How much does I-131 cost?

I-131, advance parole with a pending I-485 (Part 1, Item 5.A) - $630 ($630 on paper or $580 online; per the G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/07/26), checked Oct 11, 2026); I-131, reentry permit for a green card holder - $630 (paper only, no fee waiver; G-1055, checked Oct 11, 2026) (site figures reviewed 2026-10-11; verify against the USCIS fee schedule).

Where do I file I-131?

You have 2 options for filing your Form I-131 application with USCIS: Online (only available for certain application types ); or By mail (on paper). Filing Your Form I-131 Online First create a USCIS online account or log in if you already have an account. To learn more, visit the USCIS How to Create a USCIS Online Account page. After you submit your Form I-131 online, USCIS will send you a receipt notice. Who Can File Form I-131 Online Form I-131 Application Type Selection on Form I-131 Can it be filed online? Reentry permits Part 1, Box 1 on Form I-131 No Refugee travel documents Part 1, Box 2…

USCISGreen card from inside the US

Form I-131: what it is, who files it, cost and timing

Updated: October 6, 2026Author: Alina Kanametova

Application for Travel Document

I-131: which purpose to pick and what it costs

Key answer

Form I-131 is one form for several travel documents, and the fee depends on the purpose you tick in Part 1. For a talent-visa applicant with a pending I-485 it is advance parole, Part 1, Item 5.A: $630 on paper or $580 online. A green card holder leaving for a long time asks for a reentry permit, Part 1, Item 1: $630, paper only. Edition 01/20/25; fees per the G-1055 schedule, edition 10/07/26.

Advance parole with a pending I-485. Part 1, Item 5.A: $630 on paper, $580 online. It lets you come back to the US without a visa while the green card is pending; leaving without it can end the case. Adjustment of status: the EAD and advance parole for the wait
Reentry permit. Part 1, Item 1: $630, paper only, no fee waiver. For a green card holder who leaves for a long time.
Refugee travel document. For refugees - $0; for asylees and residents who got status through asylum - $135 under 16 and $165 from age 16.
The CBP parole fee. On the advance parole row the G-1055 schedule also lists the Pub. L. 119-21 immigration parole fee: CBP collects it each time you seek parole at a port of entry, unless it finds an exception. Now $1,020; from Oct 16, 2026, $1,050 (Federal Register notice 2026-20187). It cannot be waived.
Where to send it. On Oct 7, 2026 USCIS changed the mailing addresses for the I-131: the address now depends on the purpose you file for (the I-131 direct filing addresses page on uscis.gov). Packages sent to a prior address are accepted if postmarked by Nov 9, 2026.
How busy USCIS is. Advance parole from inside the US, April-June 2026: 113,627 filed, 43,791 approved, 18,200 denied, 425,511 pending, median processing 5.8 months (USCIS quarterly report).

Checked against the USCIS pages on 2026-10-11; links are in the Sources block below.

I-131: fee and where to file

USCIS fee: I-131, advance parole with a pending I-485 (Part 1, Item 5.A) - $630; or I-131, reentry permit for a green card holder - $630.

Edition date: 01/20/25
I-131, advance parole with a pending I-485 (Part 1, Item 5.A): I-131, advance parole with a pending I-485 (Part 1, Item 5.A) - $630 ($630 on paper or $580 online; per the G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/07/26), checked Oct 11, 2026)
I-131, reentry permit for a green card holder: I-131, reentry permit for a green card holder - $630 (paper only, no fee waiver; G-1055, checked Oct 11, 2026)
Fee per uscis.gov: You can find the fees for Form I-131 on the USCIS Fee Schedule page. G-1055
Where to file: You have 2 options for filing your Form I-131 application with USCIS: Online (only available for certain application types ); or By mail (on paper). Filing Your Form I-131 Online First  create a USCIS online account  or  log in  if you already have an account. To learn more, visit the USCIS How to Create a USCIS Online Account page. After you submit your Form I-131 online, USCIS will send you a receipt notice. Who Can File Form I-131 Online Form I-131 Application Type Selection on Form I-131 Can it be filed online? Reentry permits Part 1, Box 1 on Form I-131 No Refugee travel documents Part 1, Box 2…
Form: PDF
Instructions: PDF

Amounts are the site's fee table, reviewed 2026-10-11. Source: uscis.gov, checked 2026-09-12.

I-131: USCIS processing times

USCIS completes 80% of I-131 cases within: Re-entry permit or refugee travel document - 16.5 mo; Advance parole - 26.5 mo (as of Oct 2, 2026).

