INTRODUCTION
USCIS intends to issue a revised Form- I-539, Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status on March 11, 2019. USCIS will only accept the revised Form with an edition date of February 04, 2019 on and after March 11. Any Form I-539 with an edition date of December 23, 2016 or earlier will be rejected.
A new Form I-539A, Supplemental Information for Application to Extend/Change Nonimmigrant Status will also be published on the website. This Form will replace the Supplement A provided in the previous versions of Form I-539.
SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE REVISED FORM I-539
▪ Every co-applicant included on the primary applicant’s Form I-539 must submit separately a signed Form I-539A. Parents or guardians can sign on behalf of children under 14 or who is not mentally competent to sign;
▪ Every applicant and co-applicant must pay an $85 biometric services fee, except certain A, G and NATO nonimmigrants;
▪ Every applicant and co-applicant will receive a biometric services appointment notice, regardless of age, containing their individual receipt number. The biometric services appointments will be scheduled at the Application Support Center (ASC) closest to the primary applicant’s address. Co-applicants who wish to schedule at a different ASC location should file a separate Form I-539;
▪ USCIS will reject Form I-539 that is missing any of the required signatures or biometrics fees, including those required for Form I-539A.
CONCLUSION
Form I-539 is required for change or extension of status for all family members of nonimmigrant visa holders such as H-1B, L-1 including B-1/B-2 visitors. In the current form I-539, only the main applicant is required to sign and the co-applicants were exempted from signing. Also, there was no Biometrics fees until now. However, the new version requires all the co-applicants to sign separately Form I-539A and also attend biometric services appointment
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