US visa new signature rule: USCIS to reject or deny H-1B, green card filings for these applications
Crucially, applicants who fall foul of the rule may lose their filing fees entirely and be required to start again with a fresh application. There is no provision to "cure" a deficient signature once the application has been filed
- May 18, 2026,
- Updated May 18, 2026 12:29 PM IST
A new rule from the US Department of Homeland Security is set to change how immigration applications are processed. From July 10, 2026, US Citizenship and Immigration Services will have the authority to reject or deny immigration benefit requests, including H-1B petitions and Green Card filings, if an invalid signature is discovered at any point during processing, even after the application has been accepted.
Crucially, applicants who fall foul of the rule may lose their filing fees entirely and be required to start again with a fresh application. There is no provision to "cure" a deficient signature once the application has been filed.
What the new rule actually changes
The interim rule amends 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii) to formally codify the authority for USCIS officers to either reject or deny a benefit request if an invalid signature is identified after acceptance. The distinction matters.
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A rejection means the application and fee are returned, and the applicant can refile. A denial means the application is fully adjudicated, the fee is retained by USCIS, and the applicant is deemed ineligible for the benefit. Officers have discretion to choose between the two depending on the circumstances, a quick catch early in processing may warrant rejection; a signature defect uncovered after significant adjudication work may result in denial.
The rule applies to all requests submitted on or after 10 July 2026, and covers employment-based visa filings, adjustment of status applications and employer-sponsored Green Card cases.
What signatures USCIS will and will not accept
For paper filings, USCIS continues to treat handwritten signatures as the standard. The agency will also accept scanned copies of original wet-ink signatures, faxed or photocopied versions of originally signed documents, and electronic signatures in limited USCIS-authorised online filing systems.
What will not be accepted for paper filings includes copy-and-paste signatures, digitally generated signatures, signature stamps, auto-generated signatures, signatures created with software tools, and signatures made by someone other than the applicant or petitioner, including attorneys, in most cases.
Why USCIS is tightening the rules
The signature requirement itself is not new. USCIS has long required valid signatures on immigration forms, and a policy since 2018 states that applications found to have deficient signatures after acceptance will be denied. But DHS acknowledged that the policy was never consistently applied, that officers were unclear about the extent of their authority, and that applicants did not fully understand the consequences.
According to DHS, the problem has grown significantly in recent years. USCIS has seen a sharp rise in copy-pasted signatures, cases where an image of a signature is lifted from one document and affixed to multiple applications. The USCIS Administrative Appeals Office has adjudicated 758 appeals involving requests denied specifically because the signature was copied from another document.
No fix once filed
USCIS has made clear that once a deficient signature is identified, there is no mechanism to correct it. The application cannot be amended or supplemented to address the problem, it must be refiled entirely, at the applicant's cost and, critically, with a new filing date.
What applicants and employers should do now
The rule is currently open for public comment through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov. Comments must be in English and submitted through the portal; USCIS is not accepting mailed comments or submissions via digital media storage devices.
For applicants and employers, every immigration form must carry a genuine handwritten signature or an approved electronic equivalent from the actual applicant or petitioner.
Attorneys, preparers and third parties cannot sign on behalf of applicants in most cases. Any firm using signature software, stamps or copy-paste methods should treat those practices as immediately non-compliant.
A new rule from the US Department of Homeland Security is set to change how immigration applications are processed. From July 10, 2026, US Citizenship and Immigration Services will have the authority to reject or deny immigration benefit requests, including H-1B petitions and Green Card filings, if an invalid signature is discovered at any point during processing, even after the application has been accepted.
Crucially, applicants who fall foul of the rule may lose their filing fees entirely and be required to start again with a fresh application. There is no provision to "cure" a deficient signature once the application has been filed.
What the new rule actually changes
The interim rule amends 8 CFR 103.2(a)(7)(ii) to formally codify the authority for USCIS officers to either reject or deny a benefit request if an invalid signature is identified after acceptance. The distinction matters.
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A rejection means the application and fee are returned, and the applicant can refile. A denial means the application is fully adjudicated, the fee is retained by USCIS, and the applicant is deemed ineligible for the benefit. Officers have discretion to choose between the two depending on the circumstances, a quick catch early in processing may warrant rejection; a signature defect uncovered after significant adjudication work may result in denial.
The rule applies to all requests submitted on or after 10 July 2026, and covers employment-based visa filings, adjustment of status applications and employer-sponsored Green Card cases.
What signatures USCIS will and will not accept
For paper filings, USCIS continues to treat handwritten signatures as the standard. The agency will also accept scanned copies of original wet-ink signatures, faxed or photocopied versions of originally signed documents, and electronic signatures in limited USCIS-authorised online filing systems.
What will not be accepted for paper filings includes copy-and-paste signatures, digitally generated signatures, signature stamps, auto-generated signatures, signatures created with software tools, and signatures made by someone other than the applicant or petitioner, including attorneys, in most cases.
Why USCIS is tightening the rules
The signature requirement itself is not new. USCIS has long required valid signatures on immigration forms, and a policy since 2018 states that applications found to have deficient signatures after acceptance will be denied. But DHS acknowledged that the policy was never consistently applied, that officers were unclear about the extent of their authority, and that applicants did not fully understand the consequences.
According to DHS, the problem has grown significantly in recent years. USCIS has seen a sharp rise in copy-pasted signatures, cases where an image of a signature is lifted from one document and affixed to multiple applications. The USCIS Administrative Appeals Office has adjudicated 758 appeals involving requests denied specifically because the signature was copied from another document.
No fix once filed
USCIS has made clear that once a deficient signature is identified, there is no mechanism to correct it. The application cannot be amended or supplemented to address the problem, it must be refiled entirely, at the applicant's cost and, critically, with a new filing date.
What applicants and employers should do now
The rule is currently open for public comment through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at regulations.gov. Comments must be in English and submitted through the portal; USCIS is not accepting mailed comments or submissions via digital media storage devices.
For applicants and employers, every immigration form must carry a genuine handwritten signature or an approved electronic equivalent from the actual applicant or petitioner.
Attorneys, preparers and third parties cannot sign on behalf of applicants in most cases. Any firm using signature software, stamps or copy-paste methods should treat those practices as immediately non-compliant.