USCIS to Reject Older Form I-485 Editions Starting September 18: No Grace Period Given

1. When does the new Form I-485 edition take effect?

September 18, 2026. USCIS will only accept the 09/18/26 edition if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after that date.

2. Is there a grace period to keep using the old form after September 18?

No. USCIS has stated there is no grace period. The 01/20/25 edition will be rejected if postmarked or submitted on or after September 18, 2026, regardless of when the application was actually prepared.

3. Can I file the new 09/18/26 edition early, before September 18?

No. USCIS has explicitly instructed applicants not to file the 09/18/26 edition before September 18, 2026.

4. Why is USCIS revising Form I-485 now?

The revision aligns the form with the Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility Final Rule, which also takes effect September 18, 2026, and significantly broadens which government benefits count against an applicant.

5. What is the biggest change on the new form?

Most changes are concentrated in Part 9. USCIS has combined two separate public benefit questions into one broader question, "Have you ever received any means-tested public benefit?", and consolidated two disclosure tables into one with a new free-text "Reason" field.

6. Has USCIS removed any guidance from the form instructions?

Yes. Detailed explanatory pages that previously described which benefits counted for public charge purposes, who counted as household members, and relevant regulatory citations have been removed from the preview instructions. Applicants are now directed to USCIS's online public charge guidance instead.