USCIS WILL TEMPORARILY ACCEPT COPIES OF DOCUMENTS WITH ORIGINAL SIGNATURES

USCIS announced March 20,2020 that, during the National Emergency declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will accept benefit forms and documents with a copy of the original signature, including for Form I-129 for all forms dated after March 21, 2020.

USCIS normally requires an original handwritten signature on a number of documents, including the Form I-129, Petition for Nonimmigrant Worker. Allowing scans, photocopies, faxes or similar reproductions of the original document will reduce the required exchange of hard copy documents and support the telework arrangements adopted by many employers.

The original, signed documents must be maintained as USCIS may request these at its discretion and failure to produe the original could “negatively impact the adjudication of the immigration benefit”