United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, on Friday announced that it would accept all benefit forms and documents with reproduced original signatures, including the Form I-129, Petition for Non-immigrant Worker, for submissions dated March 21, 2020, and beyond.
USCIS said in a press statement that such decision was due to the ongoing COVID-19 National Emergency announced by President Trump on March 13, 2020.
The Agency said it already accepts various petitions, applications and other documents bearing an electronically reproduced original signature, adding: “This means that a document may be scanned, faxed, photocopied, or similarly reproduced provided that the copy must be of an original document containing an original handwritten signature, unless otherwise specified.”
For forms that require an original “wet” signature, per form instructions, USCIS will accept electronically reproduced original signatures for the duration of the National Emergency. This temporary change only applies to signatures. All other form instructions should be followed when completing a form, the Agency said.
It advised that individuals or entities that submit documents bearing an electronically reproduced original signature must also retain copies of the original documents containing the “wet” signature.
“USCIS may, at any time, request the original documents, which if not produced, could negatively impact the adjudication of the immigration benefit.”
