USCIS to Introduce Updated Forms I-539 and I-765 with No Grace Period
USCIS will release revised versions of Form I-539 and Form I-765 on September 15, 2026, to comply with a new final rule. Older editions will be rejected from that date, with no grace period allowed.
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that it will publish updated versions of two key immigration forms-Form I-539 and Form I-765-on September 15, 2026. The revisions align with the recently finalized rule establishing fixed admission periods and extension procedures for nonimmigrant academic students, exchange visitors, and foreign media representatives. The agency has stated that no grace period will be granted for the transition to the new forms, emphasizing their necessity for implementing the rule's provisions. ## Strict Deadline for Form Submissions The new editions, dated 09/15/26, will replace the current versions: the 08/28/24 edition of Form I-539 and the 08/21/25 edition of Form I-765. USCIS has clarified that it will only accept the updated forms if they are postmarked or submitted electronically on or after September 15, 2026. To assist applicants, preview versions of the revised forms and their instructions are available on the USCIS website, but filers must wait until the official release date to submit them. ## Rejection of Older Form Versions Applicants using the older editions of these forms must ensure their submissions are postmarked or electronically filed before September 15, 2026. Any submissions of the outdated forms on or after that date will be rejected. For Form I-539, the 08/28/24 edition will be accepted only if submitted before the cutoff date, while the 09/15/26 edition will be the sole acceptable version afterward. Similarly, the 08/21/25 edition of Form I-765 will be valid only if filed before September 15, 2026, with the updated version required for all subsequent submissions. ## Compliance with New Regulations The changes to these forms are directly tied to the implementation of the final rule, which introduces standardized admission periods and extension procedures for certain nonimmigrant categories. USCIS has emphasized that the lack of a grace period reflects the critical need for the revised forms to ensure compliance with the new regulations. Applicants are advised to review the preview versions of the forms and instructions to prepare for the transition and avoid submission errors.
