How do I know which edition I have?

The edition date is printed at the bottom of the pages of the form and its instructions. USCIS also lists the current edition in the Edition Date section of the Form I-129 page. USCIS may reject a form whose pages come from different editions.

My petition is postmarked November 9. Which rules apply?

For the edition, November 9 is too late for the 02/27/26 edition: USCIS rejects it if postmarked on or after November 9. For the address, November 9 is still inside the grace period: USCIS accepts petitions postmarked on or before November 9 that are sent to an old filing location.

Where do I mail Form I-129 now?

All paper Forms I-129 are filed at a USCIS lockbox. The exact address depends on your reason for filing. Check USCIS’s Direct Filing Addresses for Form I-129 page right before you mail it.

Does the 9-11 Biometric Fee apply to my employer?

It applies to ‘covered employers’: those with 50 or more employees in the United States, where more than 50 percent are in H-1B, L-1A or L-1B status. Part-time and full-time employees both count. Your employer’s immigration counsel can confirm whether it is covered.

Does this change who qualifies for an O-1, H-1B or L-1?

These changes are about filing: which version of the form to use, where to send it, and which fees to include. None of the USCIS notices summarized here changes the eligibility requirements for a classification.

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JustiGuide Insights · USCIS forms · H-1B, L-1, O-1 and other I-129 petitions

Form I-129 on November 9, 2026: Only the New Edition, and the End of the Old Filing Addresses

From November 9, 2026, USCIS accepts only the 09/09/26 edition of Form I-129 and rejects the 02/27/26 edition. The 30-day grace period for paper filings mailed to the old I-129 addresses also ends: USCIS accepts those only if postmarked on or before November 9.

USCIS · NOV 9, 2026Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker — edition and filing-address changesUSCIS Form I-129 page · Direct Filing Addresses page · Policy Alert PA-2026-16U.S. Citizenship and Immigration ServicesAnnounced Edition published Sept 9 and addresses changed Oct 7, 2026 · both deadlines fall on November 9, 2026

Executive summary

Form I-129 is the petition employers use for H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, H-3, L-1, O-1, O-2, P, Q-1 and R-1 workers, and to extend or change status to E-1, E-2, E-3, H-1B1 or TN, among other uses. Two changes to how USCIS accepts it come together on November 9, 2026.

Edition: on September 9, 2026, USCIS published a new edition of Form I-129 (edition date 09/09/26), in connection with the 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee final rule that took effect that day. USCIS will accept the older 02/27/26 edition only if it is postmarked or electronically submitted before November 9, 2026, and will reject it if it is postmarked or electronically submitted on or after November 9.

Addresses: on October 7, 2026, USCIS changed where paper Forms I-129 are filed. All paper I-129s go to a USCIS lockbox, and the right address depends on your reason for filing. USCIS gave a 30-day grace period: it will accept forms postmarked on or before November 9, 2026 that are sent to any prior filing location.

Fees: since September 9, 2026, covered employers must include the 9-11 Biometric Fee with their H-1B and L-1 petitions. On October 27, 2026, USCIS updated its Policy Manual (Policy Alert PA-2026-16) to say this fee now applies to L-1 extensions too, not only to new L-1 petitions and changes of employer.

What changes, in plain English

If your employer is filing an I-129 for you on paper, two small details can now get the petition rejected: the edition date printed at the bottom of the form, and the address on the envelope.

Edition: use the 09/09/26 edition. The 02/27/26 edition still works only if the petition is postmarked or submitted online before November 9. On November 9 or later, USCIS rejects it. USCIS also says every page must be from the same edition, or it may reject the form.

Address: USCIS moved the I-129 filing locations on October 7. Petitions mailed to an old address are still accepted if postmarked on or before November 9. After that, use the address on USCIS’s Direct Filing Addresses page for your reason for filing.

Note that the two November 9 rules are not the same. The old edition must be postmarked before November 9. The old address still works if postmarked on November 9 itself.

Fee: employers with 50 or more U.S. employees, where more than half are in H-1B or L-1 status, pay the 9-11 Biometric Fee on their H-1B and L-1 petitions, and now on L-1 extensions too. The fee amounts are on USCIS’s fee schedule, Form G-1055.

What USCIS says

From November 9, 2026, USCIS accepts only the 09/09/26 edition of Form I-129.
The 02/27/26 edition is accepted if postmarked or electronically submitted before November 9, 2026, and rejected if postmarked or electronically submitted on or after that date.
Paper Forms I-129 sent to a filing location used before October 7, 2026 are accepted if postmarked on or before November 9, 2026.
Covered employers must include the 9-11 Biometric Fee with H-1B and L-1 petitions filed on or after September 9, 2026, except an amended petition that does not seek to extend the worker’s current status.
PA-2026-16 confirms the 9-11 Biometric Fee applies to L-1 extensions by covered employers, counting part-time and full-time employees toward the 50 percent test.