The change would not immediately end paper applications. Instead, it establishes the mechanism USCIS could use to require digital filing for forms that have already been available online for at least 180 days, potentially changing how millions of immigration requests are submitted and processed.
USCIS Could Make Widely Used Immigration Forms Online-Only
According to Newsweek, USCIS would be able to designate an immigration form as online-only after giving applicants at least 60 days’ notice, provided that form had already been electronically available for at least six months.
The measure covers a broad range of immigration benefits. Forms potentially affected include applications to replace permanent resident cards, petitions for relatives, adjustment of status requests, applications for employment authorisation, asylum claims, Temporary Protected Status filings and naturalisation applications.
A substantial part of the system is already available electronically. As of December 2025, USCIS offered online filing for 22 forms. These included Form I-90 for replacing a permanent resident card, I-130 for family sponsorship, I-485 for adjustment of status and I-751 for removing conditions on permanent residence. Forms I-765 for employment authorisation, I-589 for asylum and N-400 for naturalisation were also among those available online.
The difference under the new rule is that electronic filing could become compulsory rather than optional. According to USCIS figures, around 43 per cent of individual applicants filed electronically during the 2025 fiscal year when an online option existed. Fewer than 6 per cent of attorneys and accredited representatives did so.
Citizenship-related forms could also be affected. These include N-336 requests for hearings on certain naturalisation decisions, N-565 applications for replacement citizenship documents, and N-600 and N-600K applications involving certificates of citizenship.
DHS Says Digital Filing Could Reduce Paper Processing Costs
DHS said the policy is intended to reduce USCIS’s reliance on paper applications and the Treasury Department’s lockbox system, which receives and processes mailed filings. Electronic submissions, the department said, could reduce errors while making immigration data easier to access for fraud detection and security screening.
Adam Klein, co-founder of Globali.ai and a former senior DHS official involved in developing electronic immigration forms, told Newsweek that structured electronic data could improve “accuracy, fraud detection, efficiency, and ultimately the quality and speed of decision-making”.
He also noted concerns about access. Mandatory digital requirements could create difficulties for some older applicants, lower-income populations and people with limited internet access or digital literacy. The rule therefore establishes a waiver process. Applicants who face undue hardship from electronic filing could submit the new Form I-936, with USCIS reviewing requests individually and considering barriers such as access to technology.
The proposed waiver fee is $25, although some humanitarian applicants could qualify for existing fee exemptions. DHS estimates that about 249,000 people may request waivers each year. According to DHS figures cited by Newsweek, USCIS processed more than 452 million pages through its lockbox network during fiscal year 2025. Paper processing involved about $10.9 million in postage costs and roughly $253 million in labour costs.
DHS estimates the rule would produce about $518 million in annual net savings for applicants and petitioners, alongside approximately $15 million in annual costs connected with the waiver system. The rule is scheduled to take effect on 11 August, with public comments accepted until 13 October.
