USCIS is moving closer to making online filing mandatory for certain immigration applications and petitions. On August 10, 2026, USCIS announced a new Department of Homeland Security rule establishing a framework that allows the agency to require electronic filing for forms that have been available online for at least 180 days.
The interim final rule took effect on August 11, 2026, but that does not mean every USCIS form must now be filed electronically. Instead, USCIS now has the authority to introduce mandatory e-filing requirements form by form.
For Day1CPT.org readers—particularly F-1 students, OPT/STEM OPT applicants, and other immigration benefit applicants—the key point is that this creates a process for future filing changes rather than an immediate switch for every USCIS application.
Under the new rule, USCIS may require a benefit request to be filed electronically once that form has been available for e-filing for at least 180 days.
Before making electronic filing mandatory, USCIS must publish an announcement on its official website and provide at least 60 days of advance notice before paper filings stop being accepted for the affected form or filing category.
Electronic filing can include:
Importantly, the rule itself does not currently designate a specific USCIS form as mandatory for online filing. USCIS will announce those requirements separately.
The change is especially worth watching for F-1 students because Form I-765, Application for Employment Authorization, can already be filed online for certain F-1 categories, including students applying for Optional Practical Training. USCIS first introduced online Form I-765 filing for eligible F-1 OPT applicants in 2021 and later expanded online procedures involving OPT and STEM OPT.
However, USCIS has not announced in this rule that Form I-765 must now be filed electronically.
That distinction matters. Students preparing OPT or STEM OPT applications should continue following the current filing instructions for their specific eligibility category rather than assuming paper filing is already prohibited.
If USCIS later makes electronic filing mandatory for an eligible Form I-765 category, the agency would first have to issue the required advance notice.
The rule creates a waiver process for people who would face an undue hardship if required to file electronically.
USCIS plans to use a new Form I-936, Request for Waiver of E-Filing Requirement. Applicants seeking an exception would generally need to submit the waiver request before filing the immigration benefit request on paper and provide documentation explaining why they cannot comply with electronic filing. The rule establishes a $25 fee for Form I-936, although limited fee-waiver situations are available where required by law.
An approved waiver generally will be valid for 30 days for a new filing. USCIS also makes clear that filing a waiver request does not preserve the filing date of the underlying immigration application, so applicants facing deadlines would need to account for the additional processing time.
The waiver system is not yet fully operational. USCIS cannot begin requiring forms to be filed exclusively online until the new waiver information collection receives the required approval and USCIS subsequently announces a specific mandatory e-filing requirement.
The biggest change on August 11 is therefore USCIS gaining the regulatory authority to phase in mandatory e-filing, not the immediate elimination of paper applications.
Students and professionals should watch USCIS announcements for specific forms or categories that become subject to mandatory online filing. Once USCIS identifies a form, it must provide at least 60 days' advance notice before the electronic filing requirement takes effect.
For F-1 students planning OPT or STEM OPT applications, the safest approach is to check the current USCIS filing instructions when preparing the application rather than relying on older filing procedures. As USCIS continues shifting toward electronic processing, filing methods that are optional today may become mandatory in the future.
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