USCIS Alert: New Form Editions for I-485, I-765 and I-539 are Coming Mid-September — Are You Ready?

In just a few weeks, USCIS will release new editions of several commonly filed forms, including Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization), and Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status). Once these new editions become effective, USCIS will reject applications submitted with any previous editions of these forms. Before you file anything on or around that date, it’s worth pausing to double-check which version of the form you’re using.

What an “edition date” actually means

Every USCIS form carries an edition date, printed in the bottom corner of each page (for example, “Edition Date MM/DD/YY”). When USCIS updates a form, it isn’t just cosmetic — the agency may revise the questions asked, the instructions, the required attachments, or even the filing fee structure. USCIS treats the edition date as part of the form itself: filing on an outdated edition is treated the same as filing an incomplete or incorrect form.

Sometimes, once a new edition is published, USCIS allows a grace period during which the prior edition is still accepted. After that window closes, only the current edition will be accepted for filing. But in other cases, there is no grace period provided. For the following new form editions coming in mid-September , there is no grace period.

• Form I-485: the 09/18/26 edition will replace the 01/20/25 edition
• Form I-765: the 09/15/26 edition will replace the 08/28/24 edition
• Form I-539: the 09/15/25 edition will replace the 08/28/24 edition

What happens if you file the wrong edition

If USCIS receives a filing on an expired edition, the outcome is straightforward and unforgiving: rejection. The form is returned without being entered into the system, which means:

• The filing date resets to whenever a corrected submission is received — a serious problem for anything tied to a deadline.
• Any filing fee paid may need to be resubmitted with the corrected package.
• Related filings submitted together (for example, an I-485 filed alongside I-765 and I-131) can be rejected as a package if any one form in the set is on the wrong edition.

Tips to avoid a rejected filing

• Check the edition date on the official USCIS form page immediately before filing
• Confirm the effective date and grace period on the specific form’s USCIS page, since these can differ form-by-form (uscis.gov/forms lists the current edition date and any applicable grace period for each form).
• Watch for companion forms. If you’re filing I-485 with I-765 and/or I-131, verify the edition date on every form in the packet, not just the lead application.

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