- The D-S two-sixty is the online immigrant visa application for individuals applying from outside the United States.
- Applicants must pay a three hundred twenty-five dollar fee and submit detailed personal history and documentation.
- Approval is subject to visa number availability and potentially lengthy administrative processing delays of six months.
Applicants begin the immigrant visa process abroad by submitting DS-260, but filing the form does not secure a visa or bypass the rest of the case. A consular officer must still review the applicant’s documents, medical examination, security screening and interview before deciding whether to issue the immigrant visa.
The application serves people seeking permanent residence through a U.S. embassy or consulate rather than people applying from inside the United States. Each qualified family member generally files an individual application.
Visa-number limits can also keep an otherwise completed case from moving forward. Family-preference and employment-preference categories remain subject to annual numerical limits, and an applicant’s priority date must become eligible under the Visa Bulletin before the department can issue an immigrant visa.
Free toolREAL ID Requirements Checker toolThe process can take longer still. State Department data from 2025 placed approximately 18% of immigrant visa applications in administrative processing under Section 221(g), a review that can extend the case by 120–180 days.
The form is only one stage. Applicants may also need civil documents, financial documentation, a medical examination, security screening and a consular interview before travel becomes possible.
A completed application therefore creates a case step, not permanent residence. The person becomes a lawful permanent resident ordinarily only after traveling to the United States and receiving inspection and admission from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the immigrant classification.
The National Visa Center opens the online filing stage
In many family and employment cases, USCIS first approves the immigrant petition supporting the visa case. That petition may be an I-130 or I-140.
When applicable, the case then proceeds through the National Visa Center. The center issues a “Welcome Letter” containing a Case Number and Invoice I.D. before the applicant can submit the online immigrant visa application.
The applicant completes the required case and fee processing steps before filing through the Department of State’s Consular Electronic Application Center. The exact sequence varies by immigrant category.
The 2026 immigrant visa processing fee is $325 per applicant. Family-based cases also require a separate Affidavit of Support fee.
| Charge | Amount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Immigrant visa processing fee | $325 per applicant | Immigrant visa applicants |
| Affidavit of Support fee | $120 | Family-based cases |
The National Visa Center stage does not replace the applicant’s later document review or interview. It moves the case into the online filing phase.
Each applicant enters a separate personal history
The form asks for detailed biographical and immigration information. Applicants should be prepared to provide information in several areas:
- Current and former addresses
- Family members
- Employment history
- Education
- Previous travel
- Immigration history
- Security-related matters
The State Department requires answers in English using English characters, except where it specifically permits otherwise. The requirement applies to the answers submitted in the electronic application.
Family members do not generally share one application. Each qualified relative immigrating with the principal applicant completes a separate form. Diversity Visa cases follow the same basic structure: the principal applicant and family members applying for Diversity Visas must complete their own applications.
The information entered online may later be reviewed alongside civil records, financial documentation, medical results and the applicant’s answers at the consular interview. Applicants should keep their information consistent across those stages.
Filing does not overcome visa-number limits or review delays
An approved immigrant petition and a completed online application do not override annual quotas. Family-preference and employment-preference applicants must still wait until their priority dates become eligible under the Visa Bulletin.
The interview is another decision point. A consular officer determines whether the immigrant visa can be issued after reviewing the applicant’s eligibility and case materials.
Administrative processing may follow the interview or another stage of review. State Department data from 2025 showed approximately 18% of immigrant visa applications entering Section 221(g) administrative processing, with cases sometimes extending by 120–180 days.
Policy materials also describe a “totality of circumstances” review applied by consular officers and USCIS adjudicators. The factors identified include age, health and financial resources. That characterization describes how officials assess cases; it does not eliminate the separate documentary, medical or interview requirements.
The domestic comparison comes later in the process
The immigrant visa route differs from Form I-485, which is used to seek adjustment of status while physically present in the United States. The former is handled through the Department of State’s consular system, while the latter is handled by USCIS.
A tourist seeking a B-2 visa normally uses the temporary-visa application DS-160. A person pursuing a family-based or employment-based immigrant visa normally uses the immigrant visa application instead.
USCIS placed additional emphasis on the distinction in Policy Memorandum PM-602-0199, issued May 21, 2026. The memorandum, titled “Adjustment of Status is a Matter of Discretion and Administrative Grace, and an Extraordinary Relief,” states that adjustment of status was “not designed to supersede the regular consular visa-issuing process.”
USCIS spokesperson Zach Kahler said on May 22:
"From now on, an alien who is in the U.S. temporarily and wants a Green Card must return to their home country to apply, except in extraordinary circumstances. This policy allows our immigration system to function as the law intended instead of incentivizing loopholes."
The policy materials describe adjustment of status as reserved for extraordinary cases. They also identify students on F-1 visas, tourists and temporary workers among the nonimmigrants who previously adjusted status inside the country and are now directed to apply abroad. The change can prolong family separation.
Public-charge and country policies add separate conditions
The Department of State paused all immigrant visa issuances for nationals of 75 countries as of February 2, 2026. The countries were characterized as high risk for reliance on public benefits and included nations in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
That pause operates separately from the individual filing steps. Submitting the application does not itself remove a country-based restriction or make an unavailable visa number available.
DHS issued a final rule on public-charge regulations on July 16, 2026. The rule takes effect on September 18, 2026, and rescinds the 2022 public charge regulations.
Kahler said on July 16:
“The Trump administration is upholding the rule of law and protecting American taxpayers from subsidizing aliens who may become dependent on public benefits. USCIS is committed to safeguarding the safety, security, and financial well-being of Americans.”
Those policy developments affect the conditions surrounding immigrant visa processing, while the applicant must still satisfy the requirements attached to the specific visa category.
Admission completes the transition to permanent residence
After visa issuance, the immigrant normally travels to the United States using the immigrant visa. The visa permits travel for inspection; it does not itself guarantee admission.
CBP inspects the traveler and decides whether to admit the person in the immigrant classification. After that admission, the person ordinarily becomes a lawful permanent resident.
The physical Permanent Resident Card is then produced through the applicable process. The card follows the overseas application, case review, interview, visa issuance and admission sequence.
A case can therefore move through every online filing step and still await a visa number, additional review or an officer’s decision. The final immigration status follows admission, not submission of the electronic application.
