Edition 01/20/25Verified July 2026Not a law firm · Not legal advice

Form I-131 · Part 2, Item 12

I-131 Class of Admission (Part 2, Item 12): What to Enter for a Pending I-485

Q: I entered on the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA). What is my COA?

Your Form I-94 typically shows WT (Visa Waiver tourism) or WB (Visa Waiver business). Enter the code exactly as your I-94 shows it. Separately, note that Visa Waiver entrants are generally restricted on advance parole, so confirm your specific path with an attorney before you rely on this document to travel.

What the “Class of Admission (COA)” field in Part 2, Item 12 wants when you are an adjustment applicant filing for advance parole, and why it is not “(c)(9).”

Quick answer

Enter the code printed on your most recent Form I-94 (your arrival/departure record), the same code you were last admitted or paroled under. If your I-94 reads "COA: B2," you enter "B2"; if it reads "COA: PAR," you enter "PAR." Do not enter "(c)(9)" (that is your Form I-765 work-permit category, not a class of admission) and do not enter your I-485 filing basis. The field is marked "if any," so if you have no I-94, that is an attorney question, not a box to guess.

Summary

Form I-131 Part 2, Item 12 asks for your "Class of Admission (COA) (if any)." You are the applicant, the immigrant spouse inside the United States with a pending Form I-485 (your application to become a lawful permanent resident, a green card holder), and you are filing this I-131 for an Advance Parole Document, which is travel permission while your green card case is pending. Your class of admission is the code that appears on your most recent Form I-94, the arrival/departure record that shows how you were last admitted or paroled. The I-131 Instructions give the example that if your Form I-94 reads "COA: PAR," you enter "PAR." For a marriage-based filer who entered on a visa, it is your entry category (for example B2 for a visitor, F1 for a student, or H1B for a worker). It is not "(c)(9)," which is the eligibility category on your Form I-765 work-permit application, and it is not your I-485 filing basis. If you entered without inspection and have no Form I-94, or you are past your authorized stay and weighing how to file, whether you can adjust status inside the country at all is a legal question for an immigration attorney, not a code to copy.

What it asks	The class-of-admission code from your most recent Form I-94 (arrival/departure record): the category you were last admitted or paroled under. The field is marked "if any."
Where to find it	On your Form I-94. Retrieve it at cbp.gov/i94. It reads "COA:" followed by a short code, for example "COA: B2" or "COA: PAR." Enter only that code.
Typical marriage-AOS answer	The category you last entered on: B2 (visitor), F1 (student), H1B (worker), K1 (fiance), WT/WB (Visa Waiver), or PAR (paroled). Copy it exactly from the I-94.
Not the answer	Not "(c)(9)" (that is your Form I-765 work-permit eligibility category). Not "I-485" or "adjustment of status" (that is your filing basis, entered back in Part 1). Not your visa number.
Attorney territory	Entering without inspection (no I-94, no COA), or being past your authorized stay and deciding how to file, has eligibility consequences. Do not guess. Have an attorney review it.

Who this page is for

This page covers reading your class-of-admission code off your Form I-94 when you are inside the United States with a pending marriage-based Form I-485 and filing this I-131 for advance parole. It does not decide whether you are eligible to adjust status. If you entered without inspection and have no Form I-94, if you are past your authorized stay, or if you are relying on section 245(i) or another special path, whether you can adjust inside the country at all is a legal question with lasting consequences. Consult an immigration attorney before completing this field. That branch is flagged again below.

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What Item 12 looks like on the form

The Class of Admission field sits in Part 2 (Information About You), in the block that advance-parole and parole applicants complete. It is paired with Item 13, your most recent Form I-94 number, because both answers come off the same I-94.

Form I-131, Part 2 (Class of Admission) : Items 12 through 13 as they appear on edition 01/20/25 — Form I-131, Part 2, Item 12. Edition 01/20/25. Source: USCIS.

Verbatim · Form I-131 Instructions, Part 2, Item Number 12 (edition 01/20/25, page 19)
“NOTE: For applicants seeking a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) Travel Authorization Document, Advance Parole, a renewed parole period, or parole in place, you will be required to complete Item Numbers 12. - 15. as instructed below.”
“Item Number 12. Class of Admission (COA) (if any). Please provide your code of admission as found on your Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record. For example, if your Form I-94 reads, “COA: PAR,” then you would enter “PAR” as your class of admission.”

