I-131, Application for Travel Document

Form 5; instructions 16.

04/24/19. You can find the edition date at the bottom of the page on the form and instructions.

Dates are listed in mm/dd/yy format.

Please check the Filing Addresses for Form I-131 for information on where to mail your application.

Filing Tips for Form I-131, Application for Travel Document

Complete all sections of the form. We will reject the form if these fields are missing:

• Part 1 – Information About You
  • Family Name
  • Physical Address
  • Date of Birth
• Part 2 – Application Type
  • 1.a. – 1.f.
  • Family Name (If 1.f. selected)
  • Physical Address (If 1.f. selected)

We recommend reading our Lockbox Filing Tips.

Don’t forget to sign your form! We will reject any unsigned form.

When you send a payment, you agree to pay for a government service. Filing and biometric service fees are final and non-refundable, regardless of any action we take on your application, petition, or request, or if you withdraw your request.

If you file at a USCIS Lockbox or service center:  Pay the fee with a money order, personal check, cashier’s check, or by credit card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions. If you pay by check, you must make your check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Please note that service centers are not able to process credit card payments. Use our Fee Calculator to help determine your fee.

If you file at a field office: You cannot pay fees with a money order or cashier’s check when filing at a field office. You can only pay with a personal check, debit card, credit card, or a reloadable prepaid credit/debit card.

You do not need to pay an additional fee for Form I-131 if:

• You are filing Form I-131 Application Type B or D;
• You filed a Form I-485 with a fee on/after July 30, 2007; and
• Your Form I-485 is still pending.

For refugee travel document applications filed from outside of the United States, you must pay the applicable fee(s) to the cashier at the U.S. embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your location. Please see the website of the appropriate embassy or consulate to confirm acceptable forms of payment. Include the fee receipt from the U.S. embassy or consulate when you file your application package. Please do not mail cash, personal checks or traveler’s checks. If you do not include a fee receipt with your filing, we will reject your application.

Please do not submit this checklist with your Form I-131. It is an optional tool to use as you prepare your form, but does not replace statutory, regulatory, and form instruction requirements. We recommend that you review these requirements before completing and submitting your form. Do not send original documents unless specifically requested in the form instructions or applicable regulations. 

If you submit any documents (copies or original documents, if requested) in a foreign language, you must include a full English translation along with a certification from the translator verifying that the translation is complete and accurate, and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language to English. 

Did you provide the following?

• For a refugee travel document:
  • A copy of an official photo identity document
  • Proof of refugee or asylee status
  • A statement explaining the reason for a “yes” response to any question in Part 6
  • If outside the United States, submit:
    • Two identical color passport-style photographs of yourself taken within 30 days of filing this application;
    • Evidence of your last date of departure from the United States, if available (such as airline tickets, boarding passes, etc.);
    • A statement explaining:
      1. The purpose of your trip outside the United States. Include documentary evidence to support your reasons for departure from the United States, if available;
      2. The reason you departed the United States without first applying for a refugee travel document;
      3. A description of where you have traveled since your departure from the United States;
      4. Your activities while outside the United States; and
      5. An explanation of whether you intended to abandon your refugee or asylum status at the time you left the United States; and
    • Fee receipt as proof you have paid the applicable filing fee(s) for the application at the U.S. embassy or consulate with jurisdiction over your location abroad.
• For a reentry permit:
  • A copy of an official photo identity document 
  • Evidence that you are a lawful permanent resident:
    • A copy of the front and back of your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card or a Form I-551);
    • A copy of the biographic pages of your passport and a copy of the visa page showing your initial admission as a lawful permanent resident; 
    • A copy of the Form I-797, Notice of Action, approval notice of your application to replace your Permanent Resident Card (also known as a Green Card or a Form I-551); or
    • Temporary evidence of lawful permanent resident status.
  • Certified English translations of non-English documents (if applicable)
• For an advance parole document for individuals who are currently in the United States:
  • A copy of an official photo identity document
  • Two identical passport-style photographs of yourself taken within 30 days of the filing of this application
  • A copy of any document showing your current status in the United States 
  • Evidence that your trip is for educational, employment, or humanitarian purposes 
  • An explanation or other evidence showing the circumstances that warrant issuance of an advance parole document
  • If you are an applicant for adjustment of status, a copy of a USCIS receipt as evidence that you filed the adjustment application
  •  If you are traveling to Canada to apply for an immigrant visa, a copy of the U.S. consular appointment letter

• For advance parole for someone outside the United States (for urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit):
  • A copy of a photo identity document for beneficiary, petitioner, and sponsor
  • A copy of the beneficiary’s passport identity page
  • A description of the urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reason, including documentation of a need for expedited handling, and the length of time for which the beneficiary needs parole
  • A completed Form I-134 with appropriate documentation as described in the form instructions
  • A statement explaining why the beneficiary cannot obtain a U.S. visa (if applicable)
  • A statement explaining why the beneficiary cannot obtain a waiver of inadmissibility (if applicable)
  • A copy of any decision on immigrant/nonimmigrant applications or petitions

NOTE: Read more information about the types of evidence that may be relevant to specific parole requests on our Humanitarian Parole webpage. 

To receive an e-Notification when we have received your Form I-131, complete Form G-1145, E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance, and clip it to the front of your application.

Note: The new form edition has 2D barcode technology to help us collect information quickly and accurately. As you complete the form electronically, the barcode stores your information.

Depending on which internet browser you use, the barcode may not be visible when you open the form. We will process all forms with or without a barcode at the bottom of the page.