Form I-131
Form guide
Form I-131 is one form with three jobs: advance parole to travel while a case is pending, a re-entry permit to protect a green card during long trips, and a refugee travel document. Which one you need decides how you fill it — and when you must be in the U.S.
Part by part
Advance parole, re-entry permit, or refugee travel document — the first choice on the form, and the one that matters most.
The pending application or the status your travel document protects.
Where, why, and for how long — re-entry permits require filing from inside the U.S.
Watch for
Leaving before advance parole is approved — that can abandon a pending green card application
Checking the wrong document type
Filing a re-entry permit from abroad — you must be in the U.S. when you file
Confusing the travel document with the work permit; they are separate applications
Every one of these is a completeness problem — the kind the software checks for before your packet is marked ready.
Where it appears
Form I-131
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