Mistakes in DS-160 Visa Application Form. How to Make Changes in DS-160?
Applicants applying for the US visa are required to submit the DS-160 online application form. For first time applicants, it may take over two hours to complete and submit the information.
It’s possible you may not have all the required information with you at the time of filling the form. And it’s possible for applicants to enter incorrect information or totally missed some details.
If the DS-160 form has mistakes or requires correction, would it be possible to update the information once DS160 form is submitted and visa appointment is scheduled? That’s what the following US visa applicant wants to know.
I wanted to ask that if I filled out the DS-160 form wrongly and fill out a new one before getting scheduled for an interview will the previous application code and its information still be known to the VO.
Will he compare the changes in both the DS160 forms or does the previous application code becomes useless if the new one is submitted along with the fees? Also does the VO know anything other than the info we have mentioned?
Also, I would like to say that I have forgotten what I wrote in the intended length of stay, although surely I did not write the I-20 one now what should I do?
Visa application process varies with U.S. Embassy and U.S. consulates around the world. But, before Visa interview appointment can be scheduled, DS-160 should be completed and submitted online.
Here’s the general overview of the process:
- Fill online non-immigration visa application form DS-160
- Submit the form and get DS-160 confirmation with a barcode
- Schedule Visa interview appointment at the Consulate of your choice
- Attend the visa interview
- Consular Officers would have access to the form you submitted.
Changes in DS-160 Form
I have to assume that Consulates will have access to every DS-160 form you have submitted in the past. During the visa interview, Consular Officers have asked applicants why they have submitted multiple DS160 applications.
But, the question is would the Visa offer refer to the previous form?
Yes, they could verify what’s the difference between two forms and why did you change the information.
Some changes are trivial and others are significant. In either case, please make sure you have the accurate information in the DS-160.
Here’s another question:
Please my DS-160 form was wrongly filled where I was ask “Is your father in US” The print out showed YES. Same to my mother. I thought I filled NO. Please what can I do to correct this submitted application? I have already schedule my interview date. Please help me urgently. I don’t want to loose the conference scholarship opportunity I have been praying for all these years. Thank you sir for your prompt response.
Comparing the impact of the mistakes between “Intended Lenght of the Stay” and “Is your Father and Mother in the US”, the second one would have a major effect on the outcome of the interview.
How to Change or Update DS-160 Form
If there are corrections to be made to DS-160, please do it before the interview.
There are instances when a student submitted DS-160, booked visa interview then realized the mistake in DS-160.
I have read experience where VO officer asked the candidate to correct the DS-160 during the interview when paper-based application form was used.
With online DS-160 form, you would have to resubmit the DS-160 form. There’s no way to correct the data once the DS-160 is submitted.
Biometrics and Interview Scheduled
What to do, if the biometrics and interview were scheduled using the confirmation number from DS-160 and you are going to submit the new DS-160 form?
At the time of biometrics, let the staff know about the new DS-160. And you can let the VO know at the time of your visa interview.
How to Fill DS-160 Form to Avoid Mistakes
- Refer to this Step by Step DS-160 Guide
- Save a copy of the form as you complete one page
- Download the encrypted form as you make progress
- Don’t submit the data without verifying the information
- If an agent is completing the form, you should sit next to them while they enter the data
- You are responsible for the accuracy of the information in DS-160
- If you make mistakes, then you have to resubmit the form.
Also, download the pdf copy of the submitted form and recheck the values and entries. Save the pdf file for future reference. It will be easy to submit some details for your next interview if you have this copy.
Hi Team,
Thanks in advance! I have scheduled a dropbox appointment for H1B stamping but I forgot to add undergrad education details in DS-160. how can I get this corrected?
I have completed and submitted my DS-160 and scheduled my interview. I just realized that my school start date and end date is 24/01/2022 and 31/01/2024 while I submitted 25/01/2022 to 25/01/2024.
Will this be a problem or do I need to fill a new DS-160.
Thanks for your help
Hello Admin,
My old ds160 was filled on my behalf by an agent in 2016. I was denied the visa that year.
Now, I want to apply for another but observe that my mother’s date of birth and my university admission and graduation dates were not correct. I’d like to correct them on my new ds160 now.
I hope it doesn’t pose any threat on my chance of success at the interview section. What’s your take on this?
PLS I OMITTED MY PARENTS DOB IN THE DS 160 FORM I FILLED, AND I HAVE SUBMITTED THE FORM. WILL IT AFFECT MY INTERVIEW? THANKS.
can anyone help me with below qs.
1) Updated wrong surname of my father in ds160
2) there is a spell mistake in my mother’s name. Will it be impact anything
or Do i need to fill new DS160.
interview not yet scheduled.
Hi Raghu
I submitted my ds160 and booked visa appointment. I realized I made a mistake answering one of the fields (I selected country as India in work information for my employer instead of United states while rest of the address is correct). Do you think I should submit a new DS160 or can that be corrected on the appointment day?
