Four months, more than twenty changes
Between July and the end of October 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued fourteen policy alerts, several technical updates to its Policy Manual, new form editions, and two rounds of fee increases. Some of these changes are small. Others change how a case is decided from the day it is filed.
This post walks through the changes in order and then explains, in plain terms, what they mean if you or your family have a case with USCIS.
The timeline
July 2026
- July 10: Signature rules. USCIS updated its Policy Manual to define what counts as an acceptable signature. A filing can be rejected or denied over a signature problem even after USCIS has accepted it.
- July 13: Attorneys and representatives. A new part of the Policy Manual explains who may represent you before USCIS and the conduct expected of them.
- July 16: Public charge rule announced. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced a final rule rescinding the 2022 public charge regulation, effective September 18.
August 2026
- August 5: Evidence, RFEs, and NOIDs. Officers may now deny a case without first sending a Request for Evidence (RFE) or a Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) when required evidence is missing. Officers may also give less than the usual 12 weeks to respond to an RFE. This applies to pending and new cases.
- August 5: DNA testing. When a claimed family relationship is not proven and more evidence is needed, officers must now suggest DNA testing as an option. Testing remains voluntary.
- August 10: Online filing. A new rule lets USCIS require online filing for any form that has been available online for at least 180 days. USCIS must give 60 days of notice before a form becomes online only.
- August 14 and 19: New form editions. New editions of Forms I-539 and I-765 became mandatory on September 15, and a new Form I-485 became mandatory on September 18.
- August 18: Public charge guidance. USCIS rewrote its public charge guidance for adjustment of status applications filed on or after September 18.
- August 25: Naturalization investigations. USCIS reintroduced personal investigations, sometimes called neighborhood investigations, for naturalization applicants.
- August 31: Voter registration at oath ceremonies. Following a court order, USCIS restored the policy allowing nonpartisan organizations to register new citizens to vote at naturalization ceremonies.
- August 31: Affidavit of Support forms. New editions of Forms I-864, I-864A, and I-864EZ became mandatory the same day they were announced. USCIS later added a 30 day grace period.
September 2026
- September 9: Children of foreign government employees. New guidance covers how certain children born in the United States to foreign government employees register as lawful permanent residents.
- September 14: Denaturalization referrals. USCIS issued new guidance on referring cases for revocation of naturalization.
- September 18: Public charge guidance takes effect.
- September 23: Criminal grounds of inadmissibility. New guidance explains how officers decide whether someone is inadmissible for drug trafficking, human trafficking, or money laundering. It applies to pending and new cases.
- September 23: Filing deadlines. USCIS changed how it counts deadlines. Starting October 23, a deadline tied to a birthday or age no longer moves to the next business day when it falls on a weekend or holiday. This applies to paper filings.
- September 29: EB-5 fees. Investor fees rise on November 30. The Form I-526E fee goes from $3,675 to $7,850.
- September 30: Inflation fee adjustment. For filings postmarked October 16 or later, the annual asylum fee is $105, the parole fee is $1,050, and initial work permits based on asylum, parole, or Temporary Protected Status cost $570.
October 2026
- October 2: Work permit categories. A technical update added a work permit category for people with a pending bona fide T visa application.
- October 7: Form I-129 mailing addresses changed.
- October 23: New deadline counting rule takes effect.
- October 26: Fee free motions for certain parolees. Under a court order, members of the Sileiri Doe class (people paroled in after using the CBP One app whose parole was terminated by mass email in April 2025) may ask USCIS to reopen or reconsider certain denials without paying a fee.
- October 27: L-1 fees. USCIS updated its guidance on L-1 petition fees and now points filers to its fee schedule for current amounts.
What this means for you, in plain terms
Your first filing has to be complete
This is the most important change of the period. In the past, if something was missing, USCIS usually sent a letter asking for it. That is no longer something you can count on. A case with missing required evidence can be denied outright, and the filing fee is not returned. Treat the day you file as your one chance to show you qualify.
Small mistakes now cost more
A wrong form edition, an old fee amount, or a signature that does not meet the rules can each lead to rejection. With several forms and fees changing within weeks of each other, a packet prepared in August could already be out of date in October. Check the form edition date and the fee on the USCIS website on the day you mail or submit.
Deadlines are stricter
If your eligibility depends on filing before a certain birthday, do not count on a weekend or holiday giving you an extra day. File early, and remember that the rule looks at the date USCIS receives a paper filing, not the date you mailed it.
Green card applicants face a wider public charge review
For adjustment of status applications filed on or after September 18, officers look at the full picture of your circumstances, and means tested public benefits received on or after that date can be considered. If you or a family member receive benefits, speak with legal counsel before filing rather than after.
Past conduct is reviewed more closely
The new guidance on trafficking and money laundering applies to cases already pending. Naturalization applicants may see more investigation into their background, and USCIS has set out how it refers naturalized citizens for possible revocation. If there is anything in your history you are unsure about, get advice before you file.
Fees are higher for some filings
The increases this fall are modest for asylum, parole, and TPS related filings and very large for EB-5 investors. A filing sent with the old amount will be rejected.
Paper filing is on its way out
No form has been made online only yet, but USCIS now has the authority to do it with 60 days of notice. Setting up a USCIS online account now will make that shift easier.
Some people gained a second chance
Court orders this period reopened doors for some applicants. If your parole was terminated in April 2025 and a later application was denied because of it, you may be able to ask USCIS to look again without paying a fee.
What to do now
- Confirm the current form edition and fee on the USCIS website on the day you file.
- Include every required document with your first filing.
- Review your signature pages carefully.
- File well ahead of any age or date based deadline.
- If you already have a case pending, ask whether these changes affect it, since several apply to pending cases.
- Speak with legal counsel before filing if you have received public benefits, have any criminal or immigration history, or were affected by a parole termination.
DISCLAIMER: This blog is intended solely for general informational and educational purposes. It does not constitute legal advice, nor does it create an attorney-client relationship between the reader & Ahluwalia Law Offices, P.C. The legal information provided herein may not apply to your individual circumstances & is subject to change based on evolving immigration laws and policies.
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