The DS 160 form is an essential part of your F1 visa application for the United States. You’ve prepared yourself for days at a stretch for this moment while you carefully scrutinize every little detail. This nonimmigrant visa application is your key to realizing your future dream of studying in the US, and you are bent on leaving no room for error. Once you submit the application form online, you realize mistakes happen. Luckily, there are ways to correct the form and proceed to the visa interview stress-free. So take a deep breath if you are in a fix because we’re here to help you with an action plan to correct any errors on your DS 160 application form.
Retrieving the DS 160 Confirmation Number
It’s only natural to lose or forget the confirmation number of your form in a hurried moment. So here’s what you can do:
Steps | Action |
Check your Email | You receive a confirmation number on your email address when you successfully submit a DS 160 form. Check in the spam folders if you don’t find it in the inbox. |
Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) | You can retrieve the DS 160 form from the CEAC website through your unique application ID. After filling basic verification details and answering a security question, you can retrieve your confirmation number for the form. |
New DS 160 Form | It’s tedious, but if all else fails you can fill out a new DS 160 form. All previously filled information will be lost, but you will get a new confirmation number. Use the number to book your US F1 visa interview. |
Unfortunately, there is no provision to correct or edit information once you submit your DS 160 form. However, you can fill out a new application form on the CEAC website and print the confirmation page.
Importance of Fixing Mistakes on Your DS 160 Form
Correctly completing the DS 160 is essential for getting your US F1 student visa. While you can overlook very minute typographic mistakes on the form, correctly filling in identification details is crucial for your visa approval. Information like the wrong spelling of your name or birth date must be corrected before submitting the application form at your consulate interview.
The reason is that the information filled in your DS 160 is printed on your visa. Incorrect details can cause delays in visa approvals, misunderstandings with visa officials, and identity problems during travel to the United States. In extreme cases, your visa application may get rejected due to a small overlooked mistake.
Correcting DS 160 within 30 Days
Are you having second thoughts about your efforts of filling the DS 160 going in vain? Well, it is less hassle than you think. If you have filled your application form in the last 30 days, there is hope for you. Follow these steps:
- Go back to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) website
- Open your DS-160 form
- Click on Retrieve Application; you will need your application ID here
- Answer the security question to retrieve the form
- Correct any mistake you’ve made and double-check
- Electronically sign and submit the form again
- Save your new confirmation number
- Print the new form for your visa interview
The easiest way to avoid making mistakes when filing an important form like the DS 160 is by using Zolve. Our expert professionals ensure you get personalized support and have a stress-free visa journey.
Correcting DS 160 After 30 Days
You’ve made a mistake on your form, and you've slept on it. Now it is more than 30 days since you applied, and you are in a fix. It will not be available to you on the system, but if you have saved the form on your computer or any backup device, here is what you can do:
- Open the CEAC website and go to the DS 160 tab
- Click on the online nonimmigrant visa application
- Choose the consulate or embassy you will interview at
- Click the Upload Application tab
- Click on Upload Data and select the saved form
- You can make changes here, save, and submit the new application
- Save the new confirmation number and barcode
- Print the new form
In an unfortunate scenario where you missed saving your original application form, the only option is to start fresh. File a new form carefully and use it for your visa interview.
Using Corrected DS 160 Before Scheduling Visa Interview
Everything is falling into place, you have corrected the mistake on your application form. And luckily enough, you haven’t scheduled your visa interview or paid the visa fee. You can simply take the new DS 160 confirmation page to the interview.
Tip: Keep the old form with your interview documents in case the officials need verification.
Using Corrected DS 160 After Scheduling Visa Interview
This is the trickiest scenario; be very careful when preparing your visa documents beforehand. If you use your original incorrect application form to schedule your visa interview or pay the fee, you need to carry both the forms, corrected and incorrect, to your visa interview.
However, if you do not discover a mistake on your application right before your interview or even during it, it is advisable to speak to the official. Be honest about your mistake and let them know you want to correct the error on your application form. They will advise you regarding the seriousness of your mistake with suitable solutions. Here’s what might happen:
- The official can correct the error directly on the consulate database.
- You may be advised to use a spare computer at the consulate and fill out a new form.
- You may have to use a nearby internet cafe to fill out a fresh form
Your situation depends on your consulate's resources and workload. On a busy day, your visa interview can be rescheduled for another time on the day, or a separate date will be given.
Staying Prepared
We understand filling out the DS 160 is a long process that involves carefully collecting documents and painstaking filling every box. But you would rather do it all again than risk visa rejection. So take a deep breath and clear your head the second time around because there’s always scope to rectify your mistake on the DS 160. You don’t have to take a walk down this road alone. We at Zolve can help you fill out the DS 160 form, prepare for your visa interview, and everything else you need in between.
FAQs
- What happens if I put the wrong visa type on DS-160?
If you put in the wrong visa type on your DS 160 application form, correct the error as soon as possible. If you realize the mistake within 30 days of filling the form, you can change it on the CEAC website and update the form. After 30 days, you can upload the form if previously saved on your computer, or else fill out a new form.
- Can we fill DS-160 twice?
Yes it is possible to fill the form twice. If you have made an error on your original application that cannot be rectified, you can fill a new one.
- Can DS 160 be rejected?
Yes the DS 160 application form can be rejected if it has incorrect or insufficient information. It will eventually result in a rejected US visa.
- Can I view my DS 160 after submitting?
Once you submit the form, you can click on the ‘View Confirmation Page’ to view your previously submitted application. You can print this confirmation page.
- How do I delete a DS 160 application?
Since it is saved online there is no way to delete the application once submitted. If you have not used the form to schedule a visa appointment, you can however start fresh. If you have used it for scheduling a visa appointment, you will need to fill a new form and inform the visa officials regarding the same. In either case, you will have to make another fee payment.
Source:
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/made-mistake-form-ds-160-i-fix-after-submitted.html