Advance parole approved
Background
Mr. X was in the U.S. on F-1 status, working on STEM OPT. His spouse is a U.S. green card holder. The couple asked us to file the I-130 family petition, I-485 adjustment of status, I-765 work permit and I-131 advance parole together from within the U.S.
Challenges
- After the package was mailed, something went wrong with the fee payment. The green card application and the other main forms resumed processing once the fees were made up, but USCIS rejected the advance parole application outright, so it had to be filed again.
- While an I-485 is pending, leaving the U.S. without advance parole is treated as abandoning the green card application. If the rejected advance parole were not replaced in time, Mr. X would be stuck in the country for the year or two it takes to get the green card.
- The refiled advance parole had to be matched precisely to the green card case already in process, to avoid a second rejection or a slowdown.
Strategy
- We responded as soon as the rejection notice arrived.
- A separate refiling is different from the original joint filing: the advance parole no longer travels in the same package as the green card application, so USCIS cannot link the two automatically. We added the original and updated I-485 receipts to the refiling and wrote the I-485 receipt number into the application, so the officer could tie this I-131 to the pending green card case. Without that step, the advance parole could easily have been denied.
- We followed the biometrics appointment and every later step to keep the advance parole on track despite the earlier rejection.
Case Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| July 28, 2026 | USCIS received the full family-based filing |
| August 6, 2026 | Advance parole rejected over the fee issue; green card application resumed after fees were made up |
| August 19, 2026 | Advance parole refiled separately and accepted |
| September 9, 2026 | Biometrics completed |
| October 2026 | Advance parole approved |
Closing Note
A rejection is not the end of the world. The real risk is when nobody catches it and fixes it in time. We pinned down the problem right away and refiled quickly, so Mr. X can travel in and out of the U.S. while his green card is pending. With advance parole in hand, he and his wife can finally set off on their honeymoon.
A Practical Reminder
If you use Form G-1650 to let USCIS debit your bank account, watch two things:
- Check every digit of the bank account and routing numbers carefully.
- Make sure the account balance is at least the government filing fee before USCIS attempts the debit.
If the debit fails, the application will be rejected or returned, and you lose valuable time.
Outcome
Advance parole refiled separately within 13 days of the fee rejection and approved in October 2026.