Updated November 4, 2026

DS-160 form: CEAC rules, fees and application steps

Form DS-160 is the mandatory Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application you submit on the State Department's Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) at ceac.state.gov before your visa interview. Under 9 FAM 403.2-3 (updated February 26, 2025), formally making a nonimmigrant visa application requires three steps: submitting an electronically signed DS-160, paying the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee ($185 for a B1/B2 visitor visa as of January 8, 2026), and providing biometrics (a photograph and ten fingerprints).

Every rule below comes from the State Department's Foreign Affairs Manual (9 FAM) and the US Embassy in Nassau's visa fact sheet, checked on November 3, 2026. How the officer uses your answers at the interview is in our guide to the DS-160 and your visa interview.

Getting started on CEAC: location, language and application rules

Applicants seeking a temporary U.S. nonimmigrant visa must complete Form DS-160 on the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) at ceac.state.gov. Prescribed under INA 222, Form DS-160 is a completely electronic application that includes an electronic signature and replaced the older paper Form DS-156. Under 9 FAM 403.5-4, every visa case must have an associated Form DS-160, even when the in-person interview requirement is waived.

When you open the CEAC portal, you must select the consular district where you will apply. Under 9 FAM 403.2-4, a U.S. embassy or consulate accepts your nonimmigrant visa application if you are a resident of that consular district (where your principal, actual dwelling place is located) or if you are physically present in that consular district. Applicants usually apply in the district where they reside. Except for certain diplomatic visas eligible for an interview waiver (A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3 excluding domestic workers, G-1 through G-4, and NATO-1 through NATO-6), consular officers cannot accept applications from individuals who are neither resident nor physically present in their district, nor can an overseas post issue a visa to an applicant currently inside the United States.

To help you read the form, the Department of State translates the DS-160 into 23 languages: Arabic, Bangla, Simplified Character Chinese, Traditional Character Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Montenegrin, Persian Farsi, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Consular sections may also provide local-language information sheets that match the layout of the English DS-160. However, all answers you type into Form DS-160 must be in English unless the form notes otherwise.

Before starting on CEAC, gather your documents using our Visa document checklist so you can move through the application smoothly. Common mistake: selecting a U.S. embassy or consulate in a country where you neither reside nor plan to be physically present at the time of application, or typing answers in your native language instead of English.

• Where to fill it out: Complete the application only on CEAC at ceac.state.gov.
• Where to Apply: Choose the U.S. embassy or consulate where you reside or where you are physically present.
• English Requirement: Type all entries in English, unless otherwise noted on the form (such as the requirement to provide your name in native linguistic characters).
• Paper Form Exceptions: Consular sections only accept alternate paper forms if the DS-160 system is unavailable and you have urgent medical or humanitarian travel, are a student or exchange visitor who must leave immediately to arrive on time for your program, are a diplomatic or other government traveler with urgent government business facing a system outage of more than four hours, or face a general DS-160 outage of more than three days.

Personal information rules: names, native alphabet and biological sex

Your personal identity entries on Form DS-160 are used for consular namechecks and security clearances. Under 9 FAM 403.2-5(B)(1), you must record your first, middle, and family names throughout Form DS-160 exactly as they appear in your passport.

In addition to your current passport name, the application must include any other names by which you have ever been known. This includes maiden names, religious names, professional names, or aliases. Your name must also be provided not only in English phonetics, but also in native linguistic characters (such as Chinese or Arabic) if required for clearances. In certain cultures where an applicant does not have a first name and has only a surname, consular officers follow specialized naming procedures under 9 FAM 403.9-2(A).

For the sex requirement, Department of State rules state that the sex reflected on any issued U.S. visa must match the visa holder's biological sex at birth, even if it differs from the sex listed on the passport. In instances where a passport does not list male or female in the sex field, your biological sex at birth must be listed on the visa application.

As you complete the remaining personal and contact questions on CEAC, review our guide to the US visa social media requirement for context on digital screening. Common mistake: leaving out a maiden, religious, or professional name, skipping native linguistic characters when required for clearances, or entering a first name that omits a middle name printed in your passport.

• Full Name: First, middle, and family names must match your passport throughout the DS-160.
• Other Names Used: Must include all maiden, religious, professional, or alias names by which you have ever been known.
• Native Script: Required in native linguistic characters (such as Arabic or Chinese) alongside English phonetics if required for clearances.
• Biological Sex: Must reflect biological sex at birth, including when a passport does not list male or female.