On the form itself, Part 2 gates this block to physically-present applicants seeking advance parole, a TPS travel document, re-parole, or parole in place, then asks for the code and the I-94 number:

Verbatim · Form I-131, Part 2 (edition 01/20/25, page 5)
“If you are physically present in the United States, and you are seeking a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) travel authorization document, advance parole, a renewed period of parole (re-parole), or parole in place, (Part 1., Item Numbers 4., 5., 8., 9., 10., or 11.) complete the following:”
“Class of Admission (COA) (if any)” · “Most Recent Form I-94 Arrival/Departure Record Number (if any)”

Item 12 travels with the I-94 fields right beside it. The instructions describe those companion fields:

Verbatim · Form I-131 Instructions, Part 2, Item Numbers 13.-14. (edition 01/20/25, page 19)
“Item Numbers 13. - 14. Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record (if any). If CBP or USCIS issued you a Form I-94, Arrival/Departure Record, provide your Form I-94 number and date that your authorized period of stay expires or expired (as shown on your Form I-94). The Form I-94 number also is known as the Departure Number on some versions of Form I-94.”

Always complete the current edition from uscis.gov/i-131; USCIS rejects outdated editions.

Which class of admission applies to you

Find how you last entered the United States. Your class of admission is the code your Form I-94 shows for that entry. Copy it exactly.

How you entered	Typical COA code	Note
You entered on a visitor visa (B-1/B-2)	B1 or B2	Whatever your I-94 shows for your most recent entry. Copy the code exactly.
You entered as a student (F-1) or exchange visitor (J-1)	F1 or J1	Your I-94 reflects the nonimmigrant category you were admitted in.
You entered as a worker (H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN, etc.)	H1B, L1, O1, TN, and so on	Use the exact code on your I-94 for your last admission.
You entered on a K-1 fiance visa and married	K1	K-1 entrants adjust after marriage; the I-94 COA stays K1.
You entered under the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA)	WT or WB	WT is Visa Waiver tourism, WB is Visa Waiver business, as shown on your I-94. Note: Visa Waiver entrants are generally limited on advance parole. Confirm your path before filing.
You were paroled into the United States	PAR	The instruction's own example: an I-94 that reads “COA: PAR” means you enter “PAR.”
You have no Form I-94 (for example, entered without inspection)	Attorney question	The field is “if any.” No I-94 means no COA to copy, and it raises whether you can adjust status at all. See the attorney box below.

Where to find your class of admission

The answer is on your Form I-94, not in your memory and not on your visa. Work through these in order.

Pull your most recent Form I-94

Go to cbp.gov/i94 and retrieve your latest arrival/departure record. Advance-parole applicants use the most recent I-94, matching how you last entered or were paroled. The instructions also list Form I-94 as the source for Item 12.

Read the code after “COA:”

The I-94 shows a line that reads “Class of Admission” or “COA:” followed by a short code such as B2, F1, H1B, WT, or PAR. That code is your class of admission. Enter only the code, exactly as printed.

Match your most recent entry

If you have entered the United States more than once, use the COA from your most recent Form I-94, not an older admission. Item 12 is paired with Item 13, the most recent Form I-94 number.

Can't retrieve your I-94?

The instructions note that if you cannot obtain the Form I-94 from the CBP website, it may be obtained by filing Form I-102, Application for Replacement/Initial Nonimmigrant Arrival-Departure Record, with USCIS.

Common wrong choices on this field

Three answers get entered here that do not belong. Each has a specific reason it is wrong.

Entering “(c)(9)”

The code (c)(9) is the eligibility category on Form I-765 (the work-permit application) for someone with a pending adjustment application. It is defined in the employment-authorization rules, not the admission categories, so it is never a class of admission. It does not belong in Item 12. Your COA is the entry code on your Form I-94.

Entering “I-485” or “adjustment of status”

Having a pending I-485 does not give you a class of admission. Your I-485 basis is what you already told USCIS in Part 1 of this form (Item 5.A, a pending Form I-485). Item 12 asks for the code you were last admitted or paroled under, which is on your I-94.

Copying your visa number or visa type verbatim

The COA is the short code on the Form I-94, not your visa foil number and not the long visa description. If your I-94 code and your visa class differ, follow the I-94, because the instruction says to use the code as found on your Form I-94.

What happens if you enter the wrong code

Item 12 is a record-matching field, not a scoring field. A COA that matches your Form I-94 lets the officer line your advance-parole request up with your entry record and your pending I-485. A wrong or invented code (such as “(c)(9)”) does not sink the application by itself, but it can prompt a Request for Evidence (an RFE, a USCIS notice asking you to clarify or correct the field) and slow your travel document. Because the field is marked “if any,” entering “N/A” is correct when you genuinely have no I-94, but no-I-94 situations usually carry eligibility questions you should resolve with an attorney before you file at all.

Stop here if you have no Form I-94 or you are past your authorized stay

If you entered the United States without inspection (no I-94 was created, so there is no class of admission to copy), or you are past the date your stay was authorized and are deciding how to file, the real question is whether you can adjust status inside the country at all. That reaches your green card eligibility, not just this one box, and getting it wrong can be difficult to undo.

