A new federal rule lets USCIS require online filing for immigration forms. Here is what it actually changes, what it does not, and how you can file each form today.
On August 11, 2026, DHS issued Mandatory Electronic Filing (e-Filing) (91 FR 51924) as an interim final rule with request for comments. It amends the regulations so that USCIS may require a form to be filed electronically. It does not, by itself, require electronic filing of anything.
Before USCIS can make any single form online-only, all of these must happen:
This is the part most coverage skips, and it decides how much actually changes for you:
You answer questions in USCIS’s own web workflow. There is no PDF — the account will not let you submit if it detects a problem it checks for.
You fill out the same PDF you would have mailed, then upload it to your USCIS online account. USCIS validates it at the Lockbox using the same rules it applies to paper.
Both count as e-filing under the rule. So “online-only” does not automatically mean “no more PDF” — it depends which paths your form offers.
| Form | Ways to file now | If USCIS made it online-only |
|---|---|---|
| I-485 Green card (adjust status) |
PaperPDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-130 Petition for a relative |
PaperGuided onlinePDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-765 Work permit (EAD) |
PaperGuided onlinePDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-131 Travel document / advance parole |
PaperGuided onlinePDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| N-400 Citizenship (naturalization) |
PaperGuided onlinePDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-90 Replace green card |
PaperGuided onlinePDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-751 Remove green card conditions |
PaperPDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-140 Employment green card petition |
PaperPDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-539 Extend / change status |
PaperGuided online | You would answer questions in USCIS’s own web workflow instead of filling out a PDF. |
| N-600 Certificate of citizenship |
PaperGuided online | You would answer questions in USCIS’s own web workflow instead of filling out a PDF. |
| I-129F Fiancé(e) visa petition |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| I-129 Nonimmigrant worker petition |
PaperGuided onlinePDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-864 Affidavit of support (sponsor) |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| G-28 Attorney / rep notice of appearance |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| I-589 Asylum / withholding of removal |
PaperGuided online | You would answer questions in USCIS’s own web workflow instead of filling out a PDF. |
| I-130A Spouse beneficiary supplement |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| I-864A Household member income contract |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| I-539A I-539 co-applicant supplement |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| I-693 Medical exam & vaccination record |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| I-912 Fee waiver request |
PaperPDF upload | You would still fill out the same PDF, then upload it to a USCIS online account instead of mailing it. |
| I-526 EB-5 standalone investor petition |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
| I-526E EB-5 regional center petition |
Paper | Cannot be made online-only yet — USCIS does not offer it online at all, and the rule only reaches forms already available for e-filing. |
The rule creates Form I-936, Request for Waiver of E-Filing Requirement, for people who cannot file online. You would submit it before filing on paper, with a $25 fee and documentation of why online filing is a hardship for you. USCIS decides at its discretion.
No. As of September 23, 2026, every USCIS form can still be filed on paper. The interim final rule effective August 11, 2026 gives USCIS authority to require online filing for individual forms later, but it did not require it for any form, and USCIS has not named one.
Not before three things happen: the form must have been available for e-filing for at least 180 days, Form I-936 (the hardship waiver request) must be approved for use, and USCIS must post the requirement on its website with a 60-day grace period before it bites.
Not necessarily. USCIS counts two things as online filing: completing the form in its guided web workflow, and uploading a completed PDF of the form to your USCIS online account. For a form that offers PDF upload, you would still fill out the same PDF — you would just upload it instead of mailing it.
I-936, Request for Waiver of E-Filing Requirement, is a new form created by this rule. If a form you need has been made online-only and filing online would be an undue hardship for you, you file I-936 first, with a $25 fee and documentation of why you cannot comply, and USCIS decides whether to let you file on paper. It has not been published yet.
The comment period closes October 13, 2026. The rule was issued as an interim final rule, meaning it took effect on August 11, 2026 without a prior comment round.