Understanding I-131 Edition Date Requirements for USCIS Filings

(UNITED STATES) The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has set a firm deadline for the latest Form I-131, with the agency confirming that only the 01/20/25 edition will be accepted for any USCIS filing postmarked on or after April 4, 2025. Applicants who mail earlier editions after that date should expect a rejection. The change affects people seeking advance parole, reentry permits, refugee travel documents, and certain parole-related travel and arrival/departure records. The update follows months of policy adjustments and public debate, and it carries practical consequences for families, employers, humanitarian parole applicants, and permanent residents who need to travel.

USCIS had first released the new version—the 01/20/25 edition—effective immediately on January 20, 2025. After public outcry and a lawsuit filed by the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), the agency introduced a short grace period. That window ended on April 4, 2025, after which the I-131 edition date rule shifted to a hard requirement. USCIS also clarified that all pages of the form must come from the same edition and display the I-131 edition date at the bottom, or the package may be rejected at intake.

Major form changes and policy rationale

The 01/20/25 edition carries notable changes in demographic fields. Most prominently, it asks for the applicant’s “sex at birth,” with only “M” or “F” permitted. The form removes the “X” gender marker option and replaces the term “gender” with “sex” throughout.

According to USCIS, these changes align with Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which directs federal agencies to use “immutable biological” sex on government-issued documents. The order, issued during the Biden administration, has led to updates across several immigration forms and processes.

These revisions have real effects for people whose identity documents use a non-binary marker or reflect a gender transition. Community advocates warn that applicants may feel forced to choose answers that do not match current identity documents, while attorneys stress that failing to match the requested field could lead to intake problems. USCIS has not created an “X” alternative on this edition, and applicants should prepare how they will complete the question to avoid delays.

Recent edition history and practical impact

The I-131 edition date has shifted more than once. An earlier 06/17/24 edition took effect in October 2024 and replaced the April 1, 2024 version. That 06/17/24 edition was longer and requested more biographical data, a direction USCIS maintained and expanded with the 01/20/25 edition. VisaVerge.com reports that the early 2025 release initially surprised many legal service providers who had stocked older forms or programmed templates that couldn’t be updated overnight.

USCIS emphasizes that the I-131 edition date is not a suggestion—it is a strict filing rule for acceptance at the lockbox or service center stage. If a package arrives postmarked on or after April 4, 2025 with a prior edition, intake staff are directed to reject it. That creates time-sensitive risk for people with urgent travel plans, parole document needs, or pending adjustment cases where advance parole is important to avoid abandoning an application.

The form’s title now reads “Application for Travel Documents, Parole Documents, and Arrival/Departure Records.” The broader wording reflects how USCIS has consolidated travel document functions under one label while also expanding data collection fields. The agency states that these changes help align with cross-agency vetting goals and identity standards. For applicants, that means more detailed responses, more careful review, and a higher chance that small mistakes trigger rejections or Requests for Evidence.

Filing options, receipts, and fees

Applicants may file certain categories of Form I-131 online after creating a USCIS account, or they may file by mail. USCIS issues a receipt notice once it accepts a submission. While online filing can reduce mailing delays and help with deadline pressure, it is not available for every I-131 path. People should confirm whether their category supports online filing before they start, and they should keep screenshots or download confirmations for their records.

In addition to the I-131 edition date cutoff, USCIS has set a new fee schedule for many forms. The agency says the new fees apply to benefit requests postmarked on or after July 22, 2025. Applications that do not include the correct fees after that date will be rejected. For I-131 filers, that means two separate compliance checks:

1. Use the proper edition (01/20/25) for postmarks on/after April 4, 2025.
2. Include the correct fee amount based on the filing date—new fees on/after July 22, 2025.

Without both, the application does not pass intake.

Policy context and debate

The current I-131 rules sit within a larger policy framework. USCIS points to Executive Order 14168 as the basis for changing gender-related fields to sex-at-birth terminology and removing the “X” marker. Federal agencies under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of State (DOS) have been aligning forms and identity standards to reflect that order.

In parallel, the government has discussed tighter identity verification and enhanced vetting, including proposals to collect social media identifiers on certain applications. While USCIS has not added a social media field to the 01/20/25 edition of Form I-131, the public should expect future shifts as different agencies synchronize standards.

This policy direction reverses earlier moves that allowed broader gender marker choices in some federal contexts and has stirred strong reactions:

• Supporters argue that consistent sex-at-birth fields reduce confusion and fraud risk.
• Critics say the approach excludes people who are transgender or non-binary and can put them in difficult situations when immigration status and travel needs are stressful.

Immigration attorneys add that frequent edition changes challenge community clinics, local nonprofits, and family-based filers who might not have immediate access to the latest forms.

