The New RFE Trend in EB-1A: USCIS Is Now Scrutinizing Digital Evidence Like Never Before

People are getting RFEs because USCIS doesn’t like the way the evidence looks digitally.

USCIS is accepting digital filings, but they are becoming much stricter about digital evidence integrity. That mismatch is what is driving RFEs like the one in your screenshot.

For many years, employment-based immigration petitions like EB-1A and NIW followed a predictable pattern. Applicants prepared thick paper binders. Attorneys mailed physical packets. USCIS officers reviewed printed documents.

That was the system.But now, everything is shifting. USCIS has moved toward online filing and digital submissions, and many applicants assumed that this meant:

“If it’s uploaded online, any PDF or screenshot should be fine.”

Unfortunately, a growing number of RFEs show that USCIS does not see it that way.

A new trend is emerging: USCIS is accepting digital petitions, but rejecting digital-looking evidence.

Let’s unpack what is happening.

A Real Example: RFE on Evidence Format

Recently, an EB-1A applicant received an RFE , not because their achievements were insufficient, but because of one issue:

USCIS questioned the authenticity and format of the submitted documents.

The officer wrote:

“You submitted digital, self-made copies of documentary evidence that were reduced or altered, but such documentation is inadmissible.”

And then came the key instruction:

“You must submit ordinary legible photocopies of an original documentary evidence…

Do not submit digital photos of documentary evidence that can be altered or photoshopped.”

This is not about whether the applicant qualifies. This is about whether USCIS trusts the evidence format.

That is a major shift.