A green card (Form I-551 or Permanent Resident Card) authorises the holder to permanently live and work in the United States. One may obtain this either through family or through employment.

The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has recently clarified that under limited circumstances, they issue green cards without signatures. The signatures are usually waived for children who are under the legal age for consent and for persons who cannot physically place a signature.

Starting February 2015, the USCIS has been waiving the signature requirement for immigrants who obtained their immigrant visa through consular process at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad and entering the United States for the first time as lawful permanent residents.

Such green cards will carry an annotation “Signature Waiver” both on the front and on the reverse of the card where we usually find the signature. When someone receives a green card with this annotation and the holder falls under one of the category referred above, there is no need to panic! If a person does not fall under one of the above categories and has received a green card with this annotation, then it is best that s/he contacts the USCIS local office for clarification.