Can I File I-131 Online? Categories, Costs, and Paper Filing

Yes, you can file Form I-131 online, but only for certain travel document types. USCIS accepts online filing for advance parole applications tied to a pending green card case, for Temporary Protected Status travel authorization, and for several humanitarian parole categories. Reentry permits and refugee travel documents still have to be filed on paper and mailed to a USCIS Lockbox. Online filing also costs less: $580 through a USCIS online account versus $630 by paper for the categories that offer both options.

Which I-131 Situations Qualify for Online Filing

The largest group of online-eligible filers is people inside the United States with a pending Form I-485 adjustment of status application who need advance parole. To use the online option, your I-485 receipt number must begin with “IOE.”¹ If your receipt number begins with different letters, your case is on a system that does not yet support online I-131 filing, and you’ll have to file on paper.

TPS beneficiaries applying for a travel authorization document can also file online.² Several other categories qualify as well:

Applicants with Deferred Enforced Departure.
Applicants with an approved Form I-918 (U-visa petition).
Applicants with a pending initial TPS application (Form I-821).
Certain re-parole categories for specific humanitarian programs, including those for Afghan and Ukrainian parolees.¹

The eligible categories and specific parole programs change from time to time. Check the current list on the USCIS “Forms Available to File Online” page before you assume your situation qualifies.

Which Situations Still Require Paper Filing

Two important groups cannot use online filing at all. Lawful permanent residents applying for a reentry permit have to file on paper. So do refugees, asylees, and derivative asylees applying for a refugee travel document.² Both applications must be prepared as a physical package and mailed to the designated USCIS Lockbox for your location and application type.

Reentry permits are the document permanent and conditional residents use when they plan to be outside the United States for a year or more. Refugee travel documents serve a similar function for people with refugee or asylee status who are not yet permanent residents, and for permanent residents who obtained their green card through refugee or asylee status.³ If either of these is the document you need, online filing isn’t an option no matter what your other circumstances are.

How Online Filing Actually Works

Online filing runs through a USCIS online account at uscis.gov. If you don’t already have one, you’ll create it before you start. The account is what receives your receipt notice, biometrics appointment notice, requests for evidence, and final decision.

Depending on the category, you’ll either fill out the form directly in the system or upload a completed PDF. Advance parole applicants with a pending I-485, for example, use the PDF upload method, while some parole and re-parole categories use the interactive online form.¹ Either way, you scan and upload your supporting documents digitally rather than mailing photocopies.

What You’ll Need Ready Before You Start

The form is divided into parts. Part 1 asks you to select the type of travel document, and Part 2 collects biographical information: full legal name, mailing and physical addresses, date of birth, and your Alien Registration Number (A-Number) if you have one.⁴ Your A-Number appears on prior correspondence from USCIS or DHS; if you don’t have one, USCIS will assign one.

You’ll also give your intended travel details: when you plan to leave, which countries you’ll visit, how many trips you expect, and how long you’ll be abroad. Advance parole applicants have to explain why the travel is necessary and back it up. Acceptable reasons include a family member’s serious illness or death (with a doctor’s letter or death certificate plus proof of your relationship), professional obligations (with an employer letter), or medical treatment unavailable in the United States.⁴

Every application, online or paper, needs a copy of a government-issued photo ID showing your name, photo, and date of birth. A valid passport, current employment authorization document, permanent resident card, or state-issued driver’s license all work. You also need two identical color passport-style photos taken recently, printed on glossy paper with a white or off-white background.⁴

Additional documents depend on your status. If you have a Form I-94 arrival/departure record, include the I-94 number and the date your authorized stay expires. If you’re filing based on a pending adjustment of status but submitting your I-131 separately from that application, include a copy of the I-797 receipt notice for your pending I-485.⁴ Scan each document clearly before you start the online form so you can upload without stopping.

The system walks you through each section and prompts you to pay electronically before final submission. Once you submit, you get a confirmation with your receipt number, and your case moves to your online account for tracking.

What Online Filing Costs, and How You Pay

For the categories that offer both options, online filing is $50 cheaper. As of the March 2026 fee schedule:

TPS travel authorization: $630 by paper, $580 online.
Advance parole with a pending I-485: $630 by paper, $580 online.
Reentry permit (paper only): $630.
Refugee travel document, age 16 or older: $165.
Refugee travel document, under age 16: $135.⁵

An exemption may apply for some adjustment-of-status applicants. If you filed your I-485 before April 1, 2024, and paid the filing fee at that time, there’s no additional fee for Form I-131 while your I-485 remains pending. If your I-485 was filed on or after that date, you pay the full separate fee. Asylees applying for a refugee travel document or advance parole may also qualify for a fee exemption if they filed Form I-485 on or after July 30, 2007, paid the I-485 fee, and their case is still pending.⁶ Reentry permit applications are not eligible for a fee waiver.

Online filers pay through the USCIS system at the time of submission using a credit or debit card. That’s the simplest path. For paper filers, the payment rules recently changed: as of October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts checks, money orders, or other paper payments for any filing. Paper filers now have to pay by credit card, debit card, or through Form G-1650, which authorizes an electronic bank transfer.⁷ A paper application mailed with a personal check will be rejected. A limited exemption process exists through Form G-1651, but most applicants should plan to pay electronically.⁸

If You Have to File on Paper

If your category isn’t eligible for online filing, assemble the package in order: the signed Form I-131 on top, then your payment authorization (credit or debit card authorization or completed Form G-1650), then your supporting evidence and photographs. Mail the package to the USCIS Lockbox or service center designated for your geographic location and application type. Use a mail service with tracking so you can confirm delivery. Verify the correct mailing address on the USCIS website immediately before sending, because these addresses change periodically and an improperly addressed package will be returned.

Once your application is accepted, whether you filed online or on paper, you’ll receive a Form I-797C, Notice of Action, containing your unique receipt number. Use that number to track your case through the USCIS online case status tool, and watch for a biometrics appointment notice at a local Application Support Center.⁹

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Forms Available to File Online
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Travel Documents
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USCIS. Instructions for Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
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USCIS. G-1055 Fee Schedule Edition 03/01/26
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Alert PA-2025-19 Transition to Electronic Payments
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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS to Modernize Fee Payments with Electronic Funds
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eCFR. 8 CFR 103.16 – Collection, Use and Storage of Biometric Information