USCIS has updated the form used by eligible immigrants in the US to apply for a Green Card through adjustment of status. The agency published a new edition of Form I-485 on September 18, 2026, following changes to the federal government’s public charge rules.
The new edition is now required for applications submitted on or after September 18. USCIS will reject the previous 01/20/25 and 09/04/26 editions if they are postmarked or submitted online on or after those dates. There is no grace period for using the older versions.
What changed on the Green Card application
The revised Form I-485 was updated to reflect the new Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility rule. Among other changes, the form asks for broader information about means-tested public benefits received by the applicant.
This is connected to a broader change in how USCIS evaluates public charge inadmissibility. Under the new rule, officers have greater discretion to consider relevant facts about an applicant’s circumstances, including the receipt of means-tested public benefits.
The rule applies to adjustment-of-status applications postmarked or submitted electronically on or after September 18, 2026. Benefits received before that date continue to be considered under the previous 2022 rule.
What applicants need to know
Receiving a means-tested public benefit does not automatically result in a Green Card denial. DHS states that the receipt of such benefits alone is not determinative. USCIS must consider the relevant circumstances of the individual case as a whole.
Applicants filing Form I-485 should therefore use the 09/18/26 edition and provide the information requested by the revised form. USCIS also states that all pages must be from the same edition and that applications may be rejected if the form contains pages from different editions.
The change affects the Form I-485 and the public charge assessment. It does not mean that every person applying for a Green Card will be denied for having received government assistance.