If you're about to file for an extension or change of status, or renew your work authorization, there's a date you'll want to write down: September 15, 2026. From that day on, USCIS will only accept the new edition of two forms widely used by the Brazilian community — and there will be no grace period.
What happened
On August 14, 2026, USCIS announced that it will publish revised editions of two forms on September 15, 2026: Form I-539 (Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status) and Form I-765 (Application for Employment Authorization). Both will carry the edition date 09/15/26 in the footer.
The previous editions — 08/28/24 for the I-539 and 08/21/25 for the I-765 — will no longer be accepted as of that same date. In the words of the announcement itself: "On Sept. 15, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will publish revised editions of Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, and Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization (edition date for both: 09/15/26)."
What that means in practice: if your filing arrives on an outdated edition after September 15, it comes right back to you.
What changes for you
The I-539 and the I-765 are not niche forms. The I-539 is what you use to extend or change a nonimmigrant status — the visitor who needs more time, the dependent of someone with a work visa, the student in certain situations. The I-765 is the EAD request, the work permit that many people with a pending I-485, an asylum case in progress, or other categories renew from time to time. In other words: these are two of the documents that most often cross the desk of anyone with a case underway here.
There's a rumor going around that an old printed version stays valid indefinitely, "because it's the same form." That's not the case here. The announcement is straightforward: as of September 15, there is no transition window. The edition in the footer has to be 09/15/26, period.
One detail that solves much of the problem: anyone who files online, through the free account at my.uscis.gov, always gets the current edition of the form — the system won't let you submit an outdated version. The edition trap mainly catches people who print, fill out by hand, and mail in. If you downloaded a PDF weeks ago to fill out at your own pace, that same PDF could turn out to be the wrong edition on the day you send it.
And it's worth remembering a rule that doesn't change with the new edition: all pages of the form have to be from the same edition. Mixing a new page with an old one is the kind of detail that also sends the package back — and back means starting the line over, not fixing it on the spot.
In practice
- Before sending any I-539 or I-765 on or after 09/15/2026, check the date in the footer of every page: it has to read 09/15/26.
- If you've already printed or downloaded the form to fill out, download the current version again straight from uscis.gov on the day you send it — don't rely on the old PDF sitting in your folder.
- Keep your dated mailing receipt. That's what shows when the package went out, if a question ever comes up about which edition was used.
At Prime, what we do is exactly that: put together the package with the correct edition and matching pages, so the filing doesn't come back over a formatting detail. Deciding whether you're eligible and what to do about your situation is up to you, with a licensed professional — this text is general and doesn't decide anything about your case.
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Educational information, not legal advice. Prime Immigration Office is a paralegal service — document preparation only. For legal advice, consult a licensed Texas attorney or DOJ-accredited representative.