Can You File I-131 Online? Who Qualifies and How to File

You can file Form I-131 online only if you fall into a narrow group of humanitarian parole applicants. Everyone else — including permanent residents applying for a re-entry permit, refugees and asylees requesting a refugee travel document, TPS holders needing travel authorization, and most people requesting advance parole — has to file on paper by mail. USCIS built the online option for parole cases and has not extended it to the other travel documents the form covers.

Who Can File Form I-131 Online

USCIS allows electronic filing through myUSCIS for two specific groups of parole applicants.¹

People requesting parole for someone outside the United States under application types 1.e. or 1.f. on the paper form, as long as they are not seeking initial parole under a USCIS family reunification program.
People already paroled into the country who need a new period of parole to remain here.

If your situation matches one of those descriptions, and you are not asking for a fee waiver, myUSCIS is open to you. The online interface asks the same questions the paper form does, validates your entries as you go, and lets you sign digitally and pay the fee through the portal.

Who Cannot File I-131 Online

USCIS has been explicit that online filing is not available for the other uses of Form I-131. You must file on paper if you are requesting any of the following:¹

A re-entry permit, for lawful permanent residents planning to be abroad more than a year.
A refugee travel document, for refugees, asylees, or people who became permanent residents through those statuses.
A TPS travel authorization document.
Advance parole to travel abroad and return while a case such as an I-485 adjustment of status is pending.
Any I-131 application accompanied by a fee waiver request on Form I-912.

Submitting one of these online will get the application rejected. That includes anyone eligible for parole online filing who also needs a fee waiver — the waiver forces the paper route.

A Note on CHNV Parolees

The CHNV parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans was canceled, and the Supreme Court upheld that cancellation on May 30, 2025. DHS began sending termination notices to CHNV parolees in June 2025.² If you were paroled under that program, speak with an immigration attorney before filing anything new, online or on paper.

How to File I-131 Online If You Qualify

Online filers create or sign in to a myUSCIS account and complete Form I-131 as a guided digital application. Before starting, have your Alien Registration Number (the A-Number on your green card or work permit), your Social Security number if you have one, your passport details, and a full history of your recent physical addresses. You will upload a clear copy of a government-issued photo ID showing your name, photo, and date of birth. A passport, employment authorization document, permanent resident card, or driver’s license all work; a Form I-94 arrival record does not.³ You will also upload proof of your current immigration status, such as a Form I-797 notice or an I-94 for parolees.⁴

The system validates entries in real time, which catches common clerical errors before submission. You sign digitally and pay the filing fee by card or bank withdrawal through the secure portal. After you submit, the case appears in your myUSCIS account, and USCIS sends notices there as well as by mail.

How to File I-131 on Paper

Everyone else files by mail. Download the current form directly from uscis.gov/i-131 to make sure you have the latest edition; as of early 2025, the form is edition 01/20/25 and runs 14 pages.⁵ File a separate Form I-131 for each person in a family who needs a travel document.³

Your paper package needs to include the completed form, a copy of a government-issued photo ID, proof of current immigration status, and two identical passport-style color photos with a white or off-white background, printed on glossy thin paper and reflecting your current appearance.⁴

Fees for Paper Filings

USCIS updated its fee schedule in April 2024. Most I-131 application types now cost $630, and that amount includes the biometrics services fee. Refugee travel documents for applicants age 16 and older cost $165, with a lower fee for younger applicants. Confirm the current amount on the USCIS Form I-131 instructions page before mailing, because fees change.³

Pay by personal check, cashier’s check, or money order made out to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You can also authorize a credit card payment by including Form G-1450 with your application. Do not send cash.

Humanitarian parole applicants and TPS applicants filing for a travel authorization can request a fee waiver on Form I-912.⁶ Re-entry permit and standard advance parole applicants generally are not eligible for a waiver.

Where to Mail It

The mailing address depends on which travel document you are requesting, and for some categories it depends on where you live. Re-entry permits, refugee travel documents, TPS travel authorization, and advance parole each have their own lockbox address. For advance parole filed alongside a pending Form I-485, the correct address even turns on the three-letter prefix of your I-485 receipt number. Sending the package to the wrong lockbox gets it returned, and you start over. Look up the current address on the USCIS Direct Filing Addresses page at uscis.gov/i-131-addresses right before you mail.⁷

After You File, Online or on Paper

USCIS issues a receipt notice on Form I-797C once the application is entered into its system. Expect it within about 30 days of filing at a lockbox.⁸ The notice carries a 13-character receipt number you can use in the USCIS Case Status Online tool. Online filers also see updates inside their myUSCIS account. If more than 30 days pass without a receipt, submit an e-Request through the USCIS website to report the missing notice.

Some applicants are scheduled for a biometrics appointment at an Application Support Center, where USCIS collects fingerprints and a photograph. Re-entry permit applicants between 14 and 79 have historically been required to attend biometrics. The biometrics fee is now built into the filing fee, but you may still need to appear in person. USCIS sends the appointment notice in writing with the date, time, and location. Missing it without rescheduling can lead to denial.

If your travel is urgent, you can ask USCIS to expedite a pending Form I-131 for a pressing humanitarian reason such as a death, serious illness, or extreme conditions from a natural disaster or armed conflict, backed by supporting documentation.⁹ In true emergencies, USCIS field offices can issue emergency advance parole in person; “Emergency Advance Parole” is a primary appointment type in the USCIS appointment request system, and you can request one through your myUSCIS account or by calling the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283.¹⁰

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Certain Individuals Requesting Parole Can Now File Form I-131 Online
2
Department of Homeland Security. DHS Issues Notices of Termination for the CHNV Parole Program, Encourages Parolees to Self-Deport Immediately
3
USCIS. Instructions for Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
4
Department of Homeland Security. Guide for Completing Form I-131 for Family Reunification Task Force Parolees
5
USCIS. Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-912, Request for Fee Waiver
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. e-Request – Non-Delivery of Notice
9
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Expedite Requests
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Appointment Request – Overview