India, May 17 -- The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services is rolling out a stricter signature verification policy that could have major consequences for H-1B visa applicants, green card seekers and employers sponsoring foreign workers.

According to an interim final rule issued by the US Department of Homeland Security, USCIS will gain broader authority to reject or deny immigration filings if signatures are later found to be invalid, even after applications have already been accepted for processing.

The new regulation was published in the Federal Register on May 11 and will take effect on July 10, 2026.

Under the updated framework, USCIS may reject petitions missing valid signatures at intake, or deny cases during adjudic...