US DS-160: Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application

What is the DS-160?

The DS-160 is the standard online application used by the U.S. Department of State for nonimmigrant visas. It gathers your personal details, passport and travel information, purpose of travel, U.S. contact, family, work and education history, and a set of security and eligibility questions. You also upload a compliant digital photograph as part of the form.

It replaces the older paper DS-156/DS-157 forms and is filed exclusively online through CEAC. The consular officer who interviews you works directly from your DS-160 answers, which is why accuracy and consistency with your supporting documents matter so much.

• Official name: Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application, form DS-160.
• Filed on CEAC (ceac.state.gov/genniv), the Department of State’s application portal.
• Covers all nonimmigrant categories — B, F, M, J, H, L, O, P, K and more.
• Immigrant (permanent) applicants use the DS-260 instead, not the DS-160.

Who needs to complete a DS-160?

If you are applying for a temporary (nonimmigrant) U.S. visa, you almost certainly need a DS-160. It is required regardless of age, so a separate form must be completed for each family member, including babies and young children who cannot answer for themselves — a parent or guardian completes and submits it on their behalf.

• Tourists and business visitors applying for a B-1/B-2 visa.
• Students (F and M) and exchange visitors (J).
• Temporary workers and specialists (H, L, O, P and similar).
• Fiancé(e)s and spouses applying for K visas.
• Each traveller files their own DS-160 — there is no combined family form.

What you need before you start

Have everything to hand before you begin — the online session can time out, and it is far easier to enter accurate answers when your documents are in front of you.

• A passport valid for your intended travel (with its number and issue/expiry dates).
• Your travel itinerary or intended dates and length of stay, if known.
• Details of your U.S. point of contact, host, hotel or sponsoring organisation.
• A digital passport-style photograph meeting the Department of State specifications.
• Dates of your last five U.S. visits (if any) and any prior U.S. visa details.
• Employment and education history, including addresses and dates.
• For students/exchange and work visas: SEVIS ID and I-20/DS-2019, or the approved petition receipt (I-797) number.

How to complete and submit the DS-160, step by step

The process runs entirely inside CEAC. Save your progress and note your application ID as you go so you can return if the session is interrupted.

• 1. Go to ceac.state.gov/genniv and select the location (embassy/consulate) where you will apply.
• 2. Note the 10-character application ID (AA...) that CEAC assigns — you need it to resume, and set a security question.
• 3. Complete each section: personal, passport, travel, U.S. contact, family, work/education, and security questions.
• 4. Upload your digital photograph and confirm CEAC accepts it (check it if it is rejected).
• 5. Review every answer carefully, then electronically "sign" and submit the form.
• 6. Print the confirmation page showing the barcode and application ID.
• 7. Pay the MRV visa fee and schedule your interview appointment (as instructed for your location).

After you submit: the confirmation page and barcode

Submitting the DS-160 generates a confirmation page displaying a barcode and your 10-character application ID (beginning "AA"). This page is the proof that your application has been transmitted to the Department of State.

Print the confirmation page and keep it safe. You must bring it to your visa interview — the consulate scans the barcode to pull up your submitted application. You do not need to print the entire DS-160; the confirmation page alone is required. If you cannot print it at the time, you can email the confirmation to yourself from CEAC and print it later.

• Output is a confirmation page with a scannable barcode and application ID (AA...).
• Print it — bringing it to the interview is mandatory.
• You can email the confirmation to yourself from CEAC to print later.
• The full application does not need to be printed, only the confirmation page.

Common DS-160 mistakes to avoid

• Losing the application ID (AA...) — without it you cannot retrieve an incomplete form.
• Letting the session time out without saving — CEAC clears idle sessions, so save regularly.
• Uploading a non-compliant photo that CEAC rejects — check the photo requirements first.
• Answers that don’t match your supporting documents (names, dates, employer) — keep everything consistent.
• Selecting the wrong consulate/location or the wrong visa category at the start.
• Forgetting to print the confirmation page before the interview.
• Assuming you can edit after submission — you cannot; you would have to start a new form.