USCIS' Recent Focus on Form Signature Requirements

New trend of USCIS Requests for Evidence and Notices of Intent to Deny for form signature issues

E-Verify Updates

By Shelley Starzyk, Immigration Attorney

October 2025

In the past few months, US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has increased their issuance of Requests for Evidence (RFE) and Notices of Intent to Deny (NOID) notices for proof of the petitioner or applicant’s “wet signatures” on filed cases. These notices from USCIS either request copies of the original, hand-signed signature pages, or in the event of a notice of intent to deny, they allege that the signatures appearing on the submitted USCIS petition or application are invalid.

According to the USCIS Policy Manual, “A signature is valid even if the original signature on the document is photocopied, scanned, faxed, or similarly reproduced. Regardless of how the signature page is transmitted to USCIS, the copy must be of an original document containing an original handwritten signature, unless otherwise specified. The regulations do not require that the person signing submit an “original” or “wet ink” signature on a petition, application, or other request to USCIS.” In this policy, USCIS notes that it will accept scans of signed immigration forms, but that it can request original, signed page(s) for USCIS review later.

For companies and individuals filing paperwork with USCIS, we recommend hand signing immigration forms with a black or blue, ink pen and ensuring that there is at least some variation in the appearance of your signature if you are signing multiple forms. If a scan or photcopy of the original page is being submitted to USCIS, the petitioner or applicant must retain the original, signed document with their records in the event that USCIS wishes to review the original, signed document.

Note that as of the publication of this article, we are seeing a new form of RFE that requests either (i) the original, signed signature page or pages for a form that was submitted with a scanned or photocopied signature, or (ii) newly signed signature pages for the relevant form together with an attestation by the signer that these “newly signed versions of the signature pages represent legal and enforceable attestations related to all evidence and requirements at the time the original Form was filed”. This new form of RFE is a welcome development by the USCIS on this issue.

If you have received an RFE or NOID for a signature issue, and need assistance, please reach out to your Parker Gallini immigration attorney.