Advance parole · Refugee travel documents · Reentry permits
Leaving is easy. Coming back is the part to plan.
We prepare travel documents for people with pending green card and asylum cases, TPS holders, refugees, asylees, and permanent residents, and we review the risk of each trip before you book it.
The travel rules changed in August 2026. The Board of Immigration Appeals now holds that leaving on advance parole is a departure that can trigger the unlawful presence bars, so an approved document no longer settles whether a trip is safe.
Which document
Three travel documents, three different jobs.
All three are requested on Form I-131. Which one you need depends on your status, not on where you are going.
Advance parole
For people with a pending green card application, a pending asylum application, and some others without a visa to return on. Without it, leaving usually abandons the pending application.
Refugee travel document
For people granted refugee or asylum status, and permanent residents who got their green card through that status. It is valid for up to one year and cannot be extended.
Reentry permit
For permanent residents planning a long absence. It is generally valid for up to two years, must be filed while you are in the United States, and helps show you did not abandon your residence.
The August 2026 change
An approved document is not the same as a safe trip.
In Matter of Delcarmen-Lara (BIA 2026), the Board held that leaving the United States on advance parole is a departure under the unlawful presence bar. It overruled the 2012 decision many travelers relied on.
If you ever spent more than 180 days in the United States without lawful status, do not travel on advance parole until a lawyer has reviewed your history. The trip itself can now trigger a three- or ten-year bar.
- Past unlawful presence. The bars apply only to people who built up unlawful presence before leaving, and the law has exceptions, including time under age 18.
- Removal proceedings. If you are in immigration court, leaving the country abandons a pending green card application even with advance parole.
- A later denial. If your green card application is denied after you return on advance parole, you are treated as an applicant for admission.
- Asylum cases. Returning to the country you fear is presumed to abandon asylum, withholding, and torture protection unless you show compelling reasons.
- Past trips. The Board applied its new rule only going forward, but did not say earlier trips are safe. See our full analysis of the ruling.
Rules by situation
Your status decides the rules for your trip.
The same trip can be routine for one person and dangerous for another. These are the rules we check first.
Form I-485 on file
- Leaving without advance parole is normally treated as abandoning the application.
- People who keep valid H-1B, L-1, H-4, L-2, K-3, K-4, or V status can usually travel on their visa instead, if they still qualify for it.
- A work permit alone does not authorize travel.
Form I-589 on file
- Leaving without advance parole is presumed to abandon the asylum application.
- Traveling to the country you fear is presumed to abandon the whole case unless you show compelling reasons.
- Many asylum applicants should not travel at all while the case is pending.
Temporary Protected Status
- TPS does not by itself permit travel abroad; you need DHS's travel authorization first.
- Leaving without it can cost you TPS and lead to court proceedings.
- An authorized trip can matter for a later green card, so plan it with that in mind.
Green card holders
- A green card works for return after an absence of less than one year; longer trips need a reentry permit or a returning resident visa.
- An absence of more than 180 days can make you an applicant for admission at the border.
- Any criminal history, even a pending charge, should be reviewed before you leave. See our post on the 2026 Supreme Court ruling.
How it works
Plan the trip before you buy the ticket.
Travel documents take months, and the risk review comes before the filing.
- 01
We review your history.
Entries, status gaps, any court case or removal order, criminal records, and the purpose and destination of the trip.
- 02
We file Form I-131.
With a green card application or on its own, with evidence of your status and the reason for travel.
- 03
USCIS takes biometrics and decides.
Wait for the approved document before you leave. For a true emergency, an expedited request or an in-person appointment at a USCIS field office may be possible.
- 04
You travel within the dates.
Return before the document expires and carry the original with your passport and proof of your pending case.
- 05
A border officer inspects you.
Parole is discretionary. The officer can still ask questions, so bring the documents we prepare with you.
Before you go
What to carry when you travel.
Keep these together in your carry-on, not in checked luggage.
The original travel document
Check that it covers your whole trip and that your name and birth date are correct.
A valid passport
Plus any visa the country you are visiting requires.
Proof of your pending case or status
Receipt notices, your work permit, or your green card, and copies of the key filings.
Court and criminal records
Certified dispositions for any arrest or charge, and any immigration court orders.
If your work permit is your main proof of status, see our work permit page for renewal timing before you leave.
Private two-minute guide
Where should a travel review start?
Answer three general questions. The guide suggests where a first review should start; it does not decide whether a trip is safe or send your answers to the firm.
Official sources
Check the official pages here.
Forms, fees, and processing times change. These are the government pages we check, plus our own guides.
Questions
Short answers about travel documents
General information, not legal advice. Your history decides whether a trip is safe.
What is advance parole?
A USCIS travel document, requested on Form I-131, that lets certain people return to the United States after a trip abroad without a visa. For a pending green card or asylum case, it keeps the trip from abandoning the application.
What changed in 2026?
On August 13, 2026, in Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, the Board of Immigration Appeals held that leaving on advance parole is a departure that can trigger the three- and ten-year unlawful presence bars, overruling Matter of Arrabally and Yerrabelly (2012).
Does the 2026 ruling affect me?
Only if you built up unlawful presence before leaving: more than 180 days for the three-year bar, one year or more for the ten-year bar. If you entered lawfully and kept your status, it may not change your analysis.
Can I travel with just my work permit?
No. A work permit does not authorize travel. USCIS now usually decides the travel document separately, so the work permit often arrives first.
Can I travel while I am in immigration court?
Usually not. If you are in removal proceedings, leaving abandons a pending green card application even with advance parole, and leaving with a removal order can carry out the order.
Can an asylum applicant visit home?
Returning to the country you fear is presumed to abandon asylum, withholding, and torture protection unless you show compelling reasons. Talk to us before planning any trip.
How long can a green card holder stay abroad?
The green card works for return after an absence of less than one year, but an absence over 180 days can make you an applicant for admission. For longer trips, a reentry permit helps protect your residence.
Is there a government fee?
Most applicants pay a USCIS fee for Form I-131. Some people who filed a green card application before April 1, 2024 do not pay separately for advance parole. See our fee guide.
Will advance parole make sure I am let back in?
No. Parole is discretionary, and a border officer still inspects you on return. Most travelers with a clean history return without trouble, but preparation matters.
Travel document help at a glance
- Who we represent
- Green card and asylum applicants, TPS holders, refugees, asylees, and permanent residents in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and elsewhere in the United States.
- Languages
- English and Spanish.
- Main form
- Form I-131, Application for Travel Documents.
- Validity
- Refugee travel document up to 1 year; reentry permit generally up to 2 years; advance parole as stated on the document.
- Government fees
- They depend on the document and change; see our USCIS fee guide.
- Our fees
- Flat fee confirmed in writing after review.
- Office
- 609 W. Hamilton Street, No. 102, Allentown, PA 18101 · (484) 763-4984
Information reviewed against official sources on October 24, 2026: INA § 101(a)(13)(C); 8 C.F.R. §§ 208.8, 211.1(a), 212.5(f), 223.2, 223.3, 244.15, and 245.2(a)(4)(ii); Matter of Delcarmen-Lara, 29 I&N Dec. 830 (BIA 2026); Matter of M-R-I-, 30 I&N Dec. 137 (BIA 2026); USCIS Policy Manual on TPS travel. General information, not legal advice; your history decides the answer.
Reviewed and updated
Next step
Tell us about the trip before you book it.
We review your history and the trip, then tell you in writing whether to travel, what to file, and what to carry.
English and Spanish · Allentown · Pennsylvania · New Jersey · New York · Representation where permitted