How to Fill the DS-160 Form Step by Step (2026 Guide)

Before You Start: What to Gather

The DS-160 will time out if left idle for more than 20 minutes, and there is no way to save and resume partway through a section. Before opening the form, collect the following documents:

• Your valid passport (number, issue date, expiry date, issuing country)
• Travel itinerary — intended arrival date, length of stay, US address where you'll stay
• US point of contact — name, address, phone number of a person or hotel
• Employment history — company names, addresses, job titles, dates
• Education history — schools attended, degrees, dates
• Family information — parents' full names and birth countries; spouse details if applicable
• Previous US visa information, if you've had one
• A digital photo meeting DS-160 photo requirements

Having all of this in front of you before starting will cut your form-filling time in half.

Section 1: Personal Information

This section collects your full legal name, date of birth, gender, marital status, and national ID number. Every name field must match your passport exactly — including middle names, hyphens, and diacritical marks (accents). If your passport romanizes your name, use that romanization.

Date of birth format

The DS-160 uses DD-MMM-YYYY format — for example, 14-MAR-1990. Do not use numeric months. This format trips up many applicants who type "03/14/1990" and get a mismatch with their passport record.

Aliases and other names

If you have ever been known by any other name — maiden name, nickname, name transliteration — list it here. "Have you ever used any other name?" is answered Yes far more often than applicants expect. Omitting a previous name is a common cause of delays.

Section 2: Travel Information

This is one of the most scrutinized sections. The consular officer will compare what you write here against what you say in the interview.

• Purpose of trip: Select the primary purpose — tourism, business, study, etc. Be specific. "Pleasure/Tourism" is appropriate for a B-2 visit.
• Intended date of arrival: Use your earliest likely arrival date. It doesn't need to be exact, but should be realistic.
• Intended length of stay: Number of days, weeks, or months. Be conservative — overstating your intended stay can raise flags.
• Address where you'll stay: Hotel name and address, or a contact's home address. Must be a real US address.
• Person paying for the trip: If someone else is paying, provide their name and relationship. If you are paying yourself, select "Self".

Section 3: Travel Companions

If you are traveling alone, answer "No" to traveling in a group or with family. If traveling with family members who are also applying for visas, list them here. Each companion should also complete their own DS-160.

Section 4: Previous US Travel

Have you been to the US before? List all previous visits with approximate dates. If you have ever been refused a US visa or denied entry, this must be disclosed — it does not automatically disqualify you, but failing to disclose it will.

If you have a previous visa, have the visa number and issue date ready. They are printed on the visa sticker in your passport.

Section 5: US Contact Information

Provide the name, address, and phone number of a person or organization in the US who knows about your visit. This can be a friend, relative, business contact, or hotel. If you don't have a personal contact, the hotel you'll stay at is acceptable. You must provide a real US phone number — not your own foreign number.

Section 6: Family Information

This section asks for your parents' full names, dates of birth, and whether they are US citizens or residents. If your parent is deceased, you still provide their name — select "Deceased" for the US citizen/resident question if it applies.

You will also be asked about your spouse if you are married — name, date of birth, nationality, country of birth. If divorced, still provide the ex-spouse's information.

Section 7: Work and Education

List your current employer's name, address, and phone number. State your job title and briefly describe your duties. If you are a student, provide your school's information instead. If unemployed or retired, select the appropriate status.

For education, list your highest level and the institution's name and address. You don't need to list every school — just the highest degree obtained or currently being pursued.

Section 8: Security and Background Questions

This is the section most people dread. The DS-160 asks about communicable diseases, arrests, drug use, terrorism, human trafficking, and more. For most applicants, every answer is "No." Answer honestly — providing false information is a federal crime and will result in permanent inadmissibility.

The questions are worded broadly. If you are unsure whether something applies to you (for example, a minor arrest that was expunged), consult an immigration attorney before answering.

Submitting and Printing

After answering all sections, review the form carefully. Once submitted, you cannot edit it. Print the confirmation page — it contains the barcode you will bring to your visa interview. The confirmation page is not the visa; it is just proof of application submission.

Use Formixa to Prepare Your DS-160

Formixa is an AI-powered tool that maps plain-English answers into every DS-160 field with correct formatting — dates in DD-MMM-YYYY, standardized country names, properly phrased yes/no security answers. You answer ~50 questions and get a complete reference PDF for $25 that you can use while filling the official form at ceac.state.gov. It takes under 10 minutes and eliminates the most common mistakes.