You can now file both the I-140 and I-485 online (with one catch)

When I filed my EB-2 NIW petition in 2024, it went to USCIS the old way: a thick stack of paper in a box, a trip to the post office, and a few weeks of waiting just to find out whether it had arrived.

That has changed. You can now file both the I-140 and the I-485 online through a USCIS account. There's one important exception, though, and it catches a lot of people, so read to the end.

What changed

The I-140 went online first. In late 2025, USCIS started accepting Form I-140 through its online accounts for EB-1A and EB-2 NIW petitions (Stelmakh & Associates). It works as a PDF upload: you fill in and sign the form, then upload it along with your cover letter and exhibits as PDF files.

The I-485 followed in 2026. Since April 23, 2026, certain employment-based applicants can file Form I-485 online (Manifest Law). Family-based applicants still file on paper.

The catch: filing both together still means paper

If you want to file your I-140 and I-485 at the same time (this is called concurrent filing), you can't do it online yet. Online I-485 filing is only for a standalone I-485, meaning one filed after your I-140 is already in. A concurrent package still has to be mailed.

So in practice:

Your priority date is not current yet (you have to wait in line anyway): file the I-140 online now. When your date becomes current later, file the I-485 online too.
Your priority date is already current and you want to file both at once: that's still a paper package sent by mail.
Your priority date is current, but you're fine filing one after the other: you can file the I-140 online first, then the I-485 online once you have your I-140 receipt. You lose a little time, but you skip the post office completely.

If "priority date" and "concurrent filing" are new terms to you, read my beginner's guide to the difference between the I-140 and I-485 first.

The flag of the United States — Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash

Why filing online is better

You know right away that it arrived. With paper, you wait weeks for a receipt notice. Online, you see your submission in your account, and the receipt number usually shows up within a few days.
It's a little cheaper. USCIS charges $50 less for many forms filed online. For the I-485, that's $1,390 online versus $1,440 by mail (Manifest Law). Check the USCIS fee page for current amounts before you pay.
Nothing gets lost in the mail. No courier fees and no worrying about whether a box of original documents reached the right lockbox.
Everything stays in one place. Notices, status updates, and later requests all show up in the same account.

How filing the I-140 online works

Create a USCIS online account at myaccount.uscis.gov and turn on two-step verification.
Prepare your forms as PDFs. Fill in the I-140, then sign it. A typed name is not enough, so sign by hand and scan, or use a proper e-signature.
Get your evidence ready. Your cover letter, CV, recommendation letters and exhibits all go in as PDFs. Filers report a limit of about 12 MB per file, so you may need to split big exhibits (EB1EB2DIY). Use simple file names like Exhibit-09-Google-Scholar.pdf.
Start the filing. In your account, choose to file a form online, pick the I-140, and choose your category (EB-2 NIW or EB-1A).
Upload, review, pay. Check everything carefully before you submit, because you can't edit it afterward. Then pay by card.
Want premium processing? That's a separate Form I-907, which you file online after your I-140 receipt number arrives.

Download and save a copy of everything you submit. You'll want it later, and you'll need it if USCIS sends a Request for Evidence.

Will online filing become mandatory?

Possibly. In August 2026, DHS published a rule that lets USCIS require online filing for specific forms. As of now, no form has been named yet, and USCIS has to give at least 60 days' notice before it makes any form online-only (Clinch Law). So paper still works today, but online is clearly where things are heading. Learning it now is a good idea.

One last tip

These details change often, and some of what's above comes from people who have filed recently, not from an official USCIS manual. Before you file, check the I-140 and I-485 pages on uscis.gov for the latest instructions.

If you're putting together an NIW petition yourself and want to see what a finished, approved one looks like, my petition cover letter and CV are available here.

Not legal advice. I'm a scientist, not a lawyer, and this post is for educational purposes only.