- Applicants must submit the DS-160 form before paying fees or scheduling their visa appointments.
- The mandatory submission rule took effect April 13, 2026 for all nonimmigrant visa categories.
- Completing the online form does not guarantee approval or grant admission into the United States.
Applicants must submit the online nonimmigrant visa application before creating a scheduling profile, paying the visa fee or booking an appointment under a process change that took effect April 13, 2026.
The requirement applies before applicants enter the CGI scheduling portal. Submission starts the process, but it does not approve or issue a visa.
The form is filed electronically through the Consular Electronic Application Center, or CEAC. Applicants should keep the confirmation page for the rest of the visa process.
Free toolREAL ID Requirements Checker toolVisitor visa applicants must bring that page as part of their application process. The form collects information consular officers use to assess eligibility.
It does not decide the case. A consular officer considers the application, any required interview, supporting documents and applicable immigration law.
The DS-160 is the principal online application for temporary U.S. travel and K visa cases. Its official name is the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application.
The form reaches across major temporary visa categories
The Department of State uses the application for most nonimmigrant visa classifications, including visitor, student, exchange, employment, treaty and fiancé(e) categories. Applicants must still follow the instructions for their specific visa type.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Visitor | B-1 business visitor; B-2 tourism |
| Student and exchange | F-1; M-1; J-1 |
| Employment | H-1B; L-1; O-1; TN; E-3 |
| Fiancé(e) | K-1 |
| Treaty | E-1; E-2 |
Some employment-based cases require an approved petition before the consular section can issue a visa. The petition and the visa application serve different purposes.
The agency’s Bureau of Consular Affairs says consular officers use the information entered on the form, together with a personal interview, to determine eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa.
Applicants must gather identity, travel and security information
The questions vary by applicant. They can cover identity details, passport information, family information, previous U.S. visits and travel history.
The form can also request employment and education history, intended U.S. travel and security-related information. Applicants must disclose social media handles or usernames used during the past five years.
Review each answer carefully. Accuracy affects the information available to the officer evaluating the request.
Applicants who discover a material error should follow the correction procedures provided by the embassy or consulate handling the case. They should avoid creating inconsistent applications without understanding those instructions.
The form is not a status document. It supplies information for the visa review.
Submission now precedes payment and appointment booking
Applicants complete the form online, submit it and retain the confirmation page before moving to the scheduling stage. The new sequence places submission first.
The 2026 machine-readable visa, or MRV, fees vary by category:
| Visa category | MRV fee |
|---|---|
| B-1/B-2, F, M and J visas | $185 |
| Petition-based H, L, O, P, Q and R visas | $205 |
| K visas | $265 |
| E visas | $315 |
A separate $250 Visa Integrity Fee was created under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4, 2025. As of August 2026, DHS is still finalizing the rule for collecting it.
The department also launched an expedited appointment pilot on July 22, 2026. At select posts, B-visa applicants may pay a $750 fee for an interview within 10 business days.
The online filing fee and any appointment-related charge do not change the officer’s role. Submission remains an application step.
Petition approval does not replace the visa application
H-1B cases show how the two processes fit together. An employer may first obtain approval of Form I-129 for a temporary worker.
The worker then completes the application when seeking an H-1B visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate. USCIS considers the employer’s petition, while the State Department receives the worker’s visa application.
An approved petition establishes the requested classification before USCIS. It does not itself place a visa in the worker’s passport.
Visa processing can continue after an officer indicates approval at the interview. Administrative processing, background checks and internal security vetting may still occur before issuance.
A consular notice describes that possibility:
"The consular officer has approved your application subject to final processing by the consular section that is necessary to issue your visa. However, a final screening step must still be completed prior to issuance that could lead a consular officer to conclude that you are not eligible. If that occurs, the status will change to 'Refused'."
The visa is issued only when the physical foil is printed and placed in the passport.
Interview guidance points applicants toward nationality or residence
As of July 2026, nonimmigrant applicants are advised to schedule interviews at the U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence.
Designated processing arrangements may apply where routine visa operations are unavailable. That guidance is relevant to applicants considering a third-country visa application.
Applicants should follow the instructions of the post handling their case. The location of an interview does not change what the application does.
Two 2026 policies operate separately from the online form
DHS published a final rule on July 17, 2026, ending “duration of status,” or D/S, for F students. F-1 applicants now receive a fixed admission period based on their program length, not to exceed four years.
That rule concerns admission and status. It does not turn submission of the online application into an approval.
Presidential Proclamation 10998 separately suspended or limited visa issuance for nationals of 39 countries. It took effect January 1, 2026.
Those policies can affect a case, but neither changes the basic distinction between submitting an application and receiving a visa.
A visa still does not guarantee admission at the border
Even after issuance, Customs and Border Protection makes the admission decision at the U.S. port of entry.
A visa permits a traveler to seek admission. It does not guarantee entry.
The application also does not grant immigration status. The consular review determines whether the applicant qualifies for the requested visa, while the border inspection determines whether the traveler may enter when arriving in the United States.
