Using the Form I-131 application, you can request a travel document from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. You can obtain one of these travel documents from USCIS:
- Reentry Permit
- Refugee Travel Document
- Advance Parole Document for Individuals Outside the United States
- Advance Parole Document for Individuals Who Are Currently in the United States.
Do NOT confuse Form I-131 with Form I-131A: They are two different forms each serving its own purpose. You can know more about Form I-131A, Application for Travel Document, on a dedicated page.
Note also that USCIS will update Form I-131 application soon, and you will need to use the correct form. However, during the first couple of months USCIS usually accepts the old forms. Please check out with the USCIS official website to know for sure that you are using the correct form.
Form I-131 instructions
USCIS gives the following general recommendations on how to complete Form I-131:
- Sign your application. USCIS will reject it if you do not sign it properly, meaning you must not leave your typewritten name. Instead, leave a proper handwritten signature on the form.
- Provide the documents to support your form.
Without the evidence, USCIS will reject your application. You may need to provide an official photo identity document such as your passport, an ID card, a citizen card, or any similar document. You may need to provide any document that USCIS already issued in your name to show your current status in the United States. For example, you may need to provide the photos of your green card or a document proving that you are a refugee or an asylee.
- Fill out the entire form. If USCIS does not find the information they might need, then your Form I-131 will be rejected, and you will have to file it again.
- Pay the exact fee. You must not pay more or less for filing Form I-131 than specified by USCIS.
Form I-131 fee
The amount for filing Form I-131 is calculated in a complex way. The two amounts you have to pay are $575 for the actual processing the form and additional $85 for the biometric services (USCIS may need to take your fingerprints, photograph, and signature). However, you do not need to pay for biometrics if you are younger than 14 or older then 80. Note that the information we have just provided is true for only the applicants who file Form I-131 to obtain a Reentry Permit or Advance Parole Document.
If you are filing your Form I-131 to obtain a Refugee Travel Document, than the fee is $105-220:
- If you are 13 years of age or younger, the fee is $105. No fee for biometrics is required.
- If you are 14 or 15 years of age, then besides the filing fee $105, you need to pay for biometrics – $85.
- If you are 16 years of age and older, the fee is $135 plus the biometrics fee. However, if you are 80 years or older, then again, no fee for biometrics is required.
Finally, you do not need to pay for biometric services if you request an Advance Parole Document using Form I-131.
| I am applying for a re-entry permit (Application Type A) and I am: | Form Fee | Biometric Services | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 or younger | $575 | $0 | $575 |
| 14 to 79 | $575 | $85 | $660 |
| 80 or older | $575 | $0 | $575 |
| I am applying for a refugee travel document (Application Types B and C) and I am: | Form Fee | Biometric Services | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 or younger | $105 | $0 | $105 |
| 14 or 15 | $105 | $85 | $190 |
| 16 to 79 | $135 | $85 | $220 |
| 80 or older | $135 | $0 |
$135 |
| I am applying for an advance parole document (Application Types D, E, and F): | Form Fee | Biometric Services | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advance Parole - Type D (pending Form I-485; pending Form I-821) | $575 | $0 | $575 |
|
Advance Parole – Type E (humanitarian parole) |
$575 |
$0 |
$575 |
|
Advance Parole – Type F (humanitarian parole) |
$575 |
$0 |
$575 |
Form I-131 processing time
It may take three months or longer for USCIS to process your application. But the exact timeframe is difficult to predict. You can, however, increase your chances of obtaining the necessary travel document if you provide sufficient information and documentation to USCIS.
Where to send Form I-131
USCIS specifies many mailing addresses where you can send your Form I-131 depending on the state where you live.
- Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, Guam, Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands:
USCIS Phoenix Lockbox
If you want to use U.S. Postal Service (USPS), send your Form I-131 to the following address:
USCIS
P.O. Box 21281
Phoenix, AZ 85036
If you want to use FedEx, DHL, or UPS, send your Form I-131 to the following address: USCIS
Attn: NFB AOS
1820 E. Skyharbor Circle S
Ste. 100
Phoenix, AZ 85034
- Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, U.S. Virgin Islands, West Virginia
USCIS Dallas Lockbox
If you want to use U.S. Postal Service (USPS), send your Form I-131 to the following address:
USCIS
P.O. Box 660867
Dallas, TX 75266
If you want to use FedEx, DHL, or UPS, send your Form I-131 to the following address: USCIS:
Attn: NFB AOS
2501 S. State Hwy. 121 Business
Ste. 400
Lewisville, TX 75067
Note that if you are filing Form I-131 under specific conditions, consult the Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-131, Application for Travel Document on the official USCIS website.
Form I-131 PDF
Do you need a free Form I-131 application? You can download it from our website.
Last Updated 10/09/23 11:38:42AM
