USCIS Processing Alert 2026: Invalid Signatures May Now Lead to Outright Denial

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a significant procedural shift: benefit requests submitted with invalid or missing signatures may now be outright denied, rather than returned or subjected to a Request for Evidence (RFE). This marks a stricter enforcement stance on a long-standing requirement. Previously, USCIS officers had discretion to issue an RFE or a Request for Initial Evidence (RFE) when a signature was found to be missing or defective. Under the updated guidance, officers are permitted to skip that remediation step and issue a denial directly, meaning applicants lose both filing fees and valuable processing time. For EB-3 applicants and their employers, this change has direct implications. Petitions such as Form I-140 (Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers), Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence), and related forms must be reviewed carefully to confirm that all required signature fields are completed by the correct party — whether the petitioner, applicant, or attorney of record. Immigration attorneys, including those at Murthy Law Firm, are advising clients to conduct thorough pre-submission reviews of all forms. Electronic signatures, wet signatures, and attorney authorization signatures each carry specific requirements that must be met to avoid a denial. Applicants currently preparing EB-3 petitions or adjustment of status packages should work closely with their legal counsel or employer's HR/legal team to audit all signature fields before filing. A single missing or invalid signature on any form in a package can now jeopardize the entire submission.