If you’re applying for or renewing a US work permit, there’s a small detail you need to get right from September 15, 2026: you have to use the new version of Form I-765.
USCIS will stop accepting the previous version of the form. There’s no grace period, so sending the old form after the deadline can mean having your application rejected and having to start over.
That matters if you’re on F-1 OPT or STEM OPT, an H-4 EAD, or waiting for a green card and need work authorization.
What is changing?
Starting September 15, 2026, USCIS will only accept the 09/15/26 edition of Form I-765, the application used to request an Employment Authorization Document (EAD).
The previous 08/21/25 edition will no longer be accepted if it is postmarked or submitted electronically on or after September 15.
There is no grace period.
So if you have an old I-765 PDF saved on your computer, don’t assume you can still use it just because you downloaded it recently.
The important details
| Form | I-765 — Application for Employment Authorization |
| New edition | 09/15/26 |
| Old edition rejected | If postmarked or e-filed on or after September 15, 2026 |
| Grace period | None |
| Change affecting students | New “fixed admission period” rule for F-1, J and I classifications |
Why this matters if you’re already living in the US
This isn’t really about filling out a different-looking form. The problem is what happens if you send the wrong version.
For example, if you’re applying for OPT or STEM OPT, renewing an H-4 EAD, or applying for work authorization while your green card application is pending, you may already be working around a specific deadline.
If USCIS rejects your application because you used the old form, you’ll need to correct it and submit it again. That can cost you valuable time — especially if your current work authorization is about to expire.
For someone whose job depends on that EAD, a rejected application isn’t just annoying paperwork. It can become a real work-authorization problem.
What is the “fixed admission period” change?
The new form also reflects a change affecting certain students and other nonimmigrant categories.
USCIS is applying a fixed admission period rule to people in the F-1, J and I classifications. If you’re in one of these categories, don’t rely on an old I-765 simply because you’ve used the same form before.
The safest approach is to use the current version of the form and check the instructions that apply to your particular status.
What should you do now?
The good news is that this is easy to avoid.
Filing on or after September 15?
Download the I-765 again from the USCIS website and make sure you’re using the 09/15/26 edition. Don’t reuse a PDF you saved months ago.
Already filled out the old version?
You’ll need to transfer your answers to the new edition before submitting it.
Your OPT, STEM OPT or H-4 EAD is expiring soon?
Don’t leave this until the last minute. A rejected application can put you under unnecessary time pressure, particularly when your employment depends on having valid work authorization.
One small form detail that can cause a big headache
US immigration forms are frustratingly unforgiving about things like this.
You can have all the right information, the right supporting documents and a legitimate application — and still have the filing rejected because you used an edition that USCIS no longer accepts.
So before you mail or submit your I-765, check the edition date at the bottom of the form.
For filings from September 15 onward, that date should be 09/15/26.
Source: USCIS — Form I-765 · USCIS Newsroom Alerts
