Overview
This knowledgebase article will explore the process of setting up electronic signature configuration with ISSS Student and signing and sending I-20s electronically.
- DocuSign Configuration for ISSS Student
- Applying Electronic Signatures to I-20s Issued via Batch
- Applying Electronic Signatures to I-20s Issued via Post to RTI
Please keep in mind that using electronic signatures in ISSS Student requires integration with an existing DocuSign account. If your office/institution does not have a DocuSign account, please purchase one via https://www.docusign.com/. This is the official working on DocuSign site: Learn about promoting your app's integration key to production through our Go-Live process, which requires a DocuSign production enterprise account or API plan. Note that the same DocuSign account can be used by multiple DSOs; it is not necessary for each DSO to purchase an individual account. Terra Dotta recommends that ISSS offices use a general office email, if possible, to register the DocuSign integration, as this email address will appear in the body of the email messages sent to both ISSS Admins and students from DocuSign.
DocuSign Configuration for ISSS Student
DocuSign must be set up from the client’s sandbox account and tested there before moving to the production DocuSign account. The client will need to have access to the demo.docusign.net account in order to set up the configuration. It is recommended to be logged in as the general office account in DocuSign at this point, as whomever sets up the integration is who the emails from DocuSign appear to be the sender of the email.
- To configure a DocuSign account with sandbox in ISSS Student, navigate to the configuration screen via Menu > Configuration>Site Settings>Additional Settings > DocuSign Configuration. Click the Edit button in the bottom right corner.
- In a separate tab, open the office/institution DocuSign demo account (demo.docusign.net) that will be used. In DocuSign, go to Settings, then scroll down to Integrations and click on Apps and Keys.
- Copy the API Account ID number under My Account Information and paste into the DocuSign Account ID field on the DocuSign Configuration screen in ISSS Student.
- Copy the Account Base URI url under My Account Information and paste into the DocuSign Base URl field on the DocuSign Configuration screen in ISSS Student.
- Click the blue Add App and Integration Key button in the lower left corner of Apps and Keys screen.
- This will bring up the Add Integration Key modal to enter an app name. Enter desired name (such as office/institution name) as the App Name and click Create App. The App Name entered should also be in the DocuSign App Name field on the DocuSign Configuration screen.
- After clicking Create App in DocuSign, you will land on a screen with an Integration Key. Copy and paste this Integration Key into the DocuSign Integration Key field on the DocuSign Configuration page in ISSS Student.
- Back on the DocuSign site, scroll down to the Authentication section directly below the Integration Key. Click on the +Add Security Key button, then copy and paste the generated security key in the DocuSign Security key field on the DocuSign Configuration page of ISSS Student.
- Once all other fields are complete on the DocuSign Configuration Screen in ISSS Student, enter the desired email subject for DocuSign email alerts to ISSS Admins and students in the DocuSign Email Subject field. When finished, click Update.
- After updating the DocuSign Configuration screen, please open a support ticket so that we can make some necessary changes to your sandbox site for the DocuSign configuration to work.
- After receiving confirmation that your sandbox site is ready, click Generate Access Token. A DocuSign window requesting permission from TerraDotta will appear the first time an access token is requested for the ISSS Student Site. It is recommended that you login as the general office email in this step. Click Allow Access.
12. If the access token is successfully generated, a green sleek message confirming this will appear in the upper right corner of the screen. DSOs should now be able to issue electronic signatures in ISSS Student of sandbox.
Note: DSOs sending an I-20 to DocuSign for the first time may be redirected to the DocuSign account login page, where they must enter the office DocuSign account password to continue.
13. You will need to send 20 consecutive API calls on the demo site to Docusign. It is recommended that you use the Reprint I-20 function via RTIC on your sandbox site to send 20 I-20s (can be for the same student) to DocuSign.
To sign an I-20 electronically via RTIC, complete the reprint I-20 request in SEVIS using the standard process. Once the request is complete and submitted, click the Print I-20 button. A pop-up will appear asking, “Do you want to send this document to Docusign to get e-Signature?” To send the document to DocuSign, click OK. Confirm the logged in user on the sandbox site is receiving an email from DocuSign that a new I-20 is ready for signature. Then repeat this step 20 times. There is a slight delay in the demo DocuSign account, but as you are processing the I-20s, the count in the Go Live Status column in the demo DocuSign account should be counting down from 20:
Once you send 20 consecutive successful API calls to DocuSign, you should see the option in the “Go Live Status” column of the demo DocuSign account to “Submit for review.” Click that link to start the DocuSign review process of moving the sandbox configuration to production.
