The short version: The current edition of Form I-864 is 08/24/26. USCIS will not accept the older 10/17/24 edition if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after August 31, 2026. There is no grace period. Download a fresh form from uscis.gov/i-864 before you file.
Form edition changes are usually routine. This one is not, for two reasons: USCIS skipped the transition window it normally gives, and the new edition adds a privacy release covering consumer credit information. If you have an affidavit sitting half-finished on your desk, it needs to be redone.
Your income requirement has not changed. Those figures come from Form I-864P and remain the ones effective March 1, 2026, so the I-864 income calculator on this site is still current. Only the form itself is new.
Which editions are current
| Form | Current edition | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Form I-864 | 08/24/26 | The full Affidavit of Support. |
| Form I-864EZ | 08/24/26 | The short version, for petitioners who qualify. |
| Form I-864A | 08/24/26 | Contract with a household member. |
The edition date is printed at the bottom of every page of the form and its instructions. If you are unsure which version you have, that is where to look.
What USCIS actually said
Rather than paraphrase, here are the three operative points from the USCIS notice:
- Beginning August 31, 2026, USCIS will only accept the 08/24/26 edition of Form I-864.
- USCIS will not process or accept the 10/17/24 edition if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after August 31, 2026. Because there is no grace period, USCIS published a preview version of the new edition ahead of the switch.
- The 08/24/26 edition includes a privacy release that authorizes USCIS to request information from one or more consumer reporting agencies.
The credit-report authorization, in plain terms
This is the substantive change, and it is worth being precise about it rather than alarmed by it.
By signing the 08/24/26 edition, a sponsor authorizes USCIS to request their information from consumer reporting agencies — the credit bureaus. USCIS has not said it will pull a report in every case, and it has not published a credit-score threshold. There is no indication that a particular score qualifies or disqualifies a sponsor. The income test is still the income test: 125% of the poverty guidelines for your household size.
What USCIS did flag is an access problem. In its own words, if a sponsor has a credit or security freeze on their file, USCIS may not be able to obtain the information it needs to assess whether the affidavit is sufficient. Its guidance is that a sponsor should respond promptly to any request to release that freeze, so the case is not delayed.
Practical takeaway: You do not need to unfreeze your credit before filing. But if you have freezes in place — and many people set one up years ago after a data breach and forgot — find out which bureaus, and make sure you can lift them quickly if USCIS asks. A frozen file that nobody notices for six weeks is a delay you can avoid.
What to do now
- Download the form again. Do not reuse a blank PDF you saved earlier this year. Get it from uscis.gov/i-864.
- Check the bottom of the page. Every page you submit should read 08/24/26. USCIS warns that a package mixing pages from different editions may be rejected.
- If your form is prepared but not mailed, redo it. Filling in the old edition again is a rejection, not a delay you can argue your way out of.
- If you already mailed it before August 31, you are fine. The postmark date is what governs.
- Locate any credit freezes. Check whether you have freezes at Equifax, Experian, or TransUnion, and know how to lift them.
- Re-run your numbers only if your income or household changed. The thresholds themselves did not move.
What did not change
- Income thresholds. Still the I-864P guidelines effective March 1, 2026. See the 2026 poverty guidelines chart.
- Who needs which form. The I-864 / I-864A / I-864EZ split works the same way — see which form you file.
- Joint sponsor rules. A joint sponsor still has to meet the full requirement alone. See the joint sponsor guide.
- Supporting documents. The evidence you gather is unchanged — see the documents checklist.
Frequently asked questions
What is the current edition of Form I-864?
The current edition is 08/24/26. USCIS published it on Aug. 31, 2026. You can confirm the edition date printed at the bottom of each page of the form and instructions. Forms I-864EZ and I-864A are also now the 08/24/26 edition.
Is there a grace period for the old I-864 edition?
No. USCIS stated there is no grace period. Beginning Aug. 31, 2026, USCIS will not process or accept the 10/17/24 edition of Form I-864 if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after that date. This is unusual — USCIS normally allows a transition window of several weeks — so a form prepared on the old edition and mailed now will be rejected.
I already mailed my I-864 on the old edition. Is it a problem?
What matters is the postmark or electronic submission date. If your package was postmarked before Aug. 31, 2026, it was filed under the rules in effect at that time. If it has not gone out yet, redo it on the 08/24/26 edition before mailing.
Does the new I-864 edition mean USCIS will check my credit?
The 08/24/26 edition includes a privacy release that authorizes USCIS to request information from one or more consumer reporting agencies. USCIS has not said it will pull a credit report in every case. The practical point in the USCIS notice is about access: if a sponsor has a credit freeze or security freeze on their file, USCIS may not be able to obtain the information it needs to assess the affidavit.
Should I lift a credit freeze before filing the I-864?
USCIS advises that a sponsor should respond promptly to any request to release a credit or security freeze, to avoid delays. You do not need to remove a freeze pre-emptively, but you should know which bureaus you have frozen and be ready to lift them quickly if asked.
Did the I-864 income requirements change with the new edition?
No. The income thresholds come from Form I-864P, the HHS Poverty Guidelines for Affidavit of Support, which is separate from the form edition. The current I-864P figures remain those effective March 1, 2026, and are unchanged by this form update.
Can I still use a blank I-864 PDF I downloaded earlier?
No, unless it already shows 08/24/26 at the bottom of the page. Download a fresh copy from uscis.gov. USCIS also warns that every page you submit must come from the same form edition — a package mixing pages from two editions can be rejected.