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Account & Workspace Basics

Create your DS160.io account with email or Google, confirm it with a 6-digit code, sign in, and learn how your workspace and form statuses work.

This guide covers the basics: creating an account, signing in, and understanding how your workspace and forms are organized. If you’re brand new, start here.

Before you start

  • Who this is for: anyone filing their own DS-160. Setting up an agency or immigration firm? Start with the Agency Quickstart instead.
  • What you need: an email address you can open, for the 6-digit activation code, or a Google account.
  • Joining an agency’s workspace? You need an account of your own first. The agency then adds you to its workspace.

Create your account

  1. Go to the Sign up page and register with your email and a password. You can also sign up with Google, which skips the password step entirely.
  2. After signing up with email, we send a 6-digit activation code to confirm your address. Enter it on the screen that loads right after signup.

The code works once. If it doesn’t arrive, check your spam folder. If the address is wrong, click Log out under Wrong email address? and sign up again with the right one.

Sign in

  1. Returning users sign in from the Log in page with the email and password (or Google account) used at signup.
  2. If you’ve turned on two-factor authentication, you’ll be asked for a 6-digit code from your authenticator app after your password or Google sign-in — see Account & Security.

Forgot your password? See Account & Security.

Your workspace

A workspace is the container for your forms. Most personal users have a single workspace, which is created automatically the first time you sign in. Everything you do — creating forms, reviewing answers, submitting — happens inside it.

If you belong to more than one workspace (for example, an agency added you to its workspace), a workspace switcher appears in the sidebar so you can move between them.

Your forms

The Forms screen lists every DS-160 form in your workspace, each with a status badge:

  • Not started — created, but no answers yet
  • In progress — partially filled
  • Needs attention — a section has an answer that must be fixed before filing
  • Ready for submission — every required section is answered and valid

From here you can open a form to keep editing, review it, or start a submission.

Example: how this looks on the platform

Expected result

Once your code is accepted, and each time you sign in, you land on your workspace’s Forms screen. If you also belong to an agency’s workspace, sign-in opens that one first; use the workspace switcher to move to your own.

Troubleshooting

ProblemWhat to do
“Activation code does not match.”Enter the 6-digit code from the email we sent to the address you signed up with.
The code went to the wrong addressOn the activation screen, next to Wrong email address?, click Log out, then sign up again with the right address.
Signing in opens the Activate Account screenThe account’s email is not confirmed yet. Enter the 6-digit code we emailed when you signed up.
“Account with email … already exists”That address already has an account. Sign in instead, or click Forgot password? on the Log in page.
“Invalid email or password”Check the email and password you signed up with. If you forgot the password, click Forgot password? on the Log in page.
“This account signs in with Google.”Sign in with Google on the Log in page, or use Forgot password? to add a password to the account.
“Too many attempts. Try again in … minutes.”Too many codes or passwords were tried for this account. Wait the number of minutes shown, then try again.

Next steps