G-28 Notice of Entry of Appearance Edition Date 2026: Are You Filing the Right Version?

What the G-28 Does — and Why the Edition Date Matters

Form G-28, officially titled Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative, authorizes a legal representative to appear before U.S. immigration agencies on behalf of an applicant, petitioner, or respondent. An attorney or accredited representative appearing before DHS must file Form G-28 in each case.

USCIS, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will only recognize a properly completed Form G-28 that was signed by the attorney or accredited representative and the client. Without a properly executed G-28 in a given case, USCIS (or other DHS bodies) may refuse to recognize your representation, meaning you might not receive key notices or be allowed to act for your client.

Every USCIS form includes an edition date printed at the bottom of each page. The edition date determines whether the form version is still valid. Filing a form on an outdated edition is a genuine rejection trigger — USCIS treats it as a filing defect and will not process the underlying case on that G-28.

The Current G-28 Edition Date and How to Verify It

The current edition date for the G-28 is 02/27/26. Starting April 1, 2026, USCIS accepts only the 02/27/26 edition. Until that transition deadline, the 01/20/25 edition was also accepted. If you're filing on or after April 1, 2026 — which you are, given today's date of August 4, 2026 — the 02/27/26 edition is the only acceptable version.

Don't trust a saved PDF on your desktop, a third-party form filler, or a version your office downloaded several months ago. Always download the form fresh from uscis.gov — the USCIS G-28 page was last reviewed on 06/03/2026. The edition date is located at the bottom of the page on both the form and the instructions.

If you complete and print the form to mail it, make sure that the form edition date and page numbers are visible at the bottom of all pages. If any of the form's pages are missing or are from a different form edition, USCIS may reject your form. The edition date must match across all pages, and all pages must be from the same edition. If a page is from a different edition, the form can be rejected.

Edition Date Comparison: What USCIS Accepts in 2026

The table below summarizes the G-28 edition window relevant to filers today, alongside two other commonly co-filed forms for quick reference. Acceptance windows are drawn from the USCIS Forms Updates page (uscis.gov/forms/forms-updates).

Check uscis.gov/forms/forms-updates before every filing. USCIS updates edition requirements with limited advance notice, and enforcement typically begins on a hard calendar date — not a rolling window.

Signature Rules for G-28: What Changed July 10, 2026

The G-28 has always required both the representative's and the client's signatures. But a major rule change now dramatically raises the stakes for getting that signature wrong. On May 11, 2026, DHS published an interim final rule (IFR) titled "Signatures on Immigration Benefit Requests." The rule became effective July 10, 2026, and amends 8 C.F.R. § 103.2(a)(7)(ii)(A) to give USCIS adjudicators explicit discretionary authority to either reject or deny a benefit request that the agency later determines was filed without a valid signature, even where the filing cleared intake at the USCIS Lockbox.

Before this rule, a signature problem typically meant rejection and a refund of your filing fee. Now, the outcome can be worse. A rejection means the filing fee is returned and the petitioner may refile the case. A denial means the filing fee is retained, the case is treated as fully adjudicated against the petitioner, and the only path forward is either an appeal on Form I-290B or a new filing with a new fee. Under the new rule, that choice belongs to the USCIS adjudicator. There is no cure mechanism.

For paper-filed G-28s, only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid. For Form G-28, USCIS will consider a photocopied, faxed, or scanned copy of the original handwritten signature valid for filing purposes. Typed names, cursive fonts, signature stamps, and e-signature software output such as DocuSign are not valid for paper filings. Electronic signatures are only valid when captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

The signature rule changes are reflected in USCIS Policy Manual updates under Volume 7, Part A, Chapter 3 (Filing Instructions) — specifically, DHS published an interim final rule on May 11, 2026 to clarify USCIS procedures relating to the rejection or denial of benefit requests that do not meet regulatory requirements to ensure better enforcement of signature requirements. See 91 FR 25479 (May 11, 2026).

Who Can File a G-28 — and the Paralegal Designation Proposal You Need to Know About

Form G-28 is used only by attorneys and accredited representatives as defined in 8 CFR parts 1.2 and 1292. A representative is an attorney or accredited representative — or law student or law graduate supervised by the attorney or accredited representative — designated on a properly executed notice of entry of appearance. Per USCIS Policy Manual Vol. 1, Part D, Chapter 2 (Representation), this is the authoritative framework governing who may appear on a G-28.

Attorneys not licensed to practice law in the United States must use Form G-28I, Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney in Matters Outside the Geographical Confines of the United States. Such attorneys may only represent individuals in matters filed and adjudicated in DHS offices outside the United States.

Paralegals are not independently permitted to file Form G-28. However, there's an active structural change in progress that legal teams should monitor: a proposed revision to Form G-28 would remove individuals' ability to designate a paralegal to communicate about their immigration cases. The proposal was published July 25, 2025. USCIS announced an additional thirty days for public comments, with comments accepted until January 12, 2026. As of this writing, USCIS has not published a final rule implementing this removal, but legal teams that rely on the paralegal designation field should watch the USCIS forms-updates page for any new G-28 edition that removes it.

Where to File the G-28 and What Happens After Submission

File Form G-28 with the related application, petition, or appeal. Ensure you file to the same USCIS office that handles the underlying case. If your case is already pending at a certain field office or service center, the G-28 must go to that office. If you file online through myUSCIS, USCIS accepts electronic submission through the myUSCIS account portal, where attorneys and accredited representatives can link their accounts to clients' cases, receive electronic notifications, and upload supporting documentation.

There is no filing fee for Form G-28. USCIS, CBP, and ICE will recognize Form G-28 until the conclusion of the matter for which it is entered, unless otherwise notified. You must file a new Form G-28 with the Administrative Appeals Office if you are filing Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion. Likewise, for matters before the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA), use Form EOIR-27 instead of Form G-28.

If representation changes mid-case, if you later change representatives, or the attorney's address changes, file a new G-28 or submit a change-of-address for your representation status. USCIS does not automatically update representation — a new G-28 on the current edition is required.

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