Purpose of travel, visa classifications and petition verification

Under 9 FAM 403.7-2, the burden of proof lies with the applicant to establish that they qualify for a nonimmigrant visa category defined in INA 101(a)(15), that they will abide by the conditions of that category, and that they will maintain lawful status in the United States. Consular officers enter case notes on issued visas to record the purpose of travel for U.S. ports of entry.

As the U.S. Embassy in Nassau highlights in its January 8, 2026 fact sheet, each classification has strict rules on permitted activities:

• B1/B2 Business and Tourism: Permits business meetings, negotiating business contracts, and participating in seminars or conferences, but strictly prohibits working for a U.S. employer or receiving payment in the United States.
• B-2 Medical Treatment: Requires a medical diagnosis from a physician explaining the ailment and why treatment is needed in the United States, a letter from a U.S. physician or facility stating they will treat the ailment along with the length and cost of treatment, and proof of ability to pay for treatment, related expenses, and travel.
• Academic Study Prohibition on B1/B2: Enrolling in programs that provide a degree or academic credit while on a B1/B2 visitor visa is strictly prohibited and can result in a permanent ban from entering the United States.
• H Visa Petitions: Verified by the consular section through the PIMS Petition Report in the CCD prior to the interview.

For H-visa temporary worker applicants, 9 FAM 402.10-9(B) allows consular officers to accept an approved Form I-129 or Form I-797 presented by the applicant, or the applicant's confirmation that the petition has been approved, as sufficient proof to schedule a visa interview. Consular staff then verify the petition approval electronically using the Petition Information Management Service (PIMS) Petition Report in the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) before the scheduled interview date.

Common mistake: applying for a B1/B2 visitor visa when you intend to work for a U.S. employer or enroll in an academic program for credit.

Previous US travel, refusal history and ineligibility checks

Consular officers verify your application history against the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) and check whether any visa ineligibilities apply. Under 9 FAM 301.5-2, officers discover potential visa ineligibilities through your application form, supporting documents, passport or travel documents, and the interview itself, using the interview to clarify any ambiguities. If an applicant's country does not have a passport recognized by the United States or the case involves a passport waiver where the visa is not placed in a passport, consular officers must obtain specific Department authorization and process the case using Form DS-232.

Under 9 FAM 403.2-5(B)(1) and 9 FAM 403.2-7, the electronic record of a visa application in the nonimmigrant visa system retains:

• Record of security clearances obtained, including the dates.
• Record of any revocation and cancellation of a visa.
• Electronic comments for each refusal indicating the evidence that led the officer to refuse the visa.
• Any further information helpful in reaching a decision if the applicant reapplies, plus records of visa re-issuance if a prior visa was spoiled or cancelled.

Consular officers are prohibited from deleting any case in which a formal visa application has been made or any refusal from the system. Even if a refusal is later overturned or waived, the system retains the record of the original adjudication and subsequent decisions. Furthermore, your fingerprints and biometrics are compared against the FBI's Next Generation Identification (NGI) system (including civil, criminal, and latent fingerprint repositories). While medical examinations are generally not required for nonimmigrant visa applicants under 9 FAM 403.7-3(B)(2), a consular officer may require one if there is reason to believe a medical ineligibility applies.

If you have traveled to the United States before, remember that an immigration officer at the port of entry determines how long you are allowed to stay, not your visa expiration date. You can check your arrival and authorized stay date (the "Admit Until Date") on your I-94 record at i94.cbp.dhs.gov, as our I-94 travel history guide shows. Common mistake: failing to disclose a prior visa refusal, cancellation, or revocation when every adjudication is permanently logged in the CCD.

Photo upload rules and biometrics

Under 9 FAM 403.2-3, providing complete biometric data, both a photograph and ten fingerprints, if required, is a mandatory component of formally making a nonimmigrant visa application. Check our guide to US visa photo requirements before you prepare your image file.

Under 9 FAM 403.2-5(B)(1)(c), applicants satisfy the photograph requirement in one of three ways:

• Digital Upload: Electronically upload a picture file directly into Form DS-160 on CEAC.
• Applicant Service Center (ASC): Have your photo taken when you submit to biometric collection at an Applicant Service Center.
• Physical Photo Fallback: If you are unsuccessful in uploading a digital photo to Form DS-160, you may submit a physical photograph to the consular section.

For fingerprints, applicants who have submitted a photograph and already have ten fingerprints on file from a previous application have provided all required biometric data. Similarly, applicants who had two fingerprints on file and have subsequently been ten-printed by a contractor for verification via IDENT meet the biometric requirement. However, when an applicant explicitly refuses to provide required fingerprints, 9 FAM 403.2-3(c) requires the consular officer to refuse the application under INA 221(g).

