The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has once again issued a reminder to applicants submitting paper forms to use black ink. In a recent social media post, the agency advised those who choose to complete forms by hand to use only black ink, explicitly cautioning against the use of blue, red, or green ink pens.
“If you’re paper-filing a form and want to write your answers by hand, use black ink,” USCIS stated. “Do not use blue, red, or green ink pens. Make sure your entries are neat, your handwriting is legible, and your answers fit within the space provided.”
Many applicants may wonder, “Why?” Immigration practitioners suggest that black ink is preferred for its high contrast against white paper, making it easier for scanning equipment and human reviewers to process documents accurately. Colored inks, such as blue or red, may not reproduce as clearly in photocopies or digital scans, potentially leading to misinterpretations or processing delays.
The emphasis on black ink is not a new requirement but reflects a longstanding practice rooted in the agency’s reliance on both manual reviews and automated scanning technology. USCIS processes millions of applications, petitions, and requests each year—ranging from green card applications to citizenship petitions and work permits.
The USCIS website further clarifies this in its “Tips for Filing Forms by Mail” section. “If you handwrite your answers, use black ink. Make sure that everything you write on the form is clear, so we can easily read the information on the scanned image we produce when we process your form,” the USCIS website reads.
USCIS further instructs, “Do not use highlighters, correction fluid, or correction tape. We use both black-and-white and grayscale scanners that will not properly read information that is grayed out, highlighted, or corrected using correction fluid or tape. If you make an error, start over with a clean form.”
USCIS also reminds applicants to sign the form in the space provided for the signature. “We will reject and return any unsigned form,” warns USCIS.
Click here to read more about filing tips on the USCIS website.
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Kishor Panthi
View More PostsKishor Panthi is the founder and editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and NepYork. He is the author of three books, “Kampan,” "UNTRANSLATABLE" and “Zero Mile.” He writes about social issues, immigration, and politics.
