Learning how to fill out Form DS-260 comes down to a few habits: gather your history before you log in, complete every screen in English through the Consular Electronic Application Center at ceac.state.gov, save each page as you go, answer the security questions truthfully, and print the barcoded confirmation after you submit. There is no paper version. What you type is what the consular officer reads at your interview.
What to Gather Before You Log In
The DS-260 spans dozens of screens and asks for years of biographical detail. The session logs you out after roughly 20 minutes of inactivity, so hunting for old records mid-form is how people lose work. Pull everything together first.
- Every legal name you have used since birth, including maiden names and aliases.
- Every physical address where you have lived since age 16, with approximate dates.
- Full names, dates of birth, and places of birth for your parents, current and former spouses, and all children.
- Employer names, addresses, job titles, and supervisor names going back at least ten years.
- Names and addresses of schools attended, with dates and any degrees earned.
- Your most recent five U.S. entry and exit dates if you have visited before, plus any prior visa numbers.
- A valid passport with at least six months of remaining validity — document number, issuance date, and expiration date.
- Your petitioner’s full name, date of birth, address, and (for family-based cases) their Social Security number or A-number.
- Usernames and handles for every social media platform you have used in the past five years.
If you have any criminal history, prior immigration violations, or medical conditions, pull those records too. The security section asks directly about arrests, convictions, drug use, terrorist associations, and prior deportations or visa refusals. A “yes” answer does not automatically disqualify you, but you will need supporting documents at the interview.
Paying the Fee and Getting Into CEAC
You cannot start the DS-260 until the NVC visa processing fee has been paid and the payment status in CEAC shows “PAID.”1U.S. Department of State. Online Application The fee is $325 per person for immediate-relative and family-preference cases, or $345 per person for employment-based cases. Other immigrant visa categories (such as self-petitioners with an approved I-360) pay $205, and certain Iraqi and Afghan special immigrant visa applicants pay nothing.2U.S. Department of State. Fees for Visa Services These fees are nonrefundable.
To log in, go to CEAC and enter two credentials from the welcome message NVC sent you: your NVC Case Number and your Invoice ID number.3U.S. Department of State. DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application On the summary page, click “Start Now” under the IV Application heading.1U.S. Department of State. Online Application Diversity Visa selectees use their DV case number and the principal applicant’s date of birth instead.
Working Through the Screens
Every answer must be in English using standard English characters. Diacritical marks, Cyrillic letters, Chinese characters, and other non-English scripts will not be accepted. Transliterate names and addresses into their closest English equivalents. An application submitted in any other language may be rejected, forcing you to log back in and start over.3U.S. Department of State. DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application
Work through each screen in order. The system will not let you skip ahead until every required field on the current page is filled in. Most fields are mandatory. Where a question genuinely does not apply, check the “Does Not Apply” box if one is offered. Optional fields can be left blank, but all other fields need an entry — the form displays an error and blocks submission if you leave a mandatory field empty.3U.S. Department of State. DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application
Click “Save” at the bottom of every page before moving on. The portal logs you out after roughly 20 minutes of idle time, and anything entered after your last save is lost.3U.S. Department of State. DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application If you need to step away, save and then click “Sign Out” in the upper-right corner. Your data will be waiting when you log back in.
Security, Background, and Social Media
Toward the end of the form, you reach the security and background section. This is where the State Department screens for grounds of inadmissibility, and it is the section people most often agonize over. The questions cover criminal history, drug-related activity, terrorist affiliations, prior immigration violations, and whether you have ever participated in genocide, torture, or trafficking.
Answer honestly. A “yes” triggers additional review at the interview. Lying triggers something much worse: a finding of fraud or willful misrepresentation under INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i), which makes you permanently inadmissible. The statute covers anyone who “by fraud or willfully misrepresenting a material fact seeks to procure” a visa or other immigration benefit.4U.S. Department of State. 9 FAM 302.9 – Ineligibility Based on Illegal Entry A limited waiver exists, but the process is long and uncertain. Accuracy here is not optional.
The form also asks you to list every social media account you have used in the past five years. Provide the platform name and your username or handle for each. If you have never used social media, select “None.” Failing to provide accurate information in this section can result in a visa denial.5U.S. Department of State. FAQs on Social Media Collection
The Social Security Number Question
The DS-260 includes a question asking whether you want the Social Security Administration to assign you a Social Security number and mail you a card. If you answer “Yes,” you also need to consent to the disclosure of your information between immigration agencies and the SSA. Doing this saves you a separate trip to a Social Security office after you arrive. If the card does not arrive within three weeks of entering the country, visit your nearest Social Security office with proof of age, identity, and work authorization.6Social Security Administration. What You Need to Do – Social Security Numbers and Immigrant Visas
Signing, Submitting, and the Confirmation Page
After completing every section, you reach the “Sign and Submit” page. You re-enter identifying information such as your passport number as an electronic signature, certifying that everything in the application is true. Clicking “Sign and Submit Application” locks the form. After that, you cannot edit anything without contacting NVC (for immigrant visa cases), KCC (for Diversity Visa cases), or the U.S. Embassy or Consulate where you plan to interview.3U.S. Department of State. DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application
The system then generates a confirmation page with a unique barcode. Print it and save a digital copy. The confirmation page matters for your records, but the State Department advises you should not bring the full DS-260 application printout to your interview; the consular officer accesses your application electronically.3U.S. Department of State. DS-260 Immigrant Visa Electronic Application
Every Family Member Files Their Own
The DS-260 is per-person. Your spouse, your 22-year-old daughter, and your 5-year-old son each get their own form, and all of them link back to the principal applicant’s file at NVC. Parents fill out the form on behalf of children under 14. If a family member’s name does not appear on the CEAC login page, contact NVC or the consulate to have an invoice generated for that dependent so they can access the system.
What Happens After You Submit
Submitting the DS-260 opens the next phase rather than closing the case. You and every family member immigrating with you then gather the civil documents that support the claims you made in the application: birth certificates, marriage certificates, marriage termination records, police certificates, court and prison records, military records, and a photocopy of the passport biographic page.7U.S. Department of State. Civil Documents Family-based applicants also submit Form I-864, the Affidavit of Support, from the petitioning sponsor along with financial documentation.
Before your interview, every applicant regardless of age must also complete a medical examination performed by a physician accredited by the U.S. Embassy. Results from any other doctor are not accepted.8U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Türkiye. Medical Requirements Once NVC has your submitted DS-260, paid fees, civil documents, and (for family cases) the Affidavit of Support, the center reviews everything and, when the case is documentarily qualified, schedules your consular interview.