Category	Office	80% of cases within
Re-entry permit or refugee travel document	SCD	16.5 mo
Advance parole	SCD	26.5 mo

Source: USCIS Case Processing Times, read Oct 2, 2026. Categories in USCIS wording; SCD - service centers, NBC - National Benefits Center, FOD - field offices. All forms, month by month

I-131: how many cases USCIS handles

Q3 of fiscal year 2026 (April-June 2026): USCIS received 113,627 filings on this line, approved 43,791 and denied 18,200 (71% of decisions were approvals); 425,511 were waiting at the end of the quarter. Half of the completed cases took up to 5.8 months.

Line in the report	Received	Approved	Denied	Pending	Median, mo.
I-131, advance parole for applicants inside the US	113,627	43,791	18,200	425,511	5.8

Decisions are counted in the quarter they were issued, so some were filed earlier; the line covers every category of the form, not your visa alone. Source: USCIS, Number of Service-wide Forms (xlsx), read 2026-10-11.

Sources

From the knowledge base: What Happens After EB-1 / EB-2 Petition Approval

If you are legally in the US and your date is current, you can file Form I-485 (Adjustment of Status). People often file at the same time:

After filing, you will have biometrics, sometimes an interview, and if approved, permanent resident status is granted without leaving the country.

It is important to distinguish between status and parole: to file for adjustment of status, you must actually have legal status. The community sums it up succinctly:

Read the full article

I-131: what the chats ask

1×How is it best to submit the I-485? Together with I-131 and I-765? What is the risk of submitting them together?
1×I am currently submitting my I-485; just wondering how to submit it best, together with I-765 and I-131 or without?
1×I still have my O-1 visa, and I am currently submitting the I-485 with an approved I-140 EB1. The question is: should I submit an i-131 for advanced parole to travel in and out, or can I still travel on my current O-1 visa?
1×But if I am currently in the US on O1 status and submit I-131 along with I-485 based on the approved I-140 EB1A, will my O1 status be lost when applying for advanced parole?

I-131: community answers

Is it safe to leave the United States after filing I-485 based on EB-1A/EB-2 NIW?: Usually, after filing I-485, applicants wait for advance parole approval before traveling, otherwise they can create risks for the pending I-485. Before traveling, it is important to consider current status, visa availability, possible denials, and individual restrictions.

I-131: where people go wrong - from the chats

mistakeA common mistake is assuming that after filing immigration forms, you can freely leave the United States. For travel while adjustment is pending, people usually assess in advance whether Advance Parole is needed and what the risks to status are.
mistakeYou should not plan international travel, change the interview country, or leave the United States without checking the consequences for your current status, pending cases, travel documents, and visa requirements of third countries.
mistakeTravel after filing I-485 can be risky without the correct travel document or an understanding of the consequences. You need to account for the fact that a pending I-485 changes the context of the stay and can affect reentry.

I-131: real timelines named in the chats

Stage	Typically	Note
I-765/I-131: waiting for a decision	about 5 months or more	There was an observation of waiting since September with no updates; it was also mentioned that timelines vary widely.
EB-1: I-131 travel document when filing I-485	about 6 months	For a travel document after filing I-485, the median approval time was said to be about six months.
I-131 / I-485: expedite request	waiting for contact up to 10 days, but a response may not arrive within that period	The message states that after the expedite request, they promised to make contact within 10 days, but no contact was made after the deadline passed.
I-485 / Adjustment of Status with an approved I-140: EAD / Advance Parole	about 6 months in observations as of June 2026	It was mentioned that in 2026 an employment authorization document and travel document may arrive in about 6 months when the I-140 has already been approved. Older observations mentioned 3 months, but it was noted that the situation may have changed.

I-131: myths and reality

Myth: Advance parole guarantees entry into the U.S.

In reality: Advance parole allows you to arrive at a port of entry and request admission, but it does not guarantee actual entry. The final decision is made by the officer at the border.

Myth: With concurrent filing in an immigrant category, work authorization and advance parole can only be issued after the main petition is approved.

In reality: If I-485 is filed properly and the category is current, EAD and advance parole may be issued based on the pending adjustment of status before the main petition is finally approved. However, the green card itself will not be approved without approval of the underlying petition and satisfaction of all other requirements.

Myth: You can file a weak or empty EB-1 case solely to get work authorization and travel permission quickly, especially if an EB-2 NIW is pending at the same time.

In reality: Work authorization and advance parole are usually tied to a filed and pending I-485, not to an I-140 alone. Filing a knowingly weak EB-1 petition for side benefits is risky, may lead to a denial, and can create unnecessary expenses.

Myth: If you file I-485 together with I-140, then even if there is a denial, there is almost no risk because you will have an EAD, SSN, and advance parole.

In reality: Concurrent filing can provide practical benefits when the date is available, but an I-140 or I-485 denial may have consequences for status and continued stay. The decision depends on current status, Visa Bulletin dates, and individual risks.

