Travel While I-485 Is Pending (Marriage Green Card)
If you filed for a marriage-based green card through Adjustment of Status (Form I-485), international travel can carry serious consequences. In some situations, travel is permitted with Advance Parole. In others, leaving the United States can automatically abandon your application or trigger unlawful presence bars.
You generally must obtain Advance Parole before traveling while your I-485 is pending. Leaving without it usually results in automatic abandonment of your application. Even with Advance Parole, travel can be risky if you have prior unlawful presence, misrepresentation, or removal issues.
Adjustment of Status is based on your physical presence in the United States. If you leave before USCIS grants Advance Parole, the agency will treat your departure as abandonment of your I-485.
In addition, departure can trigger or activate certain inadmissibility grounds, including:
Advance Parole is travel authorization issued by USCIS that allows certain applicants to leave the United States temporarily and seek reentry while their green card case is pending.
It is typically requested using Form I-131 and often approved in combination with employment authorization in a “combo card.”
Important: Advance Parole does not guarantee admission. It only allows you to request reentry.
- Accrued unlawful presence before filing
- Prior removal or voluntary departure
- Criminal history concerns
- Potential misrepresentation at entry
- Pending Requests for Evidence or Notice of Intent to Deny
In these cases, travel can convert what appears to be a straightforward marriage case into a waiver case under Form I-601 or Form I-601A.
If you depart the United States without Advance Parole, USCIS may consider your I-485 abandoned. In many cases, you would then have to complete your case through consular processing abroad, which can introduce additional inadmissibility concerns and cause you to be away from your spouse for a year or more, depending on current processing times.
For a broader comparison, see Consular Processing vs. Adjustment of Status.
- Confirm Advance Parole approval in hand
- Review prior entry history carefully
- Assess unlawful presence exposure
- Evaluate criminal and immigration history
- Consider timing relative to biometrics or interview
Even strong marriage cases can encounter complications at reentry if prior immigration issues exist.
Can I travel while my marriage green card is pending?
Only if you receive Advance Parole first. Leaving without it generally results in abandonment of your I-485.
What happens if I leave without Advance Parole?
USCIS will typically deny your Adjustment of Status as abandoned, requiring consular processing abroad.
Does Advance Parole guarantee reentry?
No. It allows you to request admission but does not eliminate inadmissibility concerns.