Switching from Docketwise for DS-160 E-Filing (2026)
Docketwise DS-160 e-filing is temporarily unavailable and prices rose in September 2026. How to switch, and import your Docketwise DS-160 PDFs.
If your firm files DS-160s through Docketwise, two things changed this autumn. Docketwise’s own DS-160 e-filing page now carries a notice that e-filing is “temporarily unavailable”. And its prices went up in September 2026, on every plan.
This guide is for partners, practice managers and paralegals who file DS-160s every week and are weighing a Docketwise alternative. It covers what changed, when Docketwise is still the right tool, how DS-160 e-filing differs between Docketwise and a DS-160 specialist like DS160.io, and how to move your existing DS-160s across without retyping them.
Why immigration firms are looking for a Docketwise alternative
Here is the notice on Docketwise’s DS-160 e-filing page, as seen inside the app on 1 October 2026:
DOS CEAC E-Filing Temporarily Unavailable “We’re aware that e-filing through the Department of State’s CEAC system is temporarily unavailable. We’re actively working to resolve the connection to the Department of State’s consular systems. We’ll update this notice as soon as it’s back online. Thank you for your patience.”
Docketwise attributes the problem to its connection with the State Department’s systems, and says it is working on a fix. Until it is back, firms that rely on Docketwise for DS-160s need another way to get applications into CEAC, while still paying for a plan tier that includes e-filing.
What changed at Docketwise in 2026: the September price increase
Docketwise raised prices on every plan in September 2026. An archived copy of its pricing page from 6 September 2026 shows the old prices. The new ones were live by 15 September. We haven’t found a public announcement, and most review sites still list the old prices.
| Plan (per user, per month) | Annual billing | Monthly billing |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | $69 → $80 | $79 → $90 |
| Pro (cheapest plan with e-filing) | $99 → $100 | $109 → $120 |
| Advanced | $119 → $120 | $129 → $140 |
Source: Docketwise pricing page, checked 1 October 2026, against a Wayback Machine capture from 6 September 2026.
The largest rises are on Basic and on monthly billing: Pro billed monthly went from $109 to $120 per user, about 10%. DS-160 e-filing is still limited to Pro and Advanced, according to Docketwise’s help article E-Filing Form DS-160.
For context, Docketwise’s parent company AffiniPay rebranded as 8am in August 2025, alongside LawPay, MyCase and CASEpeer, and changed CEO in September 2026. Docketwise now appears as 8am DocketWise.
Is Docketwise still the right tool for your firm?
For many firms, yes. Docketwise is general immigration case management: client intake, smart forms across USCIS petitions and applications, document collection, deadlines and billing in one place. If your work spans I-130s, I-485s, H-1Bs and naturalization, and the DS-160 is an occasional form, replacing your whole case management system to fix one form is rarely worth it.
A DS-160 specialist makes sense when:
- DS-160s are a large share of your volume, such as visitor, student, exchange or work visas filed at consulates
- your paralegals spend more time in CEAC than in your case management system
- you pay for Pro seats mainly to get DS-160 e-filing
- you want the application filed through to the CEAC confirmation page, not just started
You don’t have to choose one or the other. You can keep Docketwise for case management and use DS160.io only for DS-160s.
How DS-160 e-filing differs: Docketwise vs DS160.io
The main difference is where the work stops. Docketwise starts the application in CEAC. DS160.io finishes it.
When Docketwise’s DS-160 e-filing is working, its help article describes this flow: you complete the DS-160 smart form, Docketwise creates a new application on the State Department’s Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC), and you then retrieve that application on CEAC with the Application ID and security answers. From there your team completes the rest of the form on CEAC, then reviews, signs and submits it.
DS160.io fills in every page of the application, uploads the photo and works through CEAC’s review pages. Each workspace picks one of two modes:
- File to confirmation. DS160.io signs and submits, and returns the CEAC confirmation page.
- Stop before signing. DS160.io stops at the signature step so the attorney can review the application on CEAC and sign it there.
Either way, you get a PDF record of every page CEAC showed during the filing.
| Docketwise | DS160.io | |
|---|---|---|
| DS-160 e-filing status | ”Temporarily unavailable” (in-app notice, 1 October 2026) | Available |
| What the e-file does | Creates the application in CEAC | Completes every page, uploads the photo, works through review |
| Who finishes the form | Your team, on CEAC | DS160.io |
| Signing | Your team, on CEAC | DS160.io submits, or stops so the attorney signs |
| Record of the filing | Not described in the help article | PDF of every CEAC page, including the confirmation |
| Plans with e-filing | Pro and Advanced | Every business workspace |
For a fuller feature-by-feature breakdown, see DS160.io vs Docketwise.
