Indian nationals applying for a US Green Card through adjustment of status will need to use a revised Form I-485 from September 18, 2026, with US Citizenship and Immigration Services warning that older versions will be rejected and that there will be no grace period.
The change could affect thousands of Indian applicants navigating the lengthy employment-based Green Card process, particularly those preparing to file adjustment-of-status applications around the September deadline.
USCIS announced on August 19 that it will publish a new edition of Form I-485, officially titled the Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status, on September 18. The revised form carries the edition date September 18, 2026, and replaces the current January 20, 2025 edition.
No grace period for old Form I-485
The key date for applicants is September 18, 2026.
USCIS said it will continue accepting the January 20, 2025 edition only if it is postmarked or electronically submitted before September 18. Any application using the older edition and submitted on or after that date will be rejected.
At the same time, applicants cannot begin filing the new edition before September 18. USCIS will accept the revised form only when it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after that date.
That creates a strict filing divide for applicants:
- Before September 18: Use the current edition.
- On or after September 18: Use the new edition.
- No grace period: An outdated form submitted on or after the deadline will be rejected.
USCIS has released a preview of the new form and its instructions to give applicants and immigration attorneys time to prepare.
Why the form is changing
According to USCIS, Form I-485 has been revised to align with the recently announced Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility Final Rule.
Form I-485 is used by eligible applicants already in the United States to apply for lawful permanent residence without having to complete the immigrant visa process from abroad.
For Indian nationals, the form is particularly significant because many employment-based Green Card applicants wait years for visa numbers to become available before they can file an adjustment-of-status application. Those who become eligible to file around the September 18 transition will need to pay close attention to the edition date on their paperwork.
What Indian Green Card applicants should do
Applicants planning to submit Form I-485 in the coming weeks should check the USCIS deadline carefully rather than relying on an older downloaded copy or a form package prepared earlier.
Those filing before September 18 can use the current edition, provided the application is postmarked or electronically submitted before the cutoff. Applicants filing from September 18 onward must use the revised edition.
USCIS said applicants can review the preview version and instructions for the new form on its official Form I-485 page.