Thousands of F-1, J-1, H-4, L-2, B-2 and other nonimmigrant visa holders trying to file Form I-539 today are hitting a wall: USCIS’s own website says the current form will be rejected starting today, September 15, 2026 — but the replacement it points to hasn’t been published.
What USCIS’s Website Currently Says?
As of today, the alert on USCIS’s official I-539 page reads:
“On Sept. 15, 2026, we will publish a revised edition of Form I-539… There is no grace period for the revised edition of Form I-539 because the revised edition is necessary for USCIS to apply the final rule.”
It goes on to state plainly:
- The 08/28/24 edition will be accepted if postmarked or e-filed before Sept. 15, 2026.
- The 08/28/24 edition will be rejected if postmarked or e-filed on or after Sept. 15, 2026.
- Only the 09/15/26 edition will be accepted from Sept. 15, 2026 onward.
The problem: as of today, the 09/15/26 edition is not live on uscis.gov. The page’s alert is still written in future tense — “we will publish” — exactly as it was when first announced back on August 14. Applicants clicking through to file are landing on the old 08/28/24 edition, which the agency’s own alert says it will now reject.
Why This Happened?
The new form was built to support a specific DHS rule — one replacing “duration of status” for F-1, J-1, and I-visa holders with fixed admission periods — that was scheduled to take effect today. That rule, however, was blocked by a federal judge one day before it was set to go live. On September 14, 2026, Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction, and duration of status remains the law of the land while the case proceeds.
A side-by-side comparison of the two form editions shows why the timing matters: the new edition’s biggest substantive addition is a requirement for F and J applicants to list every SEVIS ID number they’ve ever been issued along with the associated educational level — data that exists to support enforcement of the now-blocked fixed-term system. With that rule on hold, the new form’s own rationale is currently moot.
USCIS has not issued any public statement addressing the gap between its “will reject the old edition” alert and the fact that no new edition exists to file instead. It’s a reasonable inference — though not officially confirmed by USCIS — that the agency is holding back publication because the rule it was built to implement is enjoined. That has not been stated by USCIS itself.
A Word of Caution on Third-Party Filing Software
Some third-party immigration filing platforms like INS Zoom have already updated their software to generate the 09/15/26 edition of Form I-539, even though USCIS itself has not published it. Applicants should avoid using those versions for now. Since the new edition is not yet live on uscis.gov, filing on a version the agency hasn’t officially released could create confusion or processing issues. Stick with what USCIS is actually accepting until the agency’s own site catches up.
What Applicants Should Do Right Now?
- File online if the option is available for your visa category
- Do not panic-file. There is currently no 09/15/26 edition to file even if you wanted to.
- The 08/28/24 edition is still the only version on USCIS’s site. Given that no replacement exists, it remains your only option if you need to file today.
- If your filing gets rejected citing the edition date, this appears to be a USCIS system/website issue rather than something on your end — keep documentation (screenshots, confirmation numbers, timestamps) in case you need to show you filed in good faith with the only form available.
- Check uscis.gov/i-539 immediately before filing. This is a fast-moving situation and the page could be updated at any time.
- If you have a pending or urgent deadline, consider contacting an immigration attorney or your school’s international student office before filing, given the uncertainty.
This is a developing story. USCIS has not announced whether it will delay the new edition, publish it as originally planned despite the injunction, or extend acceptance of the current 08/28/24 edition. Check back for updates as USCIS clarifies its position.
Sources: USCIS.gov, Form I-539 page and alert (accessed Sept. 15, 2026); U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration et al. v. DHS, No. 1:26-cv-13799, Memorandum and Order (Sept. 14, 2026); direct comparison of USCIS Form I-539 editions 08/28/24 and 09/15/26.
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