On March 20 2020, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the agency will begin to accept reproduced original signatures on forms and documents for filing petitions and applications for immigration benefits.

This means that the person signing the form or document must physically sign a hard copy of the form or other document, but then may scan or reproduce the signature in a similar manner, such as facsimile or a high quality photograph, in order to enable filing of the petition or application without the hard copy, original signature document.

USCIS will require the petitioner or applicant to retain the original signature document to provide in the event that it is later requested.  Accordingly, Foster clients should still forward their Foster attorney the hard copy original signature document.

USCIS will continue to accept reproductions of original signatures for the duration of the COVID-19 national emergency.

Foster will continue to monitor government procedural changes and other action related to COVID-19 and will provide additional updates on the immigration-related impacts of COVID-19 via our firm’s website at www.fosterglobal.com.