I-864 USCIS UPDATES NO GRACE PERIOD-

Important New I-864 Affidavit of Support Forms Effective Immediately

USCIS has issued new versions of Form I-864, Affidavit of Support; Form I-864A, Contract Between Sponsor and Household Member; and Form I-864EZ. The new forms have an edition date of 08/24/26 and were published by USCIS on August 31, 2026.

Most importantly, there is no grace period for using the prior versions of these forms.

Effective August 31, 2026, USCIS and the U.S. Department of State will accept only the 08/24/26 editions of Forms I-864, I-864A, and I-864EZ. The prior 10/17/24 edition should not be used for a filing postmarked or electronically submitted on or after August 31, 2026.

This is especially significant because USCIS announced the change on the same day the new edition became mandatory. As a result, individuals and attorneys who had already prepared cases for filing may need to replace previously completed Affidavits of Support before submitting the case.

What Changed?

The new forms contain an important new authorization relating to a sponsor's consumer or credit information. By signing the new form, the sponsor authorizes USCIS and the Department of State to obtain information from one or more consumer reporting agencies when evaluating the Affidavit of Support.

USCIS also warns sponsors who have placed a credit freeze or security freeze on their consumer reports that the government may be unable to obtain information it considers necessary to evaluate the Affidavit of Support. Sponsors may therefore be asked to promptly release a freeze so the information can be accessed.

The new form also authorizes disclosure of certain information obtained about the sponsor to the sponsored immigrant when disclosure is required to allow the immigrant to respond to potentially negative information used in deciding the immigration case.

What Should Applicants and Sponsors Do?

Anyone preparing an adjustment of status application or immigrant visa case that requires an Affidavit of Support should make sure that the current 08/24/26 edition is being used before the case is filed.

If an I-864, I-864A, or I-864EZ was prepared before August 31, it should be carefully reviewed and, where necessary, replaced with the new edition. Sponsors should also be aware of the new consumer-reporting authorization and should promptly address any request concerning a credit or security freeze. Because USCIS implemented this change without a traditional grace period, applicants with urgent filing deadlines—including cases involving age-outs, priority dates, or other time-sensitive eligibility issues—should take particular care before submitting their applications.

You can check the current Form I-864 and USCIS filing requirements directly on the USCIS website. https://www.uscis.gov/i-864 

This information is general and is not legal advice. Dagher Khraizat Immigration Law Group will continue to monitor this change as USCIS provides additional guidance.