How to migrate from Docketwise: moving your DS-160s across
The hardest part of switching is the DS-160s already in progress. Nobody wants to retype a DS-160 they’ve already collected. DS160.io can import a DS-160 straight from a Docketwise PDF, so open cases come across with their answers in place. The full steps are in Creating a Form.
Step 1: Export the DS-160 from Docketwise as a PDF
- In Docketwise, open the client’s DS-160 smart form at its Intake step.
- Open the actions menu (the printer icon) and choose Print questions.
- In the tab that opens, print and choose Save as PDF in Chrome.
- Under More settings, turn on Background graphics before saving. Without it, answers chosen with buttons and checkboxes are left out of the PDF.
Step 2: Import the PDF into DS160.io
- In DS160.io, choose New DS-160 form → Import from Docketwise.
- Upload the PDF (up to 25 MB).
Step 3: Check the preview before anything is created
Before a form is created, DS160.io shows you a preview of the import:
- the applicant’s key details, so you can confirm it’s the right client
- the answers going into each section of the DS-160
- answers worth a second look
- anything that wasn’t carried over, with the reason
Only when you confirm is the form created.
What transfers, and what doesn’t
Answers are matched to the DS-160 section by section. Some can’t transfer, and the preview tells you which and why:
- Masked Social Security numbers. Docketwise’s print masks SSNs, so there is nothing to import. Enter them by hand.
- Partial dates. Where Docketwise only has the month and year, the date isn’t carried over. Add the full date yourself.
- Questions the DS-160 doesn’t ask. Some Docketwise smart-form answers, such as details of children, have no place on the DS-160 and are left out.
The original PDF stays attached to the new form, and every imported answer is marked as imported in the form’s history. You can always see where an answer came from. Once it’s created, filing works the same as any other form: see E-Filing the DS-160.
Prefer us to do it?
Firms that book a workflow review and decide to move forward get onboarding and migration included. We set up your workspace and move your open DS-160 cases across by hand.
A checklist for choosing any DS-160 e-filing software
Whether you pick DS160.io or another tool, ask these five questions before you move client data.
- Does it file to the confirmation page? Or does it start the application and leave your team to finish in CEAC?
- Do you control the signature? You should be able to stop before signing so the attorney reviews and signs.
- Is there a record of what was filed? Ideally a PDF of every CEAC page, kept with the case.
- Can clients answer in their own language? Intake in the client’s language means fewer errors in English answers.
- How is client data protected? Ask where data is stored, who at the vendor and its partners can access it, how access is logged, and how and when you’d be told about a breach.
That last question isn’t theoretical for immigration firms. In April 2026 Docketwise reported a data breach to the Maine Attorney General affecting 116,666 people, after valid credentials were used to copy partner repositories in its data-migration pipeline.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import my DS-160s from Docketwise?
Yes. Save the DS-160 smart form from Docketwise as a PDF using Print questions, with background graphics turned on, then choose Import from Docketwise in DS160.io. You see a preview of every answer before the form is created. DS160.io imports DS-160s from Docketwise PDFs only.
Does DS160.io replace Docketwise?
Only for DS-160s. DS160.io is a DS-160 specialist, not general case management. If you use Docketwise for USCIS forms, you can keep it for those and file DS-160s through DS160.io.
Who signs the DS-160?
You choose per workspace. DS160.io can sign and submit, returning the CEAC confirmation page, or stop before signing so the attorney reviews and signs on CEAC.
Is Docketwise DS-160 e-filing working?
On 1 October 2026, Docketwise’s in-app notice said e-filing through CEAC was “temporarily unavailable” and that it was working to restore the connection to the State Department’s systems. Check with Docketwise for the current status.
Try DS160.io with one case
The quickest way to judge a Docketwise alternative is to file a real DS-160 with it. Give us one case: import it from your Docketwise PDF, check the preview, and file it to confirmation or stop before signing.
If you’d rather talk it through first, book a 30-minute workflow review with our founder. We’ll look at how your team handles DS-160s today, and you’ll leave with a recommended workflow and a migration plan for your open cases.