Christy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Written By Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Christy Bieber, J.D. ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has.
Contributor Jeffrey Johnson, J.D. Deputy Legal EditorJeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.
Jeffrey Johnson, J.D. Deputy Legal EditorJeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.
Jeffrey Johnson, J.D. Deputy Legal EditorJeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.
Jeffrey Johnson, J.D. Deputy Legal EditorJeffrey Johnson has written novels and movies in addition to legal analyses of eminent domain and immigration law. His experience in writing engaging fiction makes him uniquely capable of making the most dry and academic legal topics interesting (or.
| Deputy Legal Editor
Updated: Jun 3, 2024, 10:33am
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If you are entering the United States, you must have a valid entry document. This includes non-citizens currently in the U.S. who wish to leave and return.
Not everyone who is lawfully in the U.S. has a green card or non-immigrant visa that allows them to come back to the country after a trip abroad. Those who do not need to apply for a valid travel document before taking a temporary trip outside of the United States.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Form I-131 Application for Travel Document allows you to apply for several travel documents, including advance parole. Advance parole permits non-citizens to return to the U.S. without obtaining a new visa and ensures pending applications for an adjustment of status are not considered abandoned due to the departure from the country.
This guide will explain an advance parole card, how to apply for one and the requirements.
Parole allows an immigrant to enter the United States for humanitarian reasons or if the entry will create a significant public benefit for a limited period. Someone who is paroled is considered to be a valid applicant for admission and can appear at a port of entry to request entry into the country.
Some immigrants living in the U.S. who want to travel abroad can request advance parole or advanced permission to present themselves for entry. Advance parole can replace a visa and help ensure your immigration application is not considered abandoned. However, advance parole does not guarantee reentry.
Obtaining advance parole does not necessarily mean leaving the U.S. will have no impact on pending immigration applications, as adjustment of status typically requires meeting certain physical presence requirements. You should speak with an immigration lawyer before requesting advance parole to ensure you understand the full implications of a trip abroad.
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From Participating PartnersAdvance parole provides you with a travel document that you can use to show you requested advance permission to return to the United States after traveling abroad. DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, individuals with pending green card status, some refugees and some asylum seekers may need to apply for advance parole.
Advance parole doesn’t guarantee you the ability to enter the United States. Your right to enter is still at the discretion of customs and border protection officials, just as it is for any non-citizen presenting themselves for entry into the United States. It also does not replace a passport, which you must provide when seeking entry.
Cost To Get Advance Parole
You must pay a $630 fee when submitting Form I-131 to apply for advance parole. This is the required amount due as of April 1, 2024.
Time Required To Get Advance Parole
It takes USCIS between six and 18 months to grant advance parole. In some cases, it is possible to get an emergency advance parole request granted more quickly by demonstrating a pressing need for this travel document. You must visit a USCIS office in person and present evidence supporting your emergency request.
Form I-131 is a form that you submit to USCIS to apply for a valid travel document including:
You may need to submit this form if you are a DACA recipient, you have a pending green card application or you are a refuge or asylum seeker and you wish to travel aboard.
The goal is to get advance permission to present yourself as a candidate for re-entry into the United States and, in some cases, to ensure your application to adjust your immigration status is not viewed as abandoned as a result of leaving the country.
Advance parole is accepted instead of a visa or re-entry permit to show authorization to return to the United States.
When you have advance parole, you provide this document to customs officials to show you have been permitted to apply for entry to the U.S. At their discretion, they can then allow you into the country.
If you are waiting for a change to your immigration status—like waiting for a pending green card application to be finalized—you will also need advance parole before leaving the country because otherwise, traveling abroad could be seen as abandoning your application. This could result in your application being closed so you would have to start applying for adjustment of status all over.
To apply for Advance Parole, take the following steps:
Your application will be processed by USCIS, which typically takes between six and 18 months. You must appear for a biometrics interview at a USCIS Application Support Center at a scheduled appointment.
When you apply for advance parole, you must provide:
Assistance With Visa Applications
Assistance With Green Card Applications
Represent Clients in Removal Proceedings
From Participating PartnersCertain non-citizens residing in the United States are eligible for advance parole. This includes:
Aliens in the United States are not eligible for advance parole if they are:
The typical processing time is between six and 18 months; however, you can visit a USCIS office in person to request emergency advance parole. Be prepared to provide documentation of the emergency justifying the need for the expedited travel document.
Form I-131 is an Application for Travel Document. You can use the form to apply for advance parole, which is a type of travel document. Advance parole is granted to certain non-citizens who are in the United States, want to return after traveling abroad and want to ensure their departure does not affect pending immigration proceedings. Form I-131 doesn’t just allow you to get advance parole. You can also use it to apply for other travel documents including a re-entry permit or a refugee travel document.
USCIS will grant emergency advance parole at the discretion of the agency. You need to visit a local USCIS office and provide evidence of an emergency that makes it necessary for you to travel abroad quickly.
Advance parole does not guarantee your re-entry into the United States. It provides advance permission to appear at a U.S. port of entry and request to be admitted to the country. When you arrive at a port of entry, the official there will decide whether you are permitted to return to the United States.
Advance parole takes the place of a visa. It is valid for one year and allows you to present yourself as a candidate for admission to the United States. It is used by certain individuals who are residing lawfully in the United States but who are not permanent residents. You still need a foreign passport to enter the country. A re-entry permit is issued to a permanent resident or green card holder, and it functions as a passport that is valid for two years. It allows green card holders to travel abroad for lengthy periods of time without affecting their U.S. residency.
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ContributorChristy Bieber has a JD from UCLA School of Law and began her career as a college instructor and textbook author. She has been writing full time for over a decade with a focus on making financial and legal topics understandable and fun. Her work has appeared on Forbes, CNN Underscored Money, Investopedia, Credit Karma, The Balance, USA Today, and Yahoo Finance, among others.
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