USCIS published a new edition of Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA, on 31 August 2026. The new edition carries the date 08/24/26 and adds a privacy release authorizing USCIS to request information about a sponsor from one or more consumer reporting agencies.
The agency first announced the change with no grace period, and much of the coverage published in the days afterward says so. That is no longer what USCIS says. The current alert on the Form I-864 page states that USCIS is providing a 30-day grace period during which it will accept the 10/17/24 edition, and that only the 08/24/26 edition will be accepted beginning 1 October 2026.
The same 30-day grace period appears on the Form I-864EZ page. If you prepared an affidavit on the older edition in late August, check the agency page rather than a news summary before you redo it.
What the new privacy release says
In the agency’s own words, completing an affidavit of support authorizes USCIS to request information from one or more consumer reporting agencies to obtain or verify information, including credit reports and scores, that will help it determine whether the Form I-864 is sufficient. It also authorizes the consumer reporting agency to provide that information to USCIS.
USCIS has not published a minimum credit score. It has not said that a particular score qualifies or disqualifies a sponsor, and it has not explained what weight it will give to debts, late payments or a bankruptcy. The authorization is what changed. How the agency will use it is not something the agency has yet described.
The freeze problem
USCIS warns that if a sponsor has a credit or security freeze on their consumer or credit report file, it may not be able to access the information it needs to assess whether the affidavit is sufficient. Its stated guidance is that a sponsor should respond promptly to any request to release the freeze in order to avoid delays.
Note what that does and does not say. USCIS does not tell sponsors to lift a freeze before filing. It addresses what happens if the agency asks.
What happens after 1 October
From 1 October 2026, USCIS will not process a 10/17/24 edition of Form I-864 postmarked or electronically submitted on or after that date. The agency also states that it does not reject Form I-485 because it was filed with a previous edition of Form I-864. Where an edition other than 08/24/26 is submitted on or after 1 October, USCIS says it will proceed under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(8), the regulation covering an applicant’s failure to submit required initial evidence.
USCIS also warns separately that a package mixing pages from different form editions may be rejected, so the edition date at the foot of every page should match.
Official sources
USCIS, Form I-864, Affidavit of Support Under Section 213A of the INA. USCIS, Form I-864EZ. USCIS, Affidavit of Support. Regulation cited at 8 CFR 103.2(b)(8).
