Will USCIS reject my I-131?

Requests permission to travel — advance parole (to re-enter while a green card application is pending), a reentry permit, or a refugee travel document. USCIS returns rejected packages unprocessed — and the $630 paper filing fee (Advance parole / travel authorization) is generally non-refundable. Answer 12 quick yes/no questions about your completed I-131 and see where your rejection risk is.

All 12 checks in the Form I-131 rejection quiz

Every question maps to a documented USCIS filing problem for Form I-131 — pulled from the form's own instructions and USCIS guidance: the current 01/20/25 edition requirement, each signature block, blank-field rules, date format and consistency, the exact filing fee, and the specific problems those instructions name for I-131. Here is the full list; open any one to see what USCIS does about it.

1. Did you confirm the edition date printed at the bottom of every page of your I-131 is 01/20/25 — the current edition on uscis.gov?

   Form edition risk

   The current edition of Form I-131 is 01/20/25. The date is printed at the bottom of every page and every page you file must come from that same edition; USCIS rejects filings made on a superseded edition.

2. Has the applicant signed and dated Part 10 by hand — not typed, not stamped?

   Signature risk

   Part 10 — Applicant: Statement, contact information, certification, and signature (Items 1-4). Sign and date; guardian rules apply for incompetent persons. Unsigned or invalid signature = REJECTED. As of the 07/10/2026 signature rule, an invalid signature can be DENIED (filing fee kept, no chance to cure), not merely rejected. A typed name, a cursive or script font, or a digital/e-signature image (e.g., DocuSign) is invalid on a paper filing; only a handwritten ink signature, or a scan/photocopy/fax of one, counts. E-signatures are valid only when captured in a USCIS online account during online filing.

3. Is Part 1 (Items 1-12) — Application type — fully completed?

   Blank / incomplete fields risk

   Form I-131, Part 1, Items 1-12: Application type — select the ONE item matching the document requested: reentry permit, refugee travel document, TPS travel authorization (Item 4), advance parole for someone in the U.S. (Item 5), parole for someone outside the U.S. (Item 6), parole in place (Items 7-8), or re-parole (Items 10-11, with 12).

4. Do the dates on your form match your supporting documents exactly — especially departure/travel dates vs processing reality and current status / parole expiration dates?

   Date & consistency risk

   The date fields that most often cause problems on I-131: Departure/travel dates vs processing reality — Traveling before advance parole is approved can abandon a pending I-485. Current status / parole expiration dates — Re-parole requests filed from outside the U.S. may be rejected or denied.

5. Have you confirmed your exact I-131 filing fee ($580 online / $630 paper for the general category) against the current USCIS G-1055 schedule for YOUR filing category?

   Filing fee risk

   I-131 costs $580 online / $630 paper — Advance parole / travel authorization. Separately, Pub. L. 119-21 charges an Immigration Parole Fee of $1,050 (FY 2027 amount, for parole granted on or after Oct. 16, 2026) each time DHS grants parole — collected by CBP at the port of entry when you return on advance parole, or by USCIS before it approves parole in place or re-parole. It is never paid with the I-131 itself. It cannot be waived. Applicants with a pending Form I-485 who return from temporary travel abroad are exempt, as are a few narrow emergency and humanitarian categories, and CBP decides at the border whether an exception applies. Taken from USCIS Form G-1055, fee-schedule edition 10/07/26. The wrong amount gets the package returned, and filing fees are generally non-refundable.

6. Have you ruled out this known I-131 filing problem: “Duplicate I-131 filed for the same application type and beneficiary — USCIS may reject, deny, or treat as withdrawn”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-131 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

7. Have you ruled out this known I-131 filing problem: “Wrong application type selected in Part 1 (advance parole vs reentry permit vs refugee travel document vs parole)”?

   Missing evidence risk

   Named in the Form I-131 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

8. Have you ruled out this known I-131 filing problem: “Advance parole requested with no qualifying pending application (e.g., no pending I-485)”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-131 instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

9. If you used an interpreter, did they complete, sign, and date Part 11? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

   Signature risk

   Part 11 — Interpreter (if used): Interpreter completes, signs, and dates. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

10. If someone else prepared your form, did they complete, sign, and date Part 12? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

    Signature risk

    Part 12 — Preparer (if other than applicant): Preparer signs; stamped/typewritten names not acceptable. A typed name or a digital/e-signature is not a valid ink signature on a paper filing. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

11. Have you answered every question on the form, writing "N/A" or "None" instead of leaving any required field blank?

    Blank / incomplete fields risk

    Leaving a required field blank instead of writing "N/A" or "None" is one of the most common reasons USCIS returns a package unprocessed.

12. Is every date on your I-131 written in mm/dd/yyyy format?

    Date & consistency risk

    USCIS expects dates on Form I-131 in mm/dd/yyyy format. A day-first date (common outside the U.S.) reads as a different date to an intake officer.

Your answers stay in your browser. The result names the risk areas flagged by your answers — to see the specific problems on your actual form, upload it to FormGuard: the issue count is free, and $39 unlocks the full line-by-line report on your completed I-131. (A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.)

Form I-131 rejection — frequently asked questions

Will USCIS reject my I-131 for a missing signature?

Yes — and it can be worse than a rejection. An unsigned I-131, or one signed with a typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output such as DocuSign, is not validly signed; only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — counts on a paper filing, and an electronic signature counts only when captured through a USCIS online account during online filing. Under the DHS signature rule effective 07/10/2026, an invalid signature on a paper filing can be denied outright: USCIS keeps the filing fee and there is no opportunity to cure. I-131 has 4 signature blocks to verify before you file.

Will USCIS reject my I-131 if I use an old edition?

Yes. USCIS accepts only the current edition of I-131 — dated 01/20/25, printed at the bottom of every page — and rejects superseded editions. Download a fresh copy from uscis.gov right before you file.

Does USCIS refund the filing fee if my I-131 is rejected?

Generally no. USCIS returns the package unprocessed and keeps no place in line, and the $630 paper filing fee (Advance parole / travel authorization) is generally non-refundable — you fix the error, pay again, and lose weeks or months. That is why checking before you file matters.

How accurate is this I-131 rejection quiz?

The quiz flags which RISK AREAS need attention based on your own answers about the most common USCIS filing problems for I-131 — it cannot see your actual form. For a line-by-line review of your completed I-131 against these requirements, upload it to FormGuard: it reads the form itself and shows you the issue count free, and $39 unlocks the full report. A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.

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