Overview
- A provisional DHS rule that took effect on August 11, 2026 authorizes U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to require e-filing for specific forms once procedural guards are met.
- USCIS may make a form electronic-only only after that form has been available online for at least 180 days and after the agency posts a public notice at least 60 days before the switch.
- Separately, USCIS has applied Policy Alert PA-2026-05, effective August 5, 2026, which restores adjudicator discretion to deny petitions that lack initial required evidence and sets shorter, fixed response windows for RFEs and NOIDs.
- Applicants who cannot file online can apply for a case-by-case exemption using Form I-936 for a $25 fee, but OMB approval of that form and other administrative steps remain before paper filing can be broadly ended.
- DHS projects large net savings from the shift to e-filing while advocates warn the rules may worsen access for people with limited internet or digital skills and raise the risk of outright denials when initial documentation is missing.