When traveling to the US on a temporary visa, the DS-160 is the first step in the visa application. This form is filled out electronically, making it fairly easy to correct errors if necessary. If you’ve recently submitted a DS-160 only to realize you made a mistake, read on to learn what to do next.
There are two types of potential errors on the DS-160: material and immaterial.
Material errors on Form DS-160 are errors that could have serious consequences for the issuance of your visa. These include errors to biographical information that will appear on your visa (such as your name or birth date) as well as information that might have an influence on your qualifications for your visa (such as the number of dependents you have in the US or information on security issues). Material errors should be corrected as soon as possible.
Immaterial errors are ones that might not have serious consequences for the issuance of your visa. These include things such as misspelling the address of a company you worked for five years ago or the exact dates of previous travel to the United States. These should probably be corrected, but might (emphasis on might) not be deal breakers if they aren’t
Correcting Form DS-160 after submission can be done in one of two ways, depending on if you submit the correction more or less than 30 days after initially submitting the DS-160.
If you’ve noticed that there’s a mistake on your form DS-160 and it’s less than 30 days after its submission, please follow these steps:
Step 1: Go back to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website page for the DS-160.
Step 2: Click the “Retrieve an Application”. You will be asked to enter your application ID number from the DS-160 you submitted earlier. This number can be found on the top right of your application. Enter this number and click the “Retrieve Application” button.
Step 3: Follow the prompts and click “Create an Application” in the next dialog box. After that, you will have to answer the security questions to gain access to your submitted form. Once you are in, correct your mistakes and take one final look to ensure everything is entered correctly.
Step 4: Once you have corrected all errors, you will need to electronically re-sign and submit the application.
Step 5: You will then be given a new confirmation and bar code. Be sure to print these and bring them to your interview at the US Embassy/Consulate.
If it has been more than 30 days since your DS-160 application was submitted, you will need to can re-upload the submitted application in CEAC before correcting the errors. In order to do this, your original submission must have been downloaded and saved on your computer or any other device.
To re-upload the application, follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to the CEAC website
Step 2: Click on DS-160, Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application
Step 3: Choose the embassy or consulate where you will be applying from the drop-down menu
Step 4: Click the “Upload an Application” tab
Step 5: Choose the location of your saved file on your computer or storage device
Step 6: Click the “Upload Data” button
Step 7: Make all necessary changes, save and submit the new application
Step 8: After these steps, you will be given a new confirmation and bar code. Be sure to print these and bring them to your interview at the US Embassy/Consulate.
If you never saved your original application, and it has been more than 30 days since you submitted the DS-160, you will need to start a new application.
Step 1: You can do this by going to the CEAC website.
Step 2: Once on the website, fill in a new DS-160 with the corrected information
Step 3: Once complete, print the confirmation page from this new application and bring it to the interview. Be sure to save a copy in case you need to repeat this process.
In conclusion, it is important to thoroughly review your DS-160 application for accuracy before your interview appointment. If you notice a mistake, be sure to correct it as soon as possible. Do not ignore mistakes, hoping they won’t be noticed, as this may affect the issuance of your visa or cause problems while you are traveling.
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The US DS-160 is the application form for US nonimmigrant visas. It is an electronic form that is filled online and asks for details about you, such as your contact information, passport, and travel plans. It also covers your background, education, and work history, as well as questions about any past visits to the US and your family.
Every individual applying for a nonimmigrant visa to the United States (tourist, business, student, or work visas) is required to complete the form DS-160.
There is no cost to file the form US DS-160. However, you'll have to pay the relevant fees for the visa you’re applying for. You can find more information about fees for US visa services here.
When filling in your form US DS-160, you'll be requested to include the following information and documents:
