Homeland Security Department
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations governing the submission of benefit requests to provide that if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts a benefit request and determines later that it lacks a valid signature, USCIS may, in its discretion, reject or deny the request. This interim final rule (IFR or rule) will clarify USCIS procedures relating to the rejection or denial of benefit requests that do not meet regulatory requirements to ensure better enforcement of signature requirements.
Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Homeland Security 8 CFR Part 103 [CIS No. 2855-26; Docket No. USCIS-2026-0166] RIN 1615-AD17 ( printed page 25479) AGENCY: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, DHS. ACTION: Interim final rule; request for comments. SUMMARY: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is amending its regulations governing the submission of benefit requests to provide that if U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) accepts a benefit request and determines later that it lacks a valid signature, USCIS may, in its discretion, reject or deny the request. This interim final rule (IFR or rule) will clarify USCIS procedures relating to the rejection or denial of benefit requests that do not meet regulatory requirements to ensure better enforcement of signature requirements. DATES: Effective Date: This interim final rule is effective on July 10, 2026. Comment Date: Written comments on the interim final rule must be submitted on or before July 10, 2026. ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on the entirety of this rule package, identified by DHS Docket No. USCIS-2026-0166 through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov . In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(b)(4) , the summary of this rule found above may also be found at https://www.regulations.gov . Follow the website instructions for submitting comments. USCIS cannot accept comments contained on any form of digital media storage devices, such as CDs/DVDs and USB drives. USCIS is also not accepting mailed comment…
Citation: 91 FR 25479
