USCIS Updating Forms Without Notice

Within the past few days USCIS has been issuing new editions of its immigration forms without notice and rendering them effective immediately. For example, on March 3, 2025, USCIS published a new edition (edition date 1/20/25) of the Adjustment of Status application (Form I-485), and made the form effective, i.e. required, immediately. Then on March 4, 2025, USCIS did the same for the I-131 application used for Advance Parole travel. USCIS has revised several other forms in a similar fashion.

The bulk of the changes made to these forms appear related to the Trump administration’s Executive Order 14168, “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government,” which orders agencies to remove gender identity questions from all forms. As other forms also have these questions there may be additional revisions to USCIS forms forthcoming.

The lack of notice to these form changes results in increased burdens, and presents difficulties for attorneys and applicants alike. Many applicants will be required to re-do their forms. It is also uncertain if applications that were delivered to USCIS on the effective dates of these new forms will be rejected. Additionally, applicants now have to worry whether the form they are preparing or just sent to USCIS will also be suddenly revised without notice.