Archive · 11 Aug 2026
USCIS makes online filing mandatory for green card, citizenship applications
The United States has special rules for people who want to move there to live, work, or be safe.
People who want to come to the US legally must fill out important government forms.
The group that takes care of these forms is called USCIS.
Soon, USCIS will require most people to send these forms using a computer instead of paper.
This is called online filing, and it will be the only way to apply for many things.
That includes green cards, citizenship, and asylum.
The government says online filing will be faster, cheaper, and harder to trick.
It will also use much less paper.
People who really cannot use a computer can ask for a special exemption, but they may need to pay 25 dollars.
So paper applications are going away, and computer applications are coming in.
USCIS published a Federal Register rule on Monday making online filing mandatory for any immigration form available for e-filing for at least 180 days.
Affected applications include green card requests and renewals, family-based petitions, citizenship filings, asylum claims, employment authorization applications and Temporary Protected Status filings.
Applicants will generally file through a USCIS online account by completing the form online or uploading a completed PDF with supporting evidence.
Those unable to file online can request a case-by-case exemption using a new form and will pay a USD 25 filing charge.
USCIS says mandatory e-filing will cut paper processing and reliance on the Treasury Department's lockbox, improving efficiency, reducing errors and strengthening fraud detection and security screening.
- Who
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
- What
- Mandatory online filing for a wide range of immigration benefit forms, including green cards, citizenship, asylum, family-based petitions, employment authorization and Temporary Protected Status filings.
- When
- The rule was published in the Federal Register on Monday; the news was reported on August 11, 2026. USCIS has not announced a start date for enforcement.
- Where
- United States.
- Why
- To improve efficiency, reduce errors and operational costs, accelerate the transition away from paper processing and the Treasury Department's lockbox, and strengthen fraud detection and security screening.
- Agency
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Department of Homeland Security
- Rule publication
- Federal Register, Monday (reported August 11, 2026)
- Mandatory filing trigger
- Any form available for e-filing for at least 180 days
- Future online-only forms notice
- At least 60 days' notice required
- Benefits affected
- Green cards, citizenship, asylum, family petitions, employment authorization, Temporary Protected Status
- Exemption fee
- USD 25, granted case by case
- FY2025 processing volume
- More than 14 million benefit requests; about 453 million paper pages handled by lockboxes
- Lockbox costs
- About USD 396 million in operating costs and more than USD 10 million in postage