Once the review is complete, you should see the status message in the demo DocuSign account and you are ready to move to production.
DocuSign Configuration for ISSS Student Production
Once you have moved the integration from the demo DocuSign to your production DocuSign account, you will need to follow the steps 1-12 listed above on your production site and make certain that the DocuSign configuration on your production site matches the settings and keys on your production DocuSign account.
Applying Electronic Signatures to I-20s Issued via Batch
To sign a batched I-20 electronically, go to the Batch Manager and locate the desired downloaded batch. Click the 3 dots located to the far right of the batch name, which will display the batch options. Click Print Documents.
In the Print Document window, check the box to the left of the document you wish to print. Click the Options button in the upper left corner of the window and select Send to DocuSign.
Once processed, the message “File sent to DocuSign Successfully” will appear in the upper right corner of the screen.
The DSO will receive an email from DocuSign indicating that a document is ready for review and signature.
Note: at this time, emails sent to both DSOs and students from DocuSign are hardcoded in the DocuSign Integration. It is not possible for ISSS offices to customize the text of these emails.
Clicking the Review Document button will send the DSO to the Form I-20 in DocuSign.
Once in DocuSign, the DSO will see an electronic copy of the Form I-20. Using the options in the Fields column to the left of the I-20, the DSO can generate and apply an electronic signature to both Page 1 and 2 of the I-20, as well as add his/her Name, Title, Email Address, the Date Signed, and additional text.
Once the DSO has completed signing the I-20, click Finish in the upper right corner of the screen.
A modal will pop up asking if the DSO wishes to save a copy of the I-20 in DocuSign. This is not necessary, as the DSO will automatically receive an email with the signed I-20. Click “No Thanks.” The DSO will then receive confirmation that they’ve finished signing.
The DSO will now receive an email confirmation that the document is complete, along with a link to view the completed document. If desired, the DSO can view the signed I-20 via the View Completed Document Link, as well as download and/or print a copy of the signed I-20.
Once the electronic signature process is complete, the student will also receive email confirmation from DocuSign that his/her new I-20 is completed and signed. Students can access their new I-20 via the View Completed Document link, where they can download and/or print the I-20 for their personal use.
The General History Log in the Student Profile will log an entry each time an I-20 for that student has been sent to DocuSign for electronic signature. The entry will include the request type and batch number for the I-20 as well as the date and time it was sent to DocuSign.
Applying Electronic Signatures to I-20s Issued via Post to RTI
To sign an I-20 electronically via Post to RTI, use the Post to RTI request action to navigate from ISSS Student to RTI Connect. Once in RTI Connect, complete the request in SEVIS using the standard Post Data to RTI process.
Once the request is complete and submitted, click the Print I-20 button. A pop-up will appear asking, “Do you want to send this document to Docusign to get e-Signature?” To send the document to DocuSign, click OK. If you do not wish to send the I-20 to DocuSign and prefer instead to download and print the I-20 pdf, click Cancel.
After clicking OK, the DSO will receive an email from DocuSign indicating that a document is ready for review and signature.
Note: at this time, emails sent to both DSOs and students from DocuSign are hardcoded in the DocuSign Integration. It is not possible for ISSS offices to customize the text of these emails.
Clicking the Review Document button will send the DSO to the Form I-20 in DocuSign.
Once in DocuSign, the DSO will see an electronic copy of the Form I-20. Using the options in the Fields column to the left of the I-20, the DSO can generate and apply an electronic signature to both Page 1 and 2 of the I-20, as well as add his/her Name, Title, Email Address, the Date Signed, and additional text.
Once the DSO has completed signing the I-20, click Finish in the upper right corner of the screen.
A modal will pop up asking if the DSO wishes to save a copy of the I-20 in DocuSign. This is not necessary, as the DSO will automatically receive an email with the signed I-20. Click “No Thanks.” The DSO will then receive confirmation that they’ve finished signing.
The DSO will now receive an email confirmation that the document is complete, along with a link to view the completed document. If desired, the DSO can view the signed I-20 via the View Completed Document Link, as well as download and/or print a copy of the signed I-20.
Once the electronic signature process is complete, the student will also receive email confirmation from DocuSign that his/her new I-20 is completed and signed. Students can access their new I-20 via the View Completed Document link, where they can download and/or print the I-20 for their personal use.
The General History Log in the Student Profile will log an entry each time an I-20 for that student has been sent to DocuSign for electronic signature. The entry will include the request type and batch number for the I-20 as well as the date and time it was sent to DocuSign.