USCIS Requires Use of New Edition of Affidavit of Support Without Advance Notice

On August 31, 2026, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a new edition of Form I-864/I-864EZ and I-864A, Contract Between Sponsors and Household Member. USCIS requires the use of this new edition effective immediately, with no grace period.

The purpose of the new edition is to add a privacy release authorizing USCIS and/or the Department of State (DOS) to obtain information from consumer reporting agencies, and to require that the sponsor authorize disclosure of this information to the sponsored immigrant. USCIS’s announcement states that if a sponsor has placed a credit or security freeze on their consumer report, the agency may be unable to access information needed to assess the sufficiency of the Form I-864.

Applications including Form I-485 filed on or after August 31, 2026 with the prior edition of Form I-864 could be rejected. Alternatively, they may be accepted and then denied.