We've talked before about USCIS's plan to offer all forms online by the end of fiscal year 2026, but for now the majority of immigration forms are still filed by good old snail mail. 

Like any government agency, USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) is slow to change. Many people nowadays prefer to do their banking, utilities, and researching online, and are shocked when they find out many government departments/agencies still have in-person or mail-in requirements. 

Although all USCIS forms are available to be viewed and downloaded online, only 18 (out of 103!) can be filed online. In order to ensure your paper application can be processed as efficiently as possible, USCIS has released new tips for filing forms by mail. We have listed the most important tips below, but you can see every tip published by USCIS here.

• Only use black ink. Often scanners have a hard time picking up the lightness of blue ink, so it is important to use black ink when hand-writing and signing an application. 

• Remember to sign your form! USCIS will reject your application if you don't. 

• Do not mail a form that has already been submitted online. 

• Don't use a highlighter on your application or white-out! It all comes back to scanning. USCIS scanners have a hard time reading pages that have been changed with highlighters or white-out. 

• Make sure you submit the correct fee with your application. USCIS will reject submissions with incorrect or incomplete fees. 

• Follow the USCIS guide for assembly order of forms when mailing.

• Make sure your exhibits/attachments are legible. This means copies that:

• Are not blurry or faded;

• Do not have streaks or toner lines;

• Are not upside down, lopsided, skewed, or distorted;

• Do not have text that is obscured or missing due to folded pages; and

• Have pages that are completely illegible. 

• Do not send original documents unless specifically requested.

• Do not staple your pages!

We know there are a lot of instructions listed here, but filing by mail with USCIS does not have to be stressful. We are happy to help!

If you would like assistance with an immigration petition, you can reach us at (757) 422-8472, or send us a message on our website. You can also schedule an appointment with one of our attorneys by clicking on this link.