Breaking: Old Form I-864 for Family-Based Immigration Became Invalid Immediately on August 31

⚠️ Family-based immigration applicants, take note! Form I-864 has been updated, and the old edition became invalid immediately after August 31.

If you’re applying for family-based immigration or a marriage-based green card, this is something you definitely need to know.

USCIS officially updated Form I-864, Affidavit of Support, on August 31, 2026. As shown in Figure 2, the USCIS email notification indicates that the updated form was posted at 4:33 PM Eastern Time on August 31, and USCIS stated that the old edition would become invalid effective that same day.

Continuing to use the old 10/17/24 edition may result in the application being rejected and could delay processing.

⚠️ Important: No Grace Period!

There is NO grace period and NO transition period.

Starting August 31, 2026, USCIS will only accept the new edition:

I-864 Edition Date: 08/24/26

(See Figure 3: USCIS official website)

If your I-864 is mailed (postmarked) or electronically submitted on or after August 31, 2026, and you continue to use the old 10/17/24 edition, USCIS has explicitly stated that it will not accept or process the form.

So, if you are filing a marriage-based green card, family-based immigration case, or another case requiring Form I-864:

📌 Already completed the I-864 but haven’t mailed it yet? — Don’t send it just yet!

Be sure to check the Edition Date in the bottom-left corner of the form.

Forms updated this time include:

Form I-864

Form I-864A

Form I-864EZ

There is also another important change in the new I-864:

The updated form includes a privacy release authorization, allowing USCIS to obtain information from one or more consumer reporting agencies to evaluate whether the financial sponsorship under Form I-864 is sufficient.

This change is intended, in part, to help USCIS verify financial information submitted by sponsors. It also ties into the updated Form I-485 and the public charge review process taking effect September 18. The I-485 and I-864 changes are designed to work together when evaluating the applicant’s public charge factors and the sponsor’s financial ability. See our separate post on the updated I-485.

⚠️ If the sponsor has placed a credit freeze or security freeze on their consumer/credit report, pay special attention, as this could potentially affect USCIS’s ability to obtain the relevant information.

One important clarification:

This does NOT mean that all previously filed old-version I-864 forms have suddenly become invalid.

Rather:

Starting August 31, newly submitted I-864 forms have NO grace period for the old edition. You must use the new 08/24/26 edition.

If you are preparing to file a marriage-based green card, parent immigration case, or another family-based immigration case requiring Form I-864, make sure to double-check the form edition before filing.

Using an outdated form could result in the case being rejected and unnecessary delays.

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