New Green Card Forms: What Changed on Form I-864 and Form I-485 (September 2026)

In July we explained the new public charge rule that takes effect on September 18, 2026. USCIS has now released the forms that put that rule into practice, and we have been getting questions about them at our office. The sponsor's Affidavit of Support (Form I-864) changed on August 31, 2026. The green card application (Form I-485) changes on September 18, 2026.

The changes are easy to miss. One paragraph was added to the sponsor form. Two questions on the green card application became one. On paper these are small edits. In practice, they change what the government can look at and what you are responsible for telling them.

What Changed on Form I-864?

Form I-864 is the promise a sponsor signs, usually a family member, to support the immigrant financially. Many families also ask a relative or close friend to sign as a joint sponsor. Those sponsors are doing a real favor for someone they care about, and they deserve to know what they are signing.

The new edition (08/24/26) is identical to the old one except for one block of text above the signature. By signing, the sponsor now authorizes USCIS and the Department of State to obtain the sponsor's credit report and credit score. The companion forms, I-864A and I-864EZ, were updated the same day.

1. If you have a credit freeze, you will be asked to lift it. USCIS has said it may not be able to complete its review while a sponsor's credit file is frozen and expects sponsors to respond quickly. You do not need to lift a freeze in advance, but be ready to.

2. Your credit information may be shared with the person you sponsor. The authorization allows USCIS to disclose it to the immigrant so they can respond to any concern.

3. There is no minimum credit score. USCIS has not published any score or debt level that disqualifies a sponsor. The credit report is a way to check that the income and assets on the affidavit hold up.

The new edition is required for any affidavit postmarked or filed online on or after August 31, 2026. The mailing date is what matters, not the signature date.

Update, September 4, 2026. After a lawsuit filed on September 3 challenged the lack of a grace period, USCIS added one for Form I-864. The old edition (10/17/24) is now accepted if postmarked or filed online through September 30, 2026. Starting October 1, 2026, only the 08/24/26 edition is accepted. This update applies to Form I-864 only. As of this writing, there is no grace period for Form I-485, and the September 18 date below stands.

What Changed on Form I-485?

The new edition (09/18/26) is required for applications postmarked or filed online on or after September 18, 2026, with no grace period. Applications mailed before that date must use the current edition. Almost every page is unchanged. The changes are in the public charge section.

Two questions became one. The current form asks only about cash assistance such as SSI or TANF and about long term care paid by the government. The new form asks: "Have you ever received any means-tested public benefit?" That wording reaches programs the old form never asked about, including Medicaid, SNAP, CHIP, and housing assistance.

A reason is now required. If the answer is yes, you list each benefit, the dates, the amount if applicable, and why you received it.

The definitions are gone. The old form and its instructions explained who counts in your household, which programs were not considered, and that your children's benefits did not count against you. The new form says none of that. Some of those protections still apply and some belong to the old rule, and the applicant and the attorney now have to know which is which. The form will not do it for you.

This is not a return to the 2019 system, when every applicant filed a thick financial packet. No public charge evidence is required at filing. If USCIS wants more, it will ask, and that request will be built on the answers you gave.

Just as Important: What Is NOT Changing

1. Applications already filed are not affected. A case postmarked before the effective dates is processed on the old forms and under the old rule.

2. Benefits received before September 18, 2026 are judged under the old standard, even if you file later.

3. Benefits your children or other family members receive do not count against you. This is still true under the new rule and the new form.

4. Exempt categories remain exempt. Asylees and refugees, Special Immigrant Juveniles, VAWA self petitioners, and T and U visa applicants are not subject to the public charge rule, and the new form still lets them mark that exemption.

5. The 40 quarter exemption from Form I-864 still applies. If you have earned 40 qualifying quarters of work under Social Security, you do not need an Affidavit of Support and you mark that exemption in Part 3 of Form I-485. The new sponsor form does not apply to you. You still answer the public charge questions in Part 9.

Things to Keep in Mind

Check the edition date at the bottom of every page against the date you plan to mail. A Form I-485 mailed on September 17 needs the 01/20/25 edition. The same form mailed on September 18 needs the 09/18/26 edition.

If you have ever received a benefit in your own name, gather the basic facts: which program, when, and what was happening in your life at the time. Do not guess at the new question on your own. Whether a benefit counts depends on who received it, when, and under which rule.

Do not stop a benefit because of this news without talking to an attorney. The timing rules above may already protect you.

How officers will apply the new form is still to be seen. The first applications on the new edition will be filed in a few weeks, and it will take months to see how the reason field, the credit review, and the broader benefit question are used in real decisions. A lawsuit filed on September 3 challenges the lack of a grace period for the new forms, but until USCIS says otherwise, the dates above stand. We will share updates as they come.

Questions About Your Case?

Every case is different. If you have questions about the new forms, a sponsor's situation, or whether the public charge rule applies to you, contact our office to schedule a consultation.

This post is for general information only and is not legal advice. Every case is unique. Please consult a qualified immigration attorney about your specific situation.