I-131: rules and tips from the chats

ruleWhen filing I-485, it is important to address travel outside the United States in advance: after filing for adjustment of status, leaving without advance parole can create a risk for the application, even if the applicant has a valid visa, so Form I-131 is often filed together with I-485.
ruleFiling I-140 by itself usually does not restrict travel outside the United States, but after I-485 is filed, travel risks arise. For safer travel with a pending I-485, applicants usually file I-131 for advance parole, understanding that it does not guarantee reentry.
ruleAdvance parole is tied to pending adjustment of status, not to O-1 itself; having a nonimmigrant visa does not mean automatic eligibility for a travel document.
ruleWhen filing I-485, the applicant can file I-765 for an EAD and I-131 for advance parole at the same time or later, if the filing category allows it. These forms provide temporary work and travel benefits before a decision on the green card.
tipBefore discussing case status, it is helpful to specify exactly which forms were filed: I-140, I-485, I-131, I-765, and whether receipt notices were issued. Without that, it is hard to understand the stage of the process and possible next steps.
ruleWhen filing adjustment of status, applicants usually file I-765 under category c9 and I-131 together with I-485 to obtain work authorization and a travel document before a decision on the green card.
tipTo track the status of different applications, it is convenient to add all receipt notice numbers to a tracker and check work authorization, the travel document, and the green card separately.
common questionAfter biometrics for EB-1 inside the United States, people often ask when the EAD, SSN, and travel document arrive; timing can vary a lot and they do not always arrive at the same time.

I-131: questions and answers on the site

Distilled from the public community chats, anonymised; corpus as of June 2026. These are participants' observations, not legal advice and not USCIS statistics.

I-131: from community discussions

«I requested an Expedite Request for the I-765, and it was denied (yes, this was through Emma). I wrote to my congressman, and they denied it. During a week of correspondence, the I-765 and I-131 were approved.»
Alina · from public community chats
«If you have grounds, you can request an expedited approval for the I-131 form. There have been cases in the chat where someone achieved advance parole through a congressman, and two weeks after the expedite request, the cards were already issued. The grounds would suggest that the company is facing significant losses if you are not present at business trips, conferences, etc. You will need to attach a detailed letter from the employer.»
Anastasia · from public community chats
«It seems you can get an EAD/SSN for children, even for infants. It's just an expense. We didn't receive it. Also, the university said that when the I-485 is filed, the J status will not be extended. So it should be filed immediately with the I-765, or even with the advance parole. Without a green card, you can wait a long time; in my opinion, these fees do not compare to the risk of losing a job.»
Tony · from public community chats
«Currently, the EAD processing time is about 4 months. But this is an average estimate, so it's hard to predict. The I-485 was taking 7-8 months until recently, which was also quite a lottery. Now the wait times are probably longer since the number of submitted cases has increased in 2025. I received approval in 10 months, but my husband has not yet. I did not apply for the EAD.»
Olga K. · from public community chats

Personal opinions of community members from public discussions, not legal advice.

The form and instructions on the official site Check the forms before sending

I-131: related guides

I-131: common questions

What is I-131?: Form I-131 is one form for several travel documents, and the fee depends on the purpose you tick in Part 1. For a talent-visa applicant with a pending I-485 it is advance parole, Part 1, Item 5.A: $630 on paper or $580 online. A green card holder leaving for a long time asks for a reentry permit, Part 1, Item 1: $630, paper only. Edition 01/20/25; fees per the G-1055 schedule, edition 10/07/26.
How much does I-131 cost?: I-131, advance parole with a pending I-485 (Part 1, Item 5.A) - $630 ($630 on paper or $580 online; per the G-1055 fee schedule (edition 10/07/26), checked Oct 11, 2026); I-131, reentry permit for a green card holder - $630 (paper only, no fee waiver; G-1055, checked Oct 11, 2026) (site figures reviewed 2026-10-11; verify against the USCIS fee schedule).
Where do I file I-131?: You have 2 options for filing your Form I-131 application with USCIS: Online (only available for certain application types ); or By mail (on paper). Filing Your Form I-131 Online First  create a USCIS online account  or  log in  if you already have an account. To learn more, visit the USCIS How to Create a USCIS Online Account page. After you submit your Form I-131 online, USCIS will send you a receipt notice. Who Can File Form I-131 Online Form I-131 Application Type Selection on Form I-131 Can it be filed online? Reentry permits Part 1, Box 1 on Form I-131 No Refugee travel documents Part 1, Box 2…

Reference information from public USCIS and State Department rules, not legal advice. Fee amounts change: check them against the calculator on uscis.gov before sending.

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