This page explains what the field is asking. It does not tell you how to answer it for that situation. An immigration attorney needs to review your facts before you complete this field.

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What USCIS does with your class of admission

USCIS uses your class of admission to confirm how you last entered the country and to line this advance-parole request up with your Form I-94 and your pending I-485. Advance parole is issued to people who are already in a pending process inside the United States, so the officer checks that your COA and I-94 are consistent with the basis you selected in Part 1 (a pending Form I-485). The code is not a test you pass or fail; it is how the systems match your records. When your COA and I-94 agree, the officer can process the travel document without stopping to ask which entry you mean. When they conflict or the field is blank without an “if any” reason, the case can draw an RFE and wait.

Common mistakes

These are the ones that show up most often on this block.

1
Putting “(c)(9)” because that is on the work permit
The (c)(9) code is your Form I-765 employment-authorization category for a pending adjustment applicant. It is not an admission class and does not go in Item 12. Use the code from your Form I-94 instead.
2
Writing “adjustment of status” or “I-485”
A pending I-485 is your reason for advance parole, already captured in Part 1. It is not a class of admission. Item 12 wants your I-94 entry code.
3
Guessing instead of pulling the I-94
The reliable answer is on your Form I-94 at cbp.gov/i94. Read the code after “COA:” rather than reconstructing it from memory or from your visa.
4
Using an old admission code
If you have entered more than once, use the COA from your most recent Form I-94. An outdated code can conflict with the I-94 number you list in Item 13.
5
Leaving it blank when you do have an I-94
If you have an I-94 with a COA, enter it. Reserve “N/A” for the genuine no-I-94 case, and treat that case as an attorney question because of its eligibility implications.

Not sure which code goes in Item 12?

Our software asks a few plain questions about how you entered, pulls the right code for your class of admission, keeps it consistent with the I-94 fields across your I-131 and the rest of your I-130 and I-485 packet, and flags when your entry situation calls for an attorney.

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Form and pathway context

Frequently asked questions

What do I put for Class of Admission on Form I-131 if I have a pending I-485?

Enter the code from your most recent Form I-94, the category you were last admitted or paroled under, for example B2, F1, H1B, WT, or PAR. The I-131 Instructions say to provide the code of admission as found on your Form I-94, and give the example that “COA: PAR” means you enter “PAR.” Having a pending I-485 does not change this field; your I-485 basis was already stated in Part 1.

Is my class of admission “(c)(9)” because that is on my work permit?

No. The code (c)(9) is the eligibility category on Form I-765, the work-permit application, for someone with a pending adjustment application. It is an employment-authorization category, not a class of admission, and it does not belong in Item 12. Your COA is the entry code printed on your Form I-94.

Where do I find my class of admission?

On your most recent Form I-94, the arrival/departure record. Retrieve it at cbp.gov/i94 and read the code after “COA:” or “Class of Admission,” such as B2 or PAR. Enter only that code. If you cannot get the I-94 from the CBP site, the instructions note you may obtain it by filing Form I-102 with USCIS.

I entered on the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA). What is my COA?

Your I-94 typically shows WT (Visa Waiver tourism) or WB (Visa Waiver business). Enter the code exactly as your I-94 shows it. Separately, note that Visa Waiver entrants are generally restricted on advance parole, so confirm your specific path with an attorney before you rely on this document to travel.

I entered without inspection and have no Form I-94. What do I enter?

Stop and get advice before answering. The field is marked “if any,” so there may be no COA to copy, but the deeper issue is that entering without inspection affects whether you can adjust status inside the United States at all. That is a legal question about your eligibility, not a code to guess, and an immigration attorney needs to review your specific facts first.

Key takeaways

✓
Class of Admission (COA) is Part 2, Item 12 on Form I-131. It is the code from your most recent Form I-94, the category you were last admitted or paroled under.
✓
The I-131 Instructions say to use the code as found on your Form I-94, giving the example that “COA: PAR” means you enter “PAR.” Retrieve your I-94 at cbp.gov/i94.
✓
For a marriage-based filer it is your entry code (B2, F1, H1B, K1, WT, PAR, and so on). Copy it exactly.
✓
It is not “(c)(9)” (your Form I-765 work-permit category) and not “I-485” or “adjustment of status” (your filing basis from Part 1).
✓
The field is marked “if any.” Entering without inspection with no I-94, or being past your authorized stay, is an attorney question. Do not guess it on the form.

This page is for educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Green Card Genius is self-help immigration software, not a law firm, and does not provide legal representation. Immigration law and USCIS policy change frequently. For advice on a specific case, consult a licensed immigration attorney. Form I-131, edition 01/20/25. Last verified July 2026.

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