Don't type personal details, such as a client's name.

Getting a Successful Submission

The complete walkthrough: create a form, fill it in, review, submit, track progress, and retrieve your DS-160 Application ID.

This is the end-to-end walkthrough — from a blank form to a successfully filed DS-160 with an Application ID you can use to schedule your visa interview. Follow it in order and you’ll have a clean submission. Use it when you are filing your own DS-160 with DS160.io.

Before you start

  • A DS160.io account. Filing is free for individuals. New to the dashboard? Read Account & Workspace Basics first.
  • Your passport and travel documents to hand. Your answers must match them exactly.
  • A photo for the application. It is checked against the official requirements before the submission starts.
  • The consulate or embassy location where you’ll apply. You choose it when you submit.

1. Create a form

From the Forms screen, create a new form. Give it a name you’ll recognize later (for example, the applicant’s name).

2. Fill in every section

A DS-160 is organized into sections — personal information, passport, travel, work and education, security questions, and more. Open each section and answer the questions.

A few tips for a smooth submission:

  • Match your passport exactly. Names, dates, and numbers must match your travel documents character for character.
  • Don’t leave required fields blank. A section isn’t Completed until every required answer is valid.
  • Save as you go. Your answers are saved automatically, so you can stop and resume any time.

3. Review everything

When all sections show Completed, click Review All. The review screen lets you go through every section in turn and correct anything as you read. This is your last chance to catch a typo before filing — go through it carefully, because corrections after submission mean starting a new DS-160.

4. Decide whether you want a specialist’s help

Filing your DS-160 is free for individuals, so there is no payment step. If you would like a visa specialist to check your answers before you file, or to handle the application for you, you can ask for it from the filing screen. Both are optional; see the help options on the Individuals page.

5. Submit

Choose the consulate or embassy location where you’ll apply — this is required and is written into the official form. Then click New Submission. If your photo doesn’t meet the official requirements, you’ll be asked to acknowledge a warning before continuing.

Our automation then fills the official DS-160 portal for you. You don’t need to keep the tab open.

Example: how this looks on the platform

6. Track progress

The submission screen shows live status as the automation works, with how many fields have been filled so far. There are no captchas for you to enter: the official site shows two security codes (captchas) along the way, and we enter both. If the site refuses ours or we cannot read a code, we email you to type it on the submission screen, and you have about 5 minutes.

Example: how this looks on the platform

If a submission does not finish, its status says why. See E-Filing the DS-160 for what each status means and what to do.

7. Retrieve your Application ID

On a Completed submission, open it to find your official Application ID, along with the surname, year of birth, and security details you’ll need to retrieve the application on the official site and schedule your interview. Copy the Application ID and keep it safe.

Expected result

The submission shows Completed, and you get a Signed and submitted email with the confirmation number. The submission keeps the confirmation page, which you bring to the visa interview, and your Application ID.

Troubleshooting

ProblemWhat to do
A section isn’t marked CompletedA required answer is missing or not valid. Open the section and fill in or correct what it marks.
New Submission names a section to fixOpen that section from the form overview, fill in what is missing or correct the answer the official site would reject, then submit again.
A warning about your photoYour photo doesn’t meet the official requirements. Replace it, or acknowledge the warning to go ahead.
We email you to type a security codeOpen the submission and type the code shown there. You have about 5 minutes; if nobody types it, the submission ends as Captcha timed out.
The submission stopped with another statusEach status says what happened. See Fixing a Submission That Did Not Finish.
You find a mistake after submittingA filed DS-160 can’t be corrected. Correct the form and start a new submission: it starts a new application with a new Application ID.

Next steps