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USCIS Mandates New Edition of Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, Effective 31 August 2026

🇺🇸 United StatesFamily Reunification1 recorded versionLast change 2 Sept 2026
ConfidenceVery high · 100%

Current rules

USCIS will only accept the 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864. This new edition includes a privacy release that authorises USCIS to request information from consumer reporting agencies.

Overview

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has introduced a new edition of Form I-864, 'Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA', with an edition date of 24 August 2026. This updated form is immediately mandatory from 31 August 2026, and USCIS will not accept any submissions of the previous 10 October 2024 edition postmarked or submitted on or after this date. A key addition to the new form is a privacy release authorising USCIS to request information from consumer reporting agencies.

Who is affected by the latest change

  • U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who sponsor family-based immigrants who need this form
  • Immigrants whose immigration category needs Form I-864
  • Some employment-based immigrants whose situation needs the affidavit by law
  • Joint sponsors who must send Form I-864
  • Household members involved in sponsorship where the related Form I-864A is needed
  • Lawyers and approved representatives who prepare these immigration forms

What changed in the latest version

Before

USCIS accepted the 10 October 2024 edition of Form I-864. This form acts as the legally binding affidavit of support. It is needed under Section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) for certain immigrant categories. The sponsor uses the form to show they can provide financial support. They also take on legally binding sponsorship duties.

After

USCIS will only accept the 24 August 2026 edition of Form I-864. This new edition includes a privacy release. This allows USCIS to ask for information from consumer reporting agencies.

This change is important. It makes a new edition of Form I-864 mandatory. This form is vital for most family-based immigration applications and some employment-based ones. Applicants and sponsors must use the 24 August 2026 edition. This applies to any forms sent by post or online on or after 31 August 2026. USCIS will not process or accept the previous 10 October 2024 edition. The form now includes a privacy release. This means sponsors who have credit or security freezes on their reports might face delays. This could happen if they do not quickly respond to requests to unfreeze their reports.

Explained simply

Imagine you're trying to get a friend a special pass to come to the U.S. You're promising to financially support them so they don't need help from the government. The form you use for this promise, called Form I-864, has just been updated. It's like a new version of a game. From 31 August 2026, you HAVE to use the new version, or your application won't be accepted, and you'll have to start again. The new form also lets the U.S. government check your financial history with credit companies, so if you've 'frozen' your credit, you'll need to 'unfreeze' it temporarily if they ask, or it could cause delays.

Frequently asked

Version history

  1. v1Effective 31 Aug 2026EffectiveCritical impact
    USCIS Mandates New Edition of Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, Effective 31 August 2026

    United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has released a new Form I-864. This form is called the Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The new version has an edition date of 24 August 2026. USCIS will only accept this new edition from 31 August 2026. There will be no extra time to use older versions. The updated form now includes a privacy release. This allows USCIS to ask for information from consumer reporting agencies. Sponsors must use the correct form version. This will stop their applications from being rejected.

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