What are the Benefits of Advance Parole?

There are two benefits of advance parole: (1), it enables an alien to return to the U.S. after traveling abroad without the necessity of obtaining a visa; (2), it preserves whatever Adjustment of Status (Form I-485) applications the alien has pending with the USCIS.  When aliens are paroled outside of the U.S., all pending applications, such as the application for adjustment of status, continue to be effective.

Please note that aliens holding valid H-1 (temporary worker in a specialty occupation) or L-1 (intra-company transferee) visas and their dependents who have filed for adjustment of status do not have to file for Advance Parole for the purposes of maintaining their adjustment of status application, as long as their non-immigrant status does not expire before returning to the US. However, in this situation, they will still need a valid H-1 or L-1 visa to come back to the U.S.

For more detailed information on Advance Parole, please visit on one of the following topics:

• Advance Parole
• What are the Benefits of Advance Parole?
• Who is Eligible to Apply for Advance Parole?
• What are the documents and Information needed to apply for Advance Parole?
• What is the Difference between an Advance Parole and a Reentry Permit?
• The H-1B Visa and Advance Parole
• Frequently Asked Questions about Advance Parole
• Attorney Fees and Filing Fees for Advance Parole
• The Impact of Employment-Based Adjustment of Status Filing on H-1 or L-1 Status
• Be Aware of Abandonment of COS and AOS Applications