US Rule May Hit Indian Visa Applicants

Hyderabad:The United States government has introduced a new immigration rule that could create serious problems for visa and green card applicants. Under the new rule, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will have the power to reject or deny immigration applications if officials later decide that a signature on the form is invalid. This can happen even after the application has already been accepted for processing.

The rule was published in the Federal Register on May 11 and will come into effect from July 10. Earlier, if there was a signature mistake, USCIS often allowed applicants to correct the error or re‑submit the form. However, the new rule gives immigration officers wider authority to deny the application completely. The rules also state that applicants will lose their filing fees, which can run into thousands of dollars.

The rule applies to many immigration forms, including H‑1B work visa petitions, green card applications, employment authorisation requests, family petitions and student‑related immigration benefits. USCIS says the move is meant to prevent fraud and ensure that all applications follow proper legal procedures.

The impact will be especially significant for Indian applicants, as thousands of Indian professionals apply every year for H‑1B visas, employment‑based green cards and dependent visas. Many also rely on immigration consultants, lawyers and employers to prepare forms on their behalf.

The rule changes by USCIS come at a difficult time for Indian applicants, who are already facing long green card backlogs and visa delays. Recent US visa bulletin updates have shown further retrogression in employment‑based categories for Indians, especially EB‑1 and EB‑2 visas.

Law firms and immigration experts have advised applicants to carefully review every form before submission. “Applicants should personally verify each and every signature, and avoid using copied or electronically pasted signatures unless specifically permitted by USCIS,” said Rajeswar Rao, an immigration consultant from Hyderabad.

He further said the new rule could be used to increase immigration rejections over technical mistakes, rather than actual eligibility issues.