G-325a - foreign fiance(e) signature no longer required?

[bszoom42 0]

I came across this memo: http://149.101.23.2/graphics/lawsregs/hand...325A_110105.pdf.

To: SERVICE CENTER DIRECTORS

From: Michael Aytes /S/

Acting Associate Director for Operations

United States Citizenship and Immigration Services

Department of Homeland Security

Date: November 1, 2005

Re: Guidance for Processing Pending Form I-129F Petition for Alien Fiancé(e) when

G-325A for Petitioner and/or Beneficiary is not Signed and/or Photos not Submitted.

Purpose

To provide field offices with guidance on processing Form I-129F petitions when the accompanying G-325A is missing signatures and/or photographs.

A properly executed Form G-325A is required for all I-129F petitions. Previously it was standard practice to issue an RFE when the beneficiary failed to sign the G-325A and/or failed to submit photographs. From the date of this memorandum, an RFE should not be issued in instances where the beneficiary failed to sign the G-325A and/or failed to include photographs provided that the beneficiary is residing abroad. The beneficiary will be required to sign the Form G-325A and/or submit photographs at the time of visa issuance abroad. It is also not necessary to RFE for the petitioner’s signature on the G-325A, if the petitioner failed to sign it. The signature of the petitioner on the Form I-129F should be deemed sufficient for purposes of adjudicating the petition. Finally, it is important to note that the petitioner’s photograph is still required for the adjudication of the I-129F, so if it is missing, it must be requested prior to adjudication.

Questions regarding this memorandum may be directed through appropriate channels to Mica Pilz of Service Center Operations.

[William33 110]

Look at the date on the memo: 1 November 2005.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that USCIS will issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) on the aforementioned items.

One would be wise to follow the instructions on the forms.

[bszoom42 0]

Yeah, it is dated from 2005, but they are plenty of earlier memos that USCIS follows.

I have not seen a memo rescinding or changing this since, and my next step was to check the adjudicator's field manual to see if I can gain any insight from that.

Anyone else have any experience with this?