USCIS Accepts Older Versions of Green Card and Naturalization Applications at Its Discretion for a Reasonable Period Following Confusion and Lawsuit

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has been accepting older versions of application forms for American green cards, naturalization, and travel documents, despite issuing new versions without prior notice or a specified grace period, effective immediately.

While USCIS released new editions of forms, including green card applications on March 3, 2025, and naturalization applications on March 4, 2025, many applicants, unaware of the updates, submitted older versions. Although USCIS had warned that applications using outdated forms could be rejected, the agency has been accepting these submissions, providing relief to applicants who feared rejection.

“While no definite grace period is being provided, USCIS will exercise its discretion not to reject previous versions of forms that are submitted for a reasonable period after the new versions take effect,” USCIS responded to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).

USCIS has not officially announced a fixed grace period but has indicated it will exercise discretion by accepting older versions of forms submitted within a “reasonable period” after the new editions took effect. While the term “reasonable period” remains undefined, USCIS has hinted that applications submitted with older versions within one or two days of the new editions’ rollout will not be rejected. This flexibility has eased concerns for applicants who were worried about their submissions being denied due to lack of awareness.

Meanwhile, a lawsuit has been filed against USCIS in response to the rollout of these new forms. On Friday, the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and Benach Collopy LLP filed the case in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeking immediate relief.  The agency updated 12 forms between February 24 and March 4, 2025, all bearing the edition date of January 20, 2025, and warned that submissions using older versions could be rejected.

The updates began on February 24, 2025, with forms such as Form I-941 (Application for Entrepreneur Parole), Form I-914 (Application for T Nonimmigrant Status), and Form I-356 (Request for Cancellation of Public Charge Bond). On March 3, 2025, additional forms were updated, including Form I-918 (Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status), Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status), and Form I-134 (Declaration of Financial Support). On March 4, 2025, USCIS released new versions of Form I-131 (Application for Travel Documents) and Form N-400 (Application for Naturalization).

These new editions reflect significant changes under the current Trump administration, including less inclusive language. Previous versions of forms like Form I-131 and Form I-918 offered three gender options—male, female, and another gender identity—but the new versions limit choices to male and female only. Gender-neutral terms and “noncitizen” have been replaced with male- and female-specific terms and “alien” in forms like Form I-485 and Form G-325A.

Following Trump’s executive order, terms like “alien” and “illegal alien” have been reintroduced across USCIS, ICE, and immigration court documents, aligning with updates to forms such as Form I-134 and Form I-192. The “X” gender marker, previously available on U.S. passports, has also been eliminated, with passports now listing only male or female, consistent with changes in forms like Form I-485 and Form I-356.

The sudden shift has sparked concern among applicants and immigration lawyers, particularly as some unknowingly submitted outdated forms like Form I-485 or Form N-400 after the new editions took effect. While USCIS’s discretionary acceptance of older forms has provided temporary relief, the lack of clarity around the “reasonable period” and the broader policy changes continue to fuel debate and legal action.