U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Edition 01/20/25 (OMB 1615-0013, expires 06/30/2027) 14 pages

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

One USCIS form for many travel needs: a reentry permit, a refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization, advance parole, or a parole request.

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Form I-131 · Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
The official U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form, edition 01/20/25 (OMB 1615-0013, expires 06/30/2027) — blank
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What is Form I-131?

Form I-131 is U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records. A green-card holder uses it for a reentry permit before a long trip abroad; a refugee or asylee for a refugee travel document; a TPS beneficiary for travel authorization; and someone with a pending case, such as an adjustment of status, for advance parole so they can travel and return. It is also the form for initial parole from outside the United States, parole in place, and re-parole. The current edition is 01/20/25.

The 14-page form starts with one choice among 37 application types. Part 2 covers you, and the person you're applying for if it's someone else; Part 3 their biographic details; Part 4 prior documents, replacements and where to send the document. Parts 5 to 9 apply only to particular types: time spent abroad for a reentry permit, questions about your home country for a refugee travel document, the trip for advance parole, and how you qualify for parole or re-parole.

FileIt asks for your application type first, then shows only the parts that go with it. It pre-fills your name and date of birth from your vault and prints your answers on USCIS's own PDF, fitting longer explanations into their boxes. The finished form is saved in your vault, ready to sign by hand. FileIt never files it for you.

Who files
Permanent residents, refugees and asylees, TPS beneficiaries, people with pending cases who need advance parole, and parole requesters.
Pages
14 (Parts 1-13).
Choose one type
37 options in Part 1, from a reentry permit (item 1) to re-parole (items 10-11).
Signature
Handwritten by the applicant, and by any interpreter and preparer.
Edition
01/20/25 (OMB No. 1615-0013, expires 06/30/2027)

Who needs to fill out Form I-131?

  • Green-card holders planning to stay abroad long enough that they want a reentry permit.
  • Refugees, asylees and permanent residents who got their status through refugee or asylee status, for a refugee travel document.
  • People with a pending I-485, I-589 or initial I-821, DACA recipients and others listed in item 5, for advance parole.
  • TPS beneficiaries who need travel authorization.
  • People requesting initial parole for someone outside the United States, parole in place, or a new period of parole.

When to use Form I-131

  • Before you leave the United States when the document must be issued first, as the instructions explain for reentry permits and advance parole.
  • When a document was issued but never received, lost, stolen or damaged, or has wrong information, and you need a replacement.
  • When a current period of parole is ending and you are eligible for re-parole.
  • Read the travel warnings in the instructions before you travel: leaving can affect a pending application.

What you need before you start

  • Your name, other names, mailing and physical addresses, A-Number, date and country of birth, and citizenship.
  • Your class of admission and I-94 number if you're in the United States.
  • The receipt number of the case your request is based on, such as an I-485, I-589 or I-821.
  • Height, weight, eye and hair color of the person who will receive the document.
  • Details of earlier reentry permits, refugee travel documents or advance parole documents.
  • For advance parole: your departure date, purpose of the trip and the countries you'll visit. For parole: how you qualify and the evidence.

What’s on Form I-131

The 2025 edition has 14 pages. FileIt asks for it in 15 parts:

  1. Part 1. Application typeApplicant
  2. Part 2. Information about youApplicant
  3. Part 2. Your addressesApplicant
  4. Part 2. Other information about youApplicant
  5. Part 2. Information about them (the person you are applying for)Applicant
  6. Part 3. Biographic information of the person who will receive the documentApplicant
  7. Part 4. Processing informationApplicant
  8. Part 5. Reentry permit only (Part 1, item 1)Applicant
  9. Part 6. Refugee travel document only (Part 1, item 2 or 3)Applicant
  10. Part 7. Your proposed travel (advance parole document only, Part 1 item 5)Applicant
  11. Part 8. Initial parole, parole in place or re-parole only (Part 1, items 6-11)Applicant
  12. Part 10. Applicant's contact information, certification and signatureApplicant
  13. Part 11. Interpreter's contact information, certification and signatureInterpreter
  14. Part 12. Person preparing this application, if other than the applicantPreparer
  15. Part 13. Additional informationApplicant

How to fill out Form I-131, step by step

1 Part 1. Application type

Choose the one document you need. Some types ask for a receipt number, a class of admission, a program name or the person's relationship to a service member. Item 13 asks whether you are a refugee or a permanent resident because of refugee status.

2 Part 2. Information about you (and them)

Your name, addresses and identity details, then items 12-15 if you're in the United States. If you're requesting parole for someone else, items 16-27 cover that person.

3 Parts 3 and 4. Biographic and processing information

Biographic details of the person who will receive the document, proceedings and prior documents, and for a replacement the reason and what needs correcting. For a reentry permit or refugee travel document, say where to send it and where the pickup notice should go.

4 Parts 5 to 9. Type-specific questions

Part 5 for a reentry permit (time spent abroad), Part 6 for a refugee travel document (your home country), Part 7 for advance parole (your trip), Part 8 for parole and re-parole (how you qualify), and Part 9 to request an EAD with re-parole.

5 Parts 10 to 13. Signatures and more space

Your contact details and signature, any interpreter and preparer, and Part 13 for anything that didn't fit, with your name and A-Number printed at the top.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Selecting more than one application type in Part 1.
  • Leaving the country before an advance parole document is issued when your case requires one, without reading the travel warnings.
  • Skipping the type-specific part for your application, such as Part 5 for a reentry permit.
  • Answering Yes in Part 6 without an explanation in Part 13.
  • Filling in items 16-27 when you are applying for yourself.

After you fill it out

Print the form and sign Part 10 by hand; any interpreter and preparer sign their parts.

Attach photos and evidence as the instructions require for your type, check uscis.gov/i-131 for fees, biometrics and the filing address, and file it. FileIt never submits anything.

Keep the signed copy and your receipt notice. FileIt saves the filled PDF in your vault with your travel documents.

Fill out Form I-131 online with FileIt

  1. Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
  2. Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 222 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
  3. Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
  4. Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

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Form I-131: frequently asked questions

What is Form I-131?

It is USCIS's application for travel documents, parole documents and arrival/departure records: reentry permits, refugee travel documents, TPS travel authorization, advance parole, and parole requests.

Which parts do I fill in?

Parts 1-4 and 10 for everyone. Then only the part for your type: Part 5 for a reentry permit, Part 6 for a refugee travel document, Part 7 for advance parole, and Part 8 (and 9) for parole, parole in place or re-parole.

Can I apply on behalf of someone else?

For initial parole and some re-parole requests, yes. Part 2 items 16-27 are about the person you're applying for. Skip them if you're filing for yourself.

What if my document has a mistake?

Part 4 lets you request a replacement: say whether the error was yours or not, tick what needs correcting, explain, and give the original receipt number.

Is this the same as Form I-131A?

No. Form I-131A is for a permanent resident who is already abroad and needs a carrier document to board home. Form I-131 is the general travel and parole document application.

Does FileIt file the I-131?

No. FileIt fills USCIS's official PDF and saves it in your vault. You sign and file it yourself.

Official sources

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.

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