Practical consequences for applicants and stakeholders

The filing rules affect a wide range of people:

• Advance parole applicants with pending adjustment of status rely on I-131 to travel abroad without abandoning their green card process.
• Refugees and asylees use I-131 for refugee travel documents.
• Permanent residents apply for reentry permits for extended absences.
• Humanitarian parole applicants and sponsors use it for travel and status documentation.

Transgender and non-binary applicants face extra hurdles because of the sex-at-birth field and the removal of the “X” marker. Community advocates say this can be painful and confusing, especially where state or foreign IDs show a different marker. Attorneys recommend keeping copies of all identity documents and, if needed, including explanations in a cover letter that match the language of the form.

Employers who sponsor workers should review travel plans against both the I-131 edition date rule and the July 22, 2025 fee effective date. Missing either can cancel a trip, affect project timelines, and create avoidable stress for the employee.

Nonprofits and community clinics that assist applicants often print forms in bulk. With the 01/20/25 edition required after April 4, 2025, stockpiled packets must be discarded or repurposed for education only. Groups working with limited budgets feel the cost of reprinting and retraining volunteers.

Attorneys report a sharp uptick in intake rejections when a new I-131 edition takes effect. Common reasons include:

• Mixing pages from different editions
• Missing the date footer on a printed page
• Mailing insufficient fees tied to the wrong schedule

Each rejection delays a receipt notice, pushing back biometrics or travel planning. These avoidable errors are especially painful for people coordinating school schedules, medical appointments, or end-of-life visits.

Implementation timeline — key dates

• January 20, 2025: USCIS released the 01/20/25 edition (effective immediately).
• April 4, 2025: Deadline — only the 01/20/25 edition accepted for filings postmarked on/after this date.
• October 11, 2024: Earlier 06/17/24 edition had replaced the April 1, 2024 version.
• July 22, 2025: New fee schedule applies to filings postmarked on/after this date.

Because edition and fee changes are on different schedules, filers must track both calendars carefully.

Printing, packaging, and intake compliance — practical tips

USCIS requires all pages to be from the same edition and to display the edition date in the footer. Mixing pages or having a missing footer due to printing scale can trigger rejection. Keep these steps in mind:

• Download the current Form I-131 directly from the USCIS Form I-131 page the same day you will file.
• Confirm the I-131 edition date on the bottom of every page reads 01/20/25.
• Print single-sided and at 100% scale to avoid cutting off the footer.
• Avoid mixing pages from different editions or slipping an older signature page into a packet.
• Use tracked mail and keep the receipt showing the postmark date.
• If your category supports online filing, consider submitting online to remove postal timing risks.
• Check fee amounts against the filing date—especially near July 22, 2025.
• For applicants with non-binary or changed markers, plan how to answer the sex-at-birth field and keep consistent records.

“Don’t assume the version from last month is still good,” one legal aid director said. Analysts recommend a same-day download of the 01/20/25 edition and a quick check that the date prints on every page.

What to do if you need help

• Create a USCIS online account when possible to receive messages, upload responses for certain requests, and track case movement.
• Consider consulting an immigration attorney if you cannot afford delays—legal guidance can prevent rejections that cost months.
• Use community legal aid clinics or nonprofits for reduced-fee help; ask how they keep forms current and whether they updated I-131 packets since January 2025.

USCIS maintains an official page for Form I-131, where the current PDF, instructions, and online filing options are available. Applicants can access it through the USCIS Form I-131 page. For general questions, the USCIS Contact Center operates at 1-800-375-5283, although case-specific advice is limited without a filed application and receipt number.

Quick reference checklist — what matters most now

• Use the 01/20/25 edition for any filing postmarked on or after April 4, 2025.
• Ensure every page shows the same I-131 edition date in the footer.
• Do not mix pages from different editions.
• Include the correct fee for the postmark date; new fees apply on/after July 22, 2025.
• Consider online filing where available, or use tracked mail to control postmark timing.
• Prepare for the sex-at-birth question, which only allows “M” or “F.”

No matter the policy debates, the enforceable rule for an I-131 USCIS filing today is simple: use the 01/20/25 edition and match fees to the postmark date. Filers who match the correct edition with accurate fees, clear answers, and documented postmarks will give themselves the best chance at a smooth intake and faster travel planning.

If future updates introduce new questions—like social media fields—expect USCIS to set fresh edition dates with defined cutoffs. Watch for agency alerts and verify current forms right before you file. For now, the 01/20/25 edition is the standard for any I-131 sent after April 4, 2025, and the fee change on July 22, 2025 is the next key date to mark on your calendar.