USCIS to Publish Revised Form I-539 and New Form I-539A for Co-Applicants

On March 5, 2019, USCIS revised certain dates relating to the release of the revised Form I-539 and Form I-539A. We have edited the below post to reflect the revised dates.

US Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS) announced a revised Form I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, which will be published on their website on March 8, 2019. The agency will remove the 12/23/16 version of Form I-539 from their website on March 8 but will allow for a two-week grace period (until the close of business on March 21) for that version to be received by USCIS. Effective March 22, 2019, USCIS will only accept the revised Form I-539 with an edition date of 02/04/19. The agency “will reject any Form I-539 with an edition date of 12/23/16, or earlier, that is received by USCIS after March 21.”

On March 8, the agency will also publish a new Form I-539A, Supplemental Information for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status, a form that will replace the Supplement A provided in previous versions of Form I-539. Form I-539A is not a standalone form and should only be submitted along with Form I-539.

Importantly, USCIS has made the following significant changes to the Form I-539:

  • Every applicant and co-applicant must pay an $85 biometric services fee (except certain A, G, and NATO nonimmigrants);

  • Regardless of age, every applicant and co-applicant will receive a biometric services appointment notice containing their individual receipt number.  The biometric services appointments—where applicants will have their fingerprints and photograph taken for security checks—will be scheduled at the Application Support Center (ASC) closest to the primary applicant’s address. If co-applicants wish to be scheduled at a different ASC location, they should file a separate Form I-539.

  • Every co-applicant included on the primary applicant’s Form I-539 must submit and sign a separate Form I-539A. Parents or guardians may sign on behalf of children under fourteen or any co-applicant who is not mentally competent to sign.

USCIS notes that the agency will reject any Form I-539 that is missing any of the required signatures or biometrics fees, including those required for Form I-539A.