Common mistake: stopping your application if the online digital photo upload fails on CEAC, rather than continuing and bringing a physical photograph to the consular section or having your photo taken at the Applicant Service Center.

Electronic signature rules, submitting and multiple DS-160s

To complete Form DS-160 for formal adjudication, 9 FAM 403.2-3(a)(1) states that the application must be signed electronically by clicking the box designated "Sign Application" in the certification section of the application and clicking the link to submit.

Under 9 FAM 403.2-5(B)(2), strict rules govern who may complete and electronically sign the DS-160:

• Standard Applicants (Age 16 and Older): You must electronically sign the application yourself by clicking "Sign Application" and submitting.
• Illiterate or Unable Applicants Assisted by a Third Party: If an applicant is illiterate or unable to complete the application, a third party must assist them and must be identified in the application. The third party can assist in completing the form, but must instruct the applicant on how to endorse and electronically sign the application on their own behalf by clicking on the "submit application" link.
• Applicants Under Age 16 or Physically Incapable: The applicant's parents or legal guardian may execute the application on their behalf. If the applicant has no parent or legal guardian, any person having legal custody of, or a legitimate interest in, the applicant may complete and execute it.

Under 9 FAM 403.2-7(C), consular sections sometimes encounter duplicate cases created in the system when applicants have multiple DS-160s. When a single application has been entered more than once and no formal adjudication has occurred, consular staff delete the duplicate unrefused cases after entering a case note explaining the reason for the action. Note that under 9 FAM 403.2-7(B), deleted cases are removed from the local consular section database but remain findable in the Consular Consolidated Database (CCD) under the Deleted NIV Applicant Full report.

Under 9 FAM 403.2-5(A), all information entered into Form DS-160 is immediately available to the consular officer at the time of the interview. While nonimmigrant visa applicants in most categories are not required to submit extensive supporting documentation (9 FAM 403.7-3(B)(1)), you should prepare the relevant items for your category using our guide to the Documents required for a US visa interview. To understand how consular officers review your form during questioning, read DS-160 and your visa interview.

Visa fees, interview waivers and reapplication rules

Consular officers do not pre-screen or perform work on a visa case until after the required visa application fee has been paid (9 FAM 403.2-3(d)). Under 9 FAM 403.4-2, there are two separate types of nonimmigrant visa (NIV) fees: the Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) application processing fee and the country-specific visa reciprocity (issuance) fee. If an applicant makes a formal application but fails to pay a required reciprocity fee after approval, the officer must refuse the application under INA 221(g) (see our 221(g) guide).

Under INA 222(h) and 9 FAM 403.5-4, any nonimmigrant visa applicant aged 14 to 79 must submit to an in-person interview with a consular officer unless eligible for an interview waiver. For example, applicants over age 18 who are renewing a visa in the same category that has not yet expired, or that expired within the past 12 months, likely do not need an in-person interview. However, eligibility for an interview waiver does not automatically entitle an applicant to a waiver. Consular officers must still interview any waiver-eligible applicant if they have concerns about eligibility, and every case must still have an associated Form DS-160.

For applicants seeking a B-1 personal employee or domestic worker visa or a TN/TD professional visa under the USMCA, the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 (WWTVPRA) requires the consular section to inform the applicant of their legal rights and ask during the interview whether they prefer a QR code, a physical pamphlet, or both (9 FAM 402.2-5(D)(6) and 9 FAM 402.17-13).

Before you submit, check these points against the rules above:

• Verify that your first, middle, and family names on Form DS-160 match your passport exactly, and that all prior names (maiden, religious, professional, aliases) and required native linguistic characters are entered.
• Confirm that your biological sex at birth is listed accurately on the application as required by 9 FAM 403.2-5(B)(1)(f).
• Ensure that any third party who assisted in completing the form is identified in the application, and that the applicant personally clicked the submit link (unless under age 16 or physically incapable).
• Confirm you have paid the correct number of MRV fees for the visa foils requested (one fee covers B1/B2, C1/D, or both B1/B2 and C1/D together, and two fees are required for combinations such as B-2 and F-1).

The fee rules, and what you pay when you reapply (our 214(b) refusal guide covers what to change before you do):

Visaful is an AI mock interview app for US visa interviews: an AI officer asks your visa's questions out loud and shows what to fix.

This is interview practice, not legal advice. For questions about your own case, talk to an immigration attorney. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government or the Department of State.