Everything about Completing a US DS-160 Visa Form

Getting a non-immigrant visa to the U.S is impossible without a correctly filled out DS-160 form. To qualify for an interview you need to have a complaint questionnaire. 

Follow these 5 easy steps on how to fill a DS-160 form to get a legitimate visa application ready in no time. 

Pay the U.S Visa Fee

To apply for a non-immigrant visa you need to pay the $160 consular fee first. Find a receipt form on the official embassy’s website and settle the payment at your local post office, for some countries a bank transfer option is available as well. 

It is important that you keep the receipt after paying the fee. Your interview appointment number consists of the date and transfer number indicated on the receipt. By combining those 12 digits and entering them on the Embassy’s website you will be able to make an appointment for an interview at the consulate. 

Prepare Your Documents

When getting ready for your interview, you may need to bring some extra documents for the ambassador to look at. 

As far as the application goes, here’s a list of what you need to prepare to fill in the form:

  • Your passport
  • National ID (if any)
  • Previous U.S visa (if any)
  • Information about your completed education
  • Information about military service (if any)
  • Personal information: children, marital status etc. 
  • High-quality digital U.S visa photo

To get an eligible visa photo, you have to keep in mind the following:

  1. The photo has to be no older than 6 months and reflecting your current look
  2. Must be 600×600 pixels in size, colored without shadows
  3. The background must be plain white
  4. A neutral facial expression with eyes wide open
  5. No glasses or head coverings (allowed only for religious reasons) 

Get Your Application ID Number

There’re a few reasons why you should keep your application ID on you at all times when filling the form:

  • In case you don’t finish your application on time or shut it by accident, the ID number lets you to pick up where you left off
  • The confirmation number lets you get back to your application once you’ve submitted it

You should print out or write down your application ID as well as any security answers.

Filling Your Personal Information

All information has to be written in latin letters and be coherent. 

Enter your name, last name and addresses as stated in your travel passport to avoid confusion. For the most modern spelling of your birth country and city use Google or other search engine. Keep in mind that all addresses should be filled in American-style. 

Do not lie or miscommunicate in your application, the consulate can easily find out if you cheated. All information has to be valid and current. 

Under the ‘Social Media’ you should write down all links to your profiles or the ones you’ve used the most in the past years. Do not ignore this question, otherwise you may be denied a visa.

For applicants who are travelling for guest purposes, it’s important to include the contacts of the person you will be visiting. In case the purpose of your stay is business or travel, then it’s best to give an outline of your trip and what you are planning to be doing once in the U.S.

Save and Submit

Your application needs to be completed in 75 minutes upon receiving the ID. If you want to fill it in later, then save your application ID with security answers and submit the form whenever you want during a 30 day period.

After you’ve filled in all the information and checked for any mistakes, you can save and submit your DS-160 form. Once you sign it with an electronic signature the application is no longer editable and is sent for consideration to the consulate.