US Visa: DS- 160 Frequently Asked Questions on Electronic System of Non-immigrant Visa

Important note: the DS- 160 form is an online form of the electronic application system for non-immigrant visas. This form is only applicable to applicants from American embassies or consulates who have implemented the new electronic forms and trial procedures. For more information, please visit the DS- 160 information page on http://travel.state.gov website, which lists the embassies and consulates that use this form. In addition to these frequently asked questions, the next step should be to visit the website of an American embassy that uses the DS- 160 form and apply for a visa there in order to get detailed instructions on how to apply for a non-immigrant visa.

Q 1: where can I find the DS- 160 table?

A 1: You can access the DS- 160 form on the website of the Consular Electronic Application Center or from the link on the website of the American Embassy or Consulate.

Q2: Can I answer questions in my mother tongue?

A2: No, all application questions must be in English and can only be answered in English characters unless otherwise specified. Applications written in languages other than English may be rejected and you will be asked to submit a new application.

Question 3: Do all the items on the DS-160 form have to be filled in?

A3: Most items on DS- 160 are required. You can leave the items marked "Optional" blank. Some projects also offer an "Not Applicable" option. If some items are not applicable to you, you can tick the word "not applicable". All other items must be filled in. If any required fields are blank, you will not be allowed to submit this form. In this case, an "error" message will be displayed on the screen, and you can only continue to apply after filling in the blank items completely. If you don't answer the applicable questions, your form may also be rejected.

Q4: I am an H4 visa applicant, but I didn't find the H4 visa type when I chose my travel destination. What should I do?

A4: Applicants from F2, M2, J2, L2 and H4 should choose F 1, M 1, J 1, L 1 and H 1 respectively according to the visa type of the main applicant.

Q5: What will happen if I walk away in the process of inputting information?

A5: After the application is idle for 20 minutes, the DS- 160 table will be "interrupted". Interrupt is to protect your privacy. If the application is interrupted, all the information already entered will be lost. In order to prevent possible "interruption", it should be saved when the application process is normally interrupted. To save the application, click the Save button at the bottom of the page. Click Save to temporarily save your application. To permanently save your application, please select the Save Application to File button. Then, click the "Save" button in the file download window. Specify a location on your computer to save the application file, browse to the location, and click the Save button in the Save As window. The system will download your application to the designated place. When the download is complete, you can click Close and return to the application. You can use the Import Application Date option on the Start page to upload the information you entered.

Q6: I know I can upload photos in the application. How can I get a digital photo that can be successfully uploaded to my application form? Answer 6: For detailed instructions on using digital cameras and requirements for scanning photos, please refer to the Photography Guide-Online Application.

Q7: There is an "X" in the position of the photo on the confirmation page. What does this mean?

A7: This means that the photo upload failed. Therefore, it is necessary to submit the confirmation page of DS- 160 form, and attach the printed photos that meet the requirements. Please confirm with the embassy or consulate that accepts your application how to attach your photo to the confirmation page. The format of printed photos can be found in the requirements for non-immigrant photos. If the confirmation page contains photos, then the photo upload function is successful, and no additional photos need to be printed.

Q8: Why can't I save my changes under the "I" link on the browsing page? A8: In order to save the information modified on the browsing page, you must use the buttons at the bottom of each page to navigate. Do not use the "Forward" or "Back" buttons in the browser, or the buttons on the left side of the screen.

Question 9: Should I save it before submitting the application?

A9: Yes! If possible, you should save your application locally (on your computer's hard disk or CD-ROM) before submitting it. Keeping data locally has two advantages. First of all, if your application is rejected by the embassy or consulate because it is incomplete, for example, your application contains irrelevant answers, or you have not answered a key question, you can access your saved application information, correct irrelevant answers or incomplete answers, and you can resubmit the correct application without filling in a new one. Secondly, if you are a frequent visa applicant, you can update your saved application next time, and then you can submit the updated application. You don't need to enter information that hasn't changed since your last application, which will save you time.

Q 10: how to save the application?

A 10: To save the application, please click the "Save" button in the middle and lower part of the page. Click Save to temporarily save your application. To permanently save your application, please select the Save Application to File button. Then, click the "Save" button in the file download window. Specify a location on your computer to save the application file, browse to the location, and click the Save button in the Save As window. The system will download your application to the designated place. When the download is complete, you can click Close and return to the application. You can use the Import Application Date option on the Start page to upload the information you entered.

Q 1 1: Do you need to bring a complete set of application forms or just a confirmation page when interviewing?

A 1 1: You don't need to bring a full set of application forms. The only thing you need to bring is to read the confirmation page of the application information. You need to carry this confirmation page with you throughout the application process. Without this, you may not be able to process your visa application because you can't access your application.

I travel with my family or team. Can I create home or group applications?

A 12: yes. On the thank you page, there is an option to create a family or group application. When you select this option, some information in the application (such as destination) will be automatically entered and displayed in the new application. Please note that if you use this option, you need to create a separate application for each family member or team member who walks with you.

Q 13: if I use the option of "create a family or group application" on the "thank you" page, can I modify the information automatically filled in by the system? A 13: yes. For example, if the surnames or nationalities of accompanying family members are different, the applicant can modify the information before submitting the application.

Q 14: If I apply for a non-immigrant visa using the DS- 160 form, do I need other forms?

A 14: no, but there is one exception. When you apply in those embassies and consulates that use the new online non-immigrant visa application form DS- 160, you only need to use one form. For those embassies and consulates that have switched to the new acceptance mode, DS- 160 has replaced all the following tables: DS- 156, DS- 156K, DS- 157, DS- 158 and DS-3032. Note: Except the visa application of treaty traders/treaty trade investors, it will be explained in question 14. It is important to check the websites of the embassies and consulates that accept your non-immigrant visa and learn about the visa application information there. The embassies and consulates around the world will forward the DS- 160 form one by one. Therefore, those embassies and consulates that have not transferred to the new online DS- 160 form still need all the application forms.

Q 15: I'm applying for an E-visa for a treaty trader/investor. Do I need to fill out forms DS- 160 and DS- 156E?

A 15: it depends. If you are a major investor (E-2) visa applicant, you only need to fill in the DS- 160 form. If you are a treaty trader (E- 1) or an executive/manager/major employee, you need to fill out the form DS- 160, and you or your employer need to fill out the form DS- 156E. We will use the new e-visa business information form DS- 16 1 sometime next year. This form allows you or your employer to fill in the form online and submit it to the State Council, USA. Prior to this, all E-type treaty traders, executives, managers and key employees will be required to fill in and submit the DS- 156E form. )

Q 16: What should I do if I have filled out the old application form?

A 16: We strongly recommend all applicants to use the new DS 160 online application form. We still accept the old application form before March 1.

Frequently asked questions of non-immigrant visa DS- 160 electronic system