paper at the address USCIS lists for that type, with every page of the same edition.
Why our filler is off for this form: USCIS says its forms are optimized for Adobe Acrobat Reader, and part of this PDF is read-only by design (copied headers, barcodes, signature boxes). We turn our fill on per form only after the output re-opens in Acrobat Reader with every value intact and a matching barcode. Until then, Adobe Reader on a computer is the free tool USCIS points to.
Print, sign in ink, scan, send
USCIS does not accept signatures made by software, so the dependable path is paper first, then a clean PDF under the online limit. Every step below runs in your browser.
- PrintThe official I-131 PDF from uscis.gov, every page from the same edition.
- Sign by handIn the signature box, in ink. USCIS: “USCIS does not accept signatures created by a typewriter, word processor, stamp, auto-pen, or similar device.”
- Scan to PDFPhone camera pages, deskewed and cleaned, in this tab.
- MergeForm and evidence in the order the instructions ask for.
- Under 12 MBCompressed to the USCIS online upload limit, with a preview first.
Sources: USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 1, Part B, Ch. 2 (signatures) · uscis.gov/file-online/tips-for-filing-forms-online (12 MB) · checked 2026-10-05
Line help for Form I-131
Plain-language notes written from the official instructions, with the place each one comes from. Informational, not legal advice.
Select the one type you are applying for (reentry permit, refugee travel document, TPS travel, advance parole, initial parole, parole in place, re-parole). The box you choose decides the rest of the form and the filing channel.
Form I-131 (01/20/25), Part 1; Instructions, What Types of Documents Can I Apply ForYour information, and biographic details of the person who will receive the document (which may be someone else for parole requests).
Form I-131 (01/20/25), Parts 2–3Where the document should be delivered or picked up, and processing questions such as prior documents and removal proceedings.
Form I-131 (01/20/25), Part 4Complete only the part for your type: reentry permit (Part 5), refugee travel document (Part 6), proposed travel for advance parole or TPS travel (Part 7), initial parole, parole in place or re-parole (Part 8), and employment authorization for re-parole (Part 9).
Form I-131 (01/20/25), Parts 5–9Your contact details, certification and handwritten signature.
Form I-131 (01/20/25), Part 10Completed by an interpreter or preparer only if one helped; Part 13 holds extra answers.
Form I-131 (01/20/25), Parts 11–13Pending I-485? Get the document first.
USCIS generally treats a pending I-485 as abandoned if you leave without an advance parole document, with exceptions the instructions list for certain H, L, K and V holders. Plan travel only after reading those sections; these are situations where qualified legal help matters.
“we generally will consider their Form I-485 abandoned if they leave the United States without first obtaining an Advance Parole Document.”
Form I-131 Instructions (01/20/25)Advance parole is not a guarantee.
DHS may revoke or terminate an advance parole document at any time, even while you are outside the United States.
“DHS may revoke or terminate an Advance Parole Document at any time, including while the alien is outside the United States”
Form I-131 Instructions (01/20/25)A handwritten signature.
The applicant signs Part 10 by hand; typed or stamped names are not accepted. A scan of the original signed page is valid for PDF upload.
USCIS Policy Manual, Vol. 1, Part B, Ch. 2Revision history
We check the USCIS form page and its edition statement every day, and USCIS’s sitemap for preview files of new editions. This list starts when our crawler first saw the form.
| Edition | Status | Fields |
|---|---|---|
| Edition 01/20/25 | Current | baseline |
Related forms
I-485
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I-765
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I-90
USCIS lists the 01/20/25 edition on its form page.
I-134
USCIS lists the 01/20/25 edition on its form page.
Sources
- USCIS Form I-131 page · checked 2026-10-05
- Form I-131 Instructions (Edition 01/20/25) · checked 2026-10-05
- USCIS, Forms Available to File Online · checked 2026-10-05
- USCIS page for Form I-131 · crawled 2026-11-02
Not affiliated with the IRS, USCIS or any government agency. US federal forms are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105); the line help is ours, written from the instructions. Informational only: not tax or legal advice. If you need help with an immigration case, USCIS explains how to find legitimate legal services: uscis.gov, Find Legal Services.