Traveling Outside the U.S. While Your Immigration Case Is Pending

Can you travel with a pending Form I-485?

Generally, if you have a pending Form I-485 and you leave the United States without an advance parole document, the government deems you to have abandoned your application.

What if I need to leave while my I-485 is pending?

If you need to leave the United States while your adjustment of status is pending, you will need to file and obtain approval of an I-131 Advance Parole Document. You may use this form to apply for a reentry permit, refugee travel document, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) travel authorization document, Advance Parole Document, or advance permission to travel for Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) long-term residents.

If I leave without a travel document, will they reject my application and close my case?

The underlying application (the I-130) can be approved. Once approved, the case moves to the National Visa Center(NVC). The NVC creates your case file, emails you a welcome letter, and sends you a case ID number and an invoice ID. It is IMPERATIVE you keep up with these because this is how you will be able to login and access your application and upload important evidentiary support.