WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has put into effect a rule giving U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services authority to require electronic filing for certain immigration forms, a move that could shift applications for green cards, citizenship and other benefits away from paper submissions.
The interim final rule, effective Aug. 11, establishes a framework under which USCIS can make online filing mandatory for eligible forms rather than simply encouraging applicants to use its digital systems. USCIS must provide at least 60 days' public notice before imposing an electronic-filing requirement on a particular form, according to information released about the rule.
The change does not mean that all immigration forms immediately became online-only. USCIS continues to accept paper filings for forms and categories for which electronic filing has not been made mandatory. Its current guidance says applicants should follow the filing instructions for the specific form, while some applications can be submitted online.
The rule, identified as RIN 1615-AD19, is titled “Mandatory Electronic Filing (e-Filing)” and was reviewed by the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs as an interim final rule. Government regulatory records show USCIS submitted it for review on May 19, 2026.
USCIS has been expanding electronic processing for years. In congressional correspondence, the agency said it receives more than 7.4 million immigration-benefit requests annually and that online filing allows cases to be processed electronically, reducing reliance on paper records. USCIS said customers were filing online about 44% of the time, while the agency was converting more than 70% of paper filings into electronic processing.
For naturalization applicants, Form N-400 is already available for online filing, although USCIS has maintained paper procedures for applicants seeking certain fee waivers or reductions. USCIS guidance says applicants requesting a fee waiver cannot currently file the N-400 online.
The administration has said the transition is intended to improve efficiency and security by making application data available electronically, reducing paper-processing costs and supporting fraud detection and security screening. The rule also provides for hardship waivers from electronic filing requirements, according to published reports on the implementation.
USCIS is expected to announce separately which eligible forms will become subject to mandatory electronic filing and when those requirements will take effect. Until such notices are issued, applicants must continue following the filing method specified in the instructions for each individual form.
