Signature Requirements for the Submission of Benefit Requests

Key changes

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is issuing policy guidance in the USCIS Policy Manual to clarify the signature requirements that apply when submitting immigration benefit requests.
• Clarifies what USCIS considers acceptable and unacceptable signatures for purposes of properly filing an immigration benefit request.
• Provides that, if USCIS accepts a benefit request for adjudication and determines later that it was not submitted with a valid signature, USCIS may reject or deny the request.1
• Clarifies that USCIS only accepts signatures captured electronically where such signatures are provided through a USCIS online account when prompted during online filing, as permitted by regulations or form instructions.2
• Explains that valid signatures include original signatures on requests that are photocopied, scanned, faxed, or similarly reproduced.
• Explains that an image of a handwritten signature that is subsequently and separately affixed to the benefit request by either physical or electronic methods is not a valid signature.
• Reiterates that, where a reproduction of an original signature is submitted, USCIS may request documents containing the original signature at any time.3
• Clarifies that signature requirements for purposes of affidavits and other supporting documents are addressed in the respective benefit request regulations or form instructions. S ummary of Changes
• Revises Section A (Signature Requirement) throughout.
• Revises the second paragraph and table in Section B (Valid Signature).
• Adds new footnote in Section C (Who May Sign) and other technical edits throughout.
• Revises first paragraph and bulleted list in Section B (Definition of Properly Filed).
• Deletes table entitled, “Acceptable and Unacceptable Signatures” in Section B, Subsection 2 (Signature Requirements).
• Adds two footnotes to the first paragraph of Section C (Concurrent Filings). USCIS may also make other minor technical, stylistic, and conforming changes consistent with this update. Citation Volume 1: General Policies and Procedures, Part B, Submission of Benefit Requests, Chapter 2, Signatures [1 USCIS-PM B.2]. 2 Alternative signature methods using electronic means may be acceptable when the document is signed in the presence of a government official. For example, USCIS permits Form I-590 to be signed with an electronic signature at an interview.