DS-160 Information Checklist

How to do it

1. 1
   Choose your visa type

   Select visitor, student, exchange, work or fiancé(e) and say whether you are married, have children and have worked.

2. 2
   Set your interview date

   The tool adds reminder dates before the interview.

3. 3
   Collect the information

   Tick each item when you have the data in front of you.

4. 4
   Review the security answers

   Prepare honest answers to the health, criminal and immigration questions.

5. 5
   Print or add to calendar

   Print the list or download the calendar file with the reminders.

About this tool

The DS-160 online nonimmigrant visa application is long, it times out and it cannot be corrected after submission without extra steps. Having every answer ready makes it easy. This checklist lists the information to collect, adapted to your visa type (visitor, student, exchange, work or fiancé(e)) and to your family situation, with extra items for visa-specific documents such as the I-20 or DS-2019, and reminder dates before your interview. Tick items as you gather them and print the list.

Who this is for First-time applicants and families filling in several forms, students and workers who have a long travel history and anyone helping a relative with the form. It does not fill the form; it prepares you to complete it correctly.

The sections of the form Personal information (names, date and place of birth, national ID, address, phone, email, social media). Passport (number, issue and expiry dates, any lost passports). Travel plans (purpose, dates, where you will stay, who pays, previous US trips). US point of contact (a person or organization with an address). Family (parents, spouse, children, relatives in the United States). Work and education (current and previous employer or school with addresses and dates, countries visited in the last five years). Security questions about health, criminal history and immigration violations, which need an honest answer.

Visa-specific items Students need the SEVIS number and the school's name from the I-20. Exchange visitors need the DS-2019 and sponsor details. Workers need the petition receipt number and employer information. Fiancé(e) applicants need the petition receipt number and details about the US citizen. The list adds the right items when you choose the visa type.

Before the interview The checklist adds due dates counted from your interview: book the appointment two weeks before, bring the confirmation page and the fee receipt a week before, and gather documents the day before. Check the embassy website for the current fee and the list of required documents, which vary by country.

Worked example A student with an interview on a given date, who is single and has worked before, sees the personal, passport, travel, US contact, family, work, security and student-specific groups, with about 30 items. After ticking everything, the progress bar shows 100 percent and the reminders appear in the calendar file.

Limits Embassy procedures and fees change. Answer every question truthfully; false statements can lead to a permanent ban. This is a preparation aid and not legal advice.

Worked example

A single student with work experience who has an interview date sees the personal, passport, travel, US contact, family, work, security and student items, with reminders two weeks, one week and one day before the interview.