Will USCIS reject my I-539A?

Adds a co-applicant — a spouse or an unmarried child under 21 — to a Form I-539 application to extend or change nonimmigrant status. USCIS returns rejected packages unprocessed — and I-539A has no USCIS fee of its own, so a rejection costs you the delay on everything it was filed with. Answer 12 quick yes/no questions about your completed I-539A and see where your rejection risk is.

All 12 checks in the Form I-539A rejection quiz

Every question maps to a documented USCIS filing problem for Form I-539A — pulled from the form's own instructions and USCIS guidance: the current 08/28/24 edition requirement, each signature block, blank-field rules, date format and consistency, the exact filing fee, and the specific problems those instructions name for I-539A. Here is the full list; open any one to see what USCIS does about it.

1. Did you confirm the edition date printed at the bottom of every page of your I-539A is 08/28/24 — the current edition on uscis.gov?

   Form edition risk

   The current edition of Form I-539A is 08/28/24. The date is printed at the bottom of every page and every page you file must come from that same edition; USCIS rejects filings made on a superseded edition. USCIS is not accepting the 09/15/26 edition. A court order of Sept. 14, 2026 postponed the rule that introduced it (Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, et al., v. DHS, 26-cv-13799, D. Mass.), and USCIS continues to accept the edition shown above.

2. Has the the co-applicant named on this form signed and dated Part 4 by hand — not typed, not stamped?

   Signature risk

   Part 4 — The co-applicant named on this form: Sign and date in ink. A stamped or typewritten name is not acceptable. Under the 07/10/2026 signature rule an invalid signature can be DENIED (filing fee kept, no opportunity to cure), not merely rejected: a typed name, a cursive or script font, and digital/e-signature software output (e.g., DocuSign) are all invalid on a paper filing. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — counts. An electronic signature is valid only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing. A parent or legal guardian may sign for a child. Every I-539A must carry its own co-applicant’s signature — the principal applicant’s signature on the I-539 does not cover it.

3. Is Part 1 (Items 1) — The full name of the person filing the Form I-539 this supplement attaches to — fully completed?

   Blank / incomplete fields risk

   Form I-539A, Part 1, Items 1: The full name of the person filing the Form I-539 this supplement attaches to — this is the ONLY item in Part 1, and it is not about you.

4. Do the dates on your form match your supporting documents exactly — especially part 2 — date of arrival and the i-94 expiration date and part 2, item 2?

   Date & consistency risk

   The date fields that most often cause problems on I-539A: Part 2 — date of arrival and the I-94 expiration date — These must match the co-applicant’s own I-94, not the principal’s, and the application must be filed before that expiration. Part 2, Item 2 — date of birth — A child co-applicant must be unmarried and under 21; a date of birth that puts them over 21 changes their eligibility to be included at all.

5. Have you confirmed your exact I-539A filing fee ($0 for the general category) against the current USCIS G-1055 schedule for YOUR filing category?

   Filing fee risk

   I-539A costs $0 — No separate fee. Form I-539A is attached to a Form I-539 and is covered by that application’s fee. Taken from USCIS Form G-1055, fee-schedule edition 10/07/26. Paying a fee that is not owed, or attaching this to a package whose own fee is wrong, still gets the package returned.

6. Have you ruled out this known I-539A filing problem: “One Form I-539A used for more than one co-applicant — each co-applicant needs their own”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-539A instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

7. Have you ruled out this known I-539A filing problem: “A Form I-539A submitted for the person already named on the Form I-539 — the form states not to”?

   Missing evidence risk

   Named in the Form I-539A instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

8. Have you ruled out this known I-539A filing problem: “Filed after the co-applicant’s authorized stay expired”?

   Eligibility & category risk

   Named in the Form I-539A instructions or USCIS's published guidance — some problems like this get a package rejected, others a Request for Evidence.

9. If you used an interpreter, did they complete, sign, and date Part 5? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

   Signature risk

   Part 5 — Interpreter (if one was used): The interpreter completes, signs and dates their own block. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

10. If someone else prepared your form, did they complete, sign, and date Part 6? (Answer Yes if this doesn't apply to you.)

    Signature risk

    Part 6 — Preparer (if other than the co-applicant): Anyone who prepared the supplement completes Part 6 and signs and dates it. Only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — is valid on a paper filing. A typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output (such as DocuSign) is not; an electronic signature counts only when it is captured through a USCIS online account during online filing.

11. Have you answered every question on the form, writing "N/A" or "None" instead of leaving any required field blank?

    Blank / incomplete fields risk

    Leaving a required field blank instead of writing "N/A" or "None" is one of the most common reasons USCIS returns a package unprocessed.

12. Is every date on your I-539A written in mm/dd/yyyy format?

    Date & consistency risk

    USCIS expects dates on Form I-539A in mm/dd/yyyy format. A day-first date (common outside the U.S.) reads as a different date to an intake officer.

Your answers stay in your browser. The result names the risk areas flagged by your answers — to see the specific problems on your actual form, upload it to FormGuard: the issue count is free, and $39 unlocks the full line-by-line report on your completed I-539A. (A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.)

Form I-539A rejection — frequently asked questions

Will USCIS reject my I-539A for a missing signature?

Yes — and it can be worse than a rejection. An unsigned I-539A, or one signed with a typed name, a cursive or script font, a stamp, or e-signature software output such as DocuSign, is not validly signed; only a handwritten ink signature — or a scan, photocopy, or fax of one — counts on a paper filing, and an electronic signature counts only when captured through a USCIS online account during online filing. Under the DHS signature rule effective 07/10/2026, an invalid signature on a paper filing can be denied outright: USCIS keeps the filing fee and there is no opportunity to cure. I-539A has 4 signature blocks to verify before you file.

Will USCIS reject my I-539A if I use an old edition?

Yes. USCIS accepts only the current edition of I-539A — dated 08/28/24, printed at the bottom of every page — and rejects superseded editions. Download a fresh copy from uscis.gov right before you file.

Does USCIS refund the filing fee if my I-539A is rejected?

Generally no. USCIS returns the package unprocessed and keeps no place in line, and because I-539A is filed alongside other forms, they come back with it — you fix the error and refile the whole package, losing weeks or months. That is why checking before you file matters.

How accurate is this I-539A rejection quiz?

The quiz flags which RISK AREAS need attention based on your own answers about the most common USCIS filing problems for I-539A — it cannot see your actual form. For a line-by-line review of your completed I-539A against these requirements, upload it to FormGuard: it reads the form itself and shows you the issue count free, and $39 unlocks the full report. A scanned PDF longer than 3 pages skips the free preview and goes straight to the paid report.

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