DS-160 Information

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Overview

Each applicant - including children - must have their own DS-160 visa application. The DS-160 must be completed and submitted online prior to your interview at the Embassy. The barcode number on the DS-160 confirmation page is required in order to book your interview. The DS-160 form must be submitted online - the Embassy will not accept handwritten or typed applications and you will not be permitted to attend your interview without a DS-160 confirmation page.

Note: When you sign your DS-160 electronically, you are certifying that all the information contained in it is true and correct. Misrepresenting any facts could render you ineligible to enter the United States. Please double-check that all your answers are accurate and that every question is answered completely and in English

Guidelines for Completing the DS-160 Form

Complete and submit your Form DS-160 after reviewing the nonimmigrant visa application process. You must submit your DS-160 application online prior to making an appointment for an interview at the Embassy.

  • The interview post you select at the beginning of the Form DS-160 must be the same post where you schedule your interview appointment.
  • All questions must be answered in English using English-language characters only. Characters such as ñ, é, ü, and ç are not recognized by the system. The only exception is when you are asked to provide your full name in your native alphabet.
  • You are required to bring to your interview a photograph as a part of the DS-160 process. Detailed guidelines for taking and submitting a quality photograph are on the U.S. Department of State website here.
  • If you stop working on this application for more than 20 minutes, your session will expire. You will have to start over, unless you have recorded your Application ID Number or have saved your application to a file on your computer. Write down the Application ID displayed on the top right-hand corner of the page. If you need to close the browser before submitting your application, you will need this Application ID to continue your application.
  • The completed Form DS-160 application form will generate an alpha-numeric barcode confirmation page. Print this page.
  • Once you have printed the barcode confirmation page, hit the "Back" button on your web browser and then email yourself a backup copy of the DS-160. The emailed file will be in PDF format, which requires Adobe Acrobat to view or print.

Common Application Errors

  • Applicants MUST list their national identification number. For citizens of El Salvador, this is their Documento Único de Identidad, or DUI number.
  • Applicants MUST list all other names used. For women, this includes:
    • Maiden Name;
    • Married Name; and
    • Widowed Name
  • All descriptions (including employment and reasons for prior visa refusals) MUST be written in English. Applicants DO NOT need to write family names or addresses in English.
  • Applicants MUST list all information for their parents, living or deceased, including complete names for mother and father and complete dates of birth for mother and father.
  • Applicants MUST list the dates of their FIVE most recent trips to the United States.
  • Applicants MUST list all immediate family members living in the United States, regardless of their immigration status.

More Information

The DS-160 form is online here.
You can find information and an FAQ about the DS-160 here.