Before issuance of an immigrant visa, all applicants are required to electronically submit Form DS-260 (Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration) – formerly Form DS-230. Many immigrants do not have access to computers and are not Internet savvy; hence the transition from a paper form to web-based form has not been easy for many with pending immigration petitions at the U.S. Embassy.
What step in the process do I submit Form DS-260?
When your visa is near to being available for issuance (about 3-6 months in advance), the National Visa Center will contact the Petitioner or Beneficiary and advise that visa fees are required to be paid. At this point in the immigrant visa process, visa fees are submitted ON-LINE and Form DS-260 is submitted ON-LINE through the Internet.
What do I need to complete and submit Form DS-260?
Applicants can access the form on the web at ceac.state.gov. You will need Internet access, your NVC Case Number and your Invoice I.D. number.
Accessing Form DS-260 On-line
All answers to the questions of Form DS-260, except as specially provided, must be in English, using English characters only. Applications submitted in any language other than English may be rejected, and you will be required to log back into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) and provide English answers. You may save your partially completed DS-260 at any time by clicking on the “Save” button at the bottom of every page. If you need to step away, simply click the “Save” button to save your progress, and click on “Sign Out” in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. All data that you entered up to the point of clicking on “Save” will be stored until you are ready to continue completing the form. Once you submit your application, by clicking the “Sign and Submit Application” button on the “Sign and Submit” page, you will be unable to access your application again.
What type of information is required on Form DS-260?
Form DS-260 contains biographical questions about the immigrant’s employment history, education background, marital background, and where the immigrant wants his/her social security card and lawful permanent resident card to be mailed.
Do I bring my Form DS-260 application with me to the interview?
You should not bring your application with you to your interview. The interviewing officer will have full access to review your application online. However, please print a copy of Form DS-260 for your records and print the confirmation page that appears after on-line submission.
