Can I travel outside the US with DACA?

This is general information, not legal advice.

Can I just get on a plane?

No. DACA does not let you travel on its own. USCIS says you must apply for advance parole with Form I-131 and get it approved before you leave.

If you leave without it, USCIS warns you run "a significant risk" of not being able to come back. Your DACA also stops while you are outside the U.S. And if you come back without being inspected at the border, USCIS may end your DACA.

What reasons does USCIS accept?

USCIS says it will generally give advance parole only for three kinds of trips:

• Humanitarian: getting medical treatment, going to a family member's funeral, or visiting a relative who is very sick.
• Educational: a semester abroad or academic research. The trip must be through a school or program whose main purpose is education, and you must be enrolled in that program.
• Employment: an overseas assignment, a job interview, a conference or training, meetings with clients, or a visa interview for a job your employer is sponsoring.

Vacation is not a valid reason. USCIS decides each request one by one. Strong proof of your reason matters.

How long can I stay away?

Only as long as your advance parole allows, and never past your DACA end date. USCIS will not give advance parole for a period that runs past your DACA. If your DACA ends soon, renew first. You can file for advance parole at the same time as a renewal, but each goes as its own filing.

Is it safe to travel right now?

For many people, it is riskier than before. On August 13, 2026, the Board of Immigration Appeals decided that leaving on advance parole counts as a departure for the unlawful presence bars. The alert on the USCIS Form I-131 page (updated October 7, 2026) says that as of that date, such a trip can trigger the 3 year or 10 year bar for people with more than 180 days of unlawful presence.

That matters if you were in the U.S. without status for more than 180 days after you turned 18 and before you got DACA, or in a gap between DACA grants. More than 180 days but less than a year means a possible 3 year bar. A year or more means a possible 10 year bar. You can still come back on your advance parole, but the bar can block a green card for that time. USCIS policy says the bar period keeps running while you are back in the U.S. (Policy Manual, Vol. 8, Part O, Ch. 6). Round trips completed before August 13, 2026 are generally judged under the old rule. A trip that started before and ended after is less clear. Read Is it safe to travel on DACA advance parole? before you decide.

Can I travel if my first DACA request is still pending?

No. USCIS will not let you ask for advance parole until your DACA is approved. Any trip without permission after August 15, 2012 breaks the "continuous residence" you need for DACA. Right now, first time DACA requests are accepted but not decided, so you cannot get advance parole on a pending first request. See What do I need to apply for DACA the first time?

I have an old deportation order. Can I travel?

Not until a lawyer fixes that first. USCIS warns that if you have a removal order and you leave, you may be treated as deported, even with DACA. A lawyer may need to reopen and close your court case before any trip.

What else do I need for the trip?

• Your advance parole document. USCIS says it may show a parole period of only 1 day. That is normal. It is there to let you back in, and then your DACA picks up again.
• A valid passport from your country. Advance parole does not replace it. You may also need a visa for the country you visit. (Practical tip from Immigrants Rising.)
• Copies of your DACA approval notice and the proof you used for your reason to travel.
• Your lawyer's phone number.

Even with every paper, a border officer decides whether to let you back in.

What does a trip cost?

• Form I-131: $580 online or $630 on paper.
• Parole fee: $1,050, collected by CBP when you are paroled back in. The USCIS fee schedule says it applies each time you seek parole at a port of entry, and there is no fee waiver.
• Your passport, any visa, and the trip itself.

So the government fees alone come to $1,630 online or $1,680 on paper. If money is tight, Mission Asset Fund lists a 0% loan for the $580 online fee for people in California. It does not cover the parole fee.

What does planning a trip look like?

A made up example, not a real case. Daniela has DACA until next June. Her university offers a two week research program in Spain in March.

1. She gets a legal screening first. Her clinic checks her history for unlawful presence after age 18. She had none, because she got DACA at 16 and never had a gap.
2. She checks her dates. Her trip ends well before her DACA does, so advance parole can cover it.
3. She gathers proof: a letter from the program and proof she is enrolled.
4. She files Form I-131 online under Item 5.E and pays $580.
5. She waits for the document before she buys a nonrefundable ticket.
6. She budgets $1,050 for the parole fee when she comes back.

If Daniela had a gap in DACA after age 18 that lasted more than 180 days, her clinic would likely tell her not to go.

Where can I get free help?

Contact them to confirm hours, languages and openings. Being listed here is not a referral or a promise of service.

• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (for low income San Mateo and Santa Clara county residents): (650) 326-6440
• Immigration Institute of the Bay Area, Redwood City office: (650) 587-1558 to book a free first consultation (appointments only, no drop ins).
• Catholic Charities of San Mateo County (for San Mateo County residents): (650) 295-2160
• For Santa Clara County residents: Office of Immigrant Relations partners
• Anywhere in California: the state's map of free immigration legal services, or call (916) 651-8017.

Related questions

• How do I request advance parole?
• Is it safe to travel on DACA advance parole?
• Will traveling on advance parole hurt my green card chances?

Full guide: Is it safe to travel outside the US with DACA right now?