New Form I-129 Required From November 9: What Work Visa Applicants Should Know

Starting today, November 9, 2026, USCIS will accept only one edition of Form I-129, the Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker. Starting Nov. 9, 2026, we will accept only the 09/09/26 edition of Form I-129. Employers use this form to ask for workers on visas such as H-1B, L-1, O-1, E-3 and TN. What changed On Sept. 9, 2026, USCIS published a new edition of Form I-129, dated 09/09/26. The update is linked to a rule on a biometric entry-exit fee for H-1B and L-1 visas, which came into effect on 9 September 2026. Until now, the older edition dated 02/27/26 was still usable. USCIS accepted it only if it was postmarked or submitted electronically before November 9. If the 02/27/26 edition is postmarked or submitted online on or after November 9, it will be rejected. The edition date is easy to miss. The edition date appears in the lower left corner of each page of the form, and failure to use the proper edition will result in USCIS returning a petition. Filing addresses also matter. USCIS changed the I-129 filing locations on 2026-10-07. USCIS also says it will provide a 30-day grace period and accept forms postmarked on or before Nov. 9, 2026, that are sent to any prior filing location. What this means for you: Most people on work visas do not file this form themselves. Their employer or the employer's lawyer files it. Still, it is fair to ask whether the petition uses the 09/09/26 edition. If a petition is rejected, it has to be sent again in full, with new fees, and USCIS treats it as a new filing. That can delay a start date, a job change or an extension. The same rule also brings an extra biometric fee. Starting September 9, 2026, it also applies to extensions. Whether a specific employer must pay depends on conditions set by DHS, so the employer and its legal team should check this before filing. Some practical steps for employers and their legal teams: Download the form from uscis.gov on the day you file. Check that every page says 09/09/26. All pages must be from the same edition. Do not mix a new signature page with older pages. If you already have a package ready with the old edition, mail it before November 9, or switch it to the new edition. Note that today is the cutoff, so there is no time to waste. If you are unsure how this affects your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. They can look at your petition, your employer's filing plan and your dates. Keep checking uscis.gov for the latest form information. This article is general information, not legal advice. Sources: I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker - USCIS: https://www.uscis.gov/i-129 USCIS mandates new I-129 form for all work visa petitions from 9 November - Wocult: https://www.wocult.com/news/uscis-mandates-new-i-129-form-work-visa-petitions-november-2 Form I-129 in 2026: The New Edition Required on November 9 and the Fees Your Company Pays - Barba Inegol: https://barbainegol-law.com/language/en/form-i-129-in-2026-the-new-edition-required-on-november-9-and-the-fees-your-company-pays/ Trump administration updates USCIS form: Employers must use the new I-129 to apply for work visas starting in November: https://www.cronista.com/en/immigration/trump-administration-updates-uscis-form-employers-must-use-the-new-i-129-to-apply-for-work-visas-starting-in-november/ Photo: 2H Media on Unsplash