This article was prepared with the assistance of ABIL, the Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers, of which Loan Huynh, Fredrikson Immigration Department Chair, is a member.
Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) recently updated Form I-983 (Training Plan for STEM OPT students) to remove the requirement for wet signatures. According to the ICE bulletin released about this form change, SEVP will accept electronic signatures in the following formats:
- Electronic signatures produced with software programs
- Digitally reproduced signatures, such as a scanned image of a physical signature
Additionally, students can now send their completed Form I-983 to their designated school official via email or a secure platform, such as a school portal.
