H-1B and Green Card Applicants Warned Over Costly Signature Mistakes
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is set to introduce stricter signature requirements for immigration applications from 10 July 2026, allowing the agency to reject or deny petitions if signatures are missing or considered invalid.
The regulation, titled Signatures on Immigration Benefit Requests, was issued by the Department of Homeland Security and published in the Federal Register on 11 May 2026. The rule will take effect after a public comment period and is expected to affect H-1B visa holders, green card applicants, and the employers sponsoring them.
Under the new policy, USCIS will be able to reject applications immediately if they do not contain a valid signature. The agency may also deny cases later in the process if a signature is later found to be invalid, even after a receipt notice has been issued. In such cases, USCIS may keep the filing fee and treat the application as fully processed.
The rule is intended to strengthen verification standards and reduce uncertainty over signatures submitted with immigration filings. USCIS will continue to accept traditional handwritten, or “wet-ink”, signatures, as well as scanned or photocopied versions of original signed documents. Electronic signatures will only be accepted through USCIS-approved online systems and must comply with the instructions for each form.
The regulation states that copied and pasted signatures, digital images, stamps, and typed names will not be accepted. Signatures added by unauthorised individuals, including relatives or office staff, will also be rejected unless specifically permitted for a particular form.
The changes apply to several major employment-based immigration forms, including Form I-129 for H-1B and other work visas, Form I-140 for immigrant petitions, and Form I-485 for adjustment of status applications. Large employers with extensive visa sponsorship programmes are expected to face increased administrative demands as a result of the new requirements.
Immigration lawyers have warned that minor errors could lead to serious delays or denials, particularly in time-sensitive processes such as the annual H-1B cap lottery and PERM-based green card petitions. Employers are being advised to introduce stricter internal procedures for collecting and storing signed documents.
Recommended measures include ensuring that every filing contains a fresh ink signature, maintaining records of original signed forms, and avoiding the use of unauthorised digital signature tools. Companies are also being encouraged to train staff carefully on USCIS filing instructions to reduce the risk of errors.
