Applying for an H-1B visa? Digital signatures could get your petition denied, flags USCIS
USCIS rules require all signatures on Form I-129 to be valid handwritten marks or a proper reproduction of an original. What’s fueling confusion is the policy shift since the pandemic
- Aug 16, 2025,
- Updated Aug 16, 2025 9:47 AM IST
Immigration attorneys are warning H-1B applicants of a fresh wave of denials tied to a seemingly simple detail: signatures. Law firms say the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has stepped up scrutiny of signature compliance, issuing an increasing number of Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs).
USCIS rules require all signatures on Form I-129 to be valid handwritten marks or a proper reproduction of an original. What’s fueling confusion is the policy shift since the pandemic.
On March 20, 2020, USCIS began allowing electronically reproduced signatures, via scan, fax, or photocopy, to accommodate remote filings. That flexibility was made permanent in July 2022. But recent adjudications show that petitions are still being denied where signatures appear duplicated, copied, or inconsistent with genuine ink variation.
“In recent adjudications, USCIS identified multiple I-129 petitions in which all required signatures appeared identical across pages, suggesting the use of a scanned image or digital copy. USCIS emphasized that such uniformity is inconsistent with the natural variation of genuine ink signatures and determined these signatures were not compliant with applicable regulations and instructions. The agency concluded that the petitions had not been properly signed and therefore could not be adjudicated favorably,” the Law office of Thomas V Allen said.
The law office highlighted cases where three signatures on a petition were found to be identical, indicating digital stamping, and others where newly submitted pages were rejected because ink marks could not be verified as originating from the original filing.
What are the fresh requirements?
According to USCIS, a valid signature must be handwritten by the signatory. Photocopies, scans, or faxes of originally signed documents are acceptable, provided the original was signed in ink and is retained in records. But signatures created by a typewriter, a word processor, an auto-pen, or pasted as images do not satisfy the requirement.
Attorneys note that USCIS can request the original wet-ink signature at any time, and failure to produce it can jeopardise the case. Importantly, the agency does not provide an opportunity to cure a deficient signature once filed, meaning such petitions face outright denial.
Best practice, lawyers advise, is to file with original ink signatures whenever possible and to maintain organised records of originals in case USCIS issues a Request for Evidence (RFE) or NOID.
Immigration attorneys are warning H-1B applicants of a fresh wave of denials tied to a seemingly simple detail: signatures. Law firms say the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has stepped up scrutiny of signature compliance, issuing an increasing number of Notices of Intent to Deny (NOIDs).
USCIS rules require all signatures on Form I-129 to be valid handwritten marks or a proper reproduction of an original. What’s fueling confusion is the policy shift since the pandemic.
On March 20, 2020, USCIS began allowing electronically reproduced signatures, via scan, fax, or photocopy, to accommodate remote filings. That flexibility was made permanent in July 2022. But recent adjudications show that petitions are still being denied where signatures appear duplicated, copied, or inconsistent with genuine ink variation.
“In recent adjudications, USCIS identified multiple I-129 petitions in which all required signatures appeared identical across pages, suggesting the use of a scanned image or digital copy. USCIS emphasized that such uniformity is inconsistent with the natural variation of genuine ink signatures and determined these signatures were not compliant with applicable regulations and instructions. The agency concluded that the petitions had not been properly signed and therefore could not be adjudicated favorably,” the Law office of Thomas V Allen said.
The law office highlighted cases where three signatures on a petition were found to be identical, indicating digital stamping, and others where newly submitted pages were rejected because ink marks could not be verified as originating from the original filing.
What are the fresh requirements?
According to USCIS, a valid signature must be handwritten by the signatory. Photocopies, scans, or faxes of originally signed documents are acceptable, provided the original was signed in ink and is retained in records. But signatures created by a typewriter, a word processor, an auto-pen, or pasted as images do not satisfy the requirement.
Attorneys note that USCIS can request the original wet-ink signature at any time, and failure to produce it can jeopardise the case. Importantly, the agency does not provide an opportunity to cure a deficient signature once filed, meaning such petitions face outright denial.
Best practice, lawyers advise, is to file with original ink signatures whenever possible and to maintain organised records of originals in case USCIS issues a Request for Evidence (RFE) or NOID.