No correction is possible. You have to resubmit it!
Hello
Why is Ade’s question of June 4,2021 not answered?
Hello,
I have scheduled an appointment for my interview, however I just realized I missed my YouTube, Google+ and instagram (can’t remember the last time I used this) IDs from the social media section (I assumed my google email would just pull all of those when I first submitted my DS-160). I am not sure what the best way to fix this is. Would it be best to create a new DS-160 and update the profile page, as suggested on the usembassy.gov website (https://jp.usembassy.gov/visas/faq-list/ceac-ds160-form/)?
I submitted my DS160 with all the correct information but they made a mistake with the petition number. How do I fix that? Should I resubmit again?
Hello,
Can you please tell us what happened with you so we can learn from your experience?
Thanks.
Hi Raghu,
I have submitted my Ds160 and also booked an appointment for the visa interview for my H1b visa. I have already scheduled the visa appointment using the submitted ds160 confirmation number.
I realized recently that i have entered my yearly salary instead of my monthly salary. How can i change this information? Do i have to submit a new Ds160?
If yes, do i have to update the confirmation number in the profile that i have created while booking the visa appointment?
I think you should be ok for an incorrect salary. If this will give you peace of mind, resubmit it and then submit new ds160 and update the travel docs site with new confirmation number.
Hello Admin,
My old ds160 was filled on my behalf by an agent in 2016. I was denied the visa that year.
Now, I want to apply for another but observe that my mother’s date of birth and my university admission and graduation dates were not correct. I’d like to correct them on my new ds160 now.
I hope it doesn’t pose any threat on my chance of success at the interview section. What’s your take on this?
Hi sir my name is Bright from Ghana I have been to the embassy twice but been refused I did a mistake with my parents date of birth in my first ds160 and changed it during the second one what should I do in case I want to go for an interview again thank you
i have submitted (with confirmation page) four ds-160 form. Following are the changes i made:
1. monthly income
2. Who is sponsoring visa
3. embassy location
Finally i used the last and most latest one to schedule the appointment.
My question is following:
Will consular have view of all previously submitted ds-160 form ?
Thanks.
I think, all the visa application info will outlive our life span!
Hello Admin,
I have already completed my first master’s and right now, I am pursuing my second masters with 1st day CPT. My H1-b got approved last month and planning visit India for stamping.
While filling the DS-160, they didn’t allow me to add the future graduation date for my current Masters degree under the education section.
They allow me to put either present work or present study, which one shall I keep?
How do I mention my current masters in DS160 form?
Hello my friend I have received a scholarship to study computer science in the USA, I filled out and submitted the form electronically… I have already gotten an Interview date the problem is
I accidentally put for intended length of stay 3 years instead of 4 which is the length of the degree program will this affect the outcome of the interview process?
Please tell me what to do thanks
I have noted that if there is an error, there is an option of coming up with a new DS-160 confirmation. Can I change my travel dates? My travel plans have changed
You need to resubmit the DS160 to change the data.
Hello my friend I have received a scholarship to study computer science in the USA, I filled out and submitted the form electronically… I have already gotten an Interview date the problem is
I accidentally put for intended length of stay 3 years instead of 4 which is the length of the degree program will this affect the outcome of the interview process?
Please tell me what to do thanks
Hi … Did this affect your visa application and interview??
Hi, just want to ask if you know what to do here. I went to my US embassy Manila Interview last Aug 8 and passed the k1 visa interview. Today my status is under Adminstrative Processing. However, I just checked a copy of my DS160 that i provided the consul and my Passport number missed a number on it. Would that affect my visa? Even tho they have my passport in hand? Thanks for whoever can answer my question ?
Hey Lyza, what was the outcome? I have an error like this and I am on the same boat as you were. My visa was approved but it is under Administrative Processing.
Hi Raghu,
I have booked an appointment with the DS160 and I could not retrieve DS160 number since it is more than 30 days old.
Should i reschedule the appointment with the new DS160 or should I use the new DS160 during the biometrics appointment?
Please help!!!
Thanks,
Anand
Hi Raghu,
I did the same thing and now I will fill a new DS 160 form.
I am however worried since I did not submit the old DS 160 before taking the appointment.
Can you please let me know what happened in your situation?
Thanks,
Swathi
You shouldn’t have scheduled the appointment without completing DS-160. I don’t think you have an option. Call VAC and tell them about this.
Hi Raghu,
I have already called the VAC and they say its fine.
However, i wanted to know if anyone has faced any problems going the route I went.
Anand – I would appreciate your inputs as well.
Thanks,
Swathi
Please come back to update this thread about your experience. Good Luck.
Hi,
I made a mistake in filling the income of my father in DS 160 but I am sponsering for the visa.Will there be any issue?Do i need to fill new DS 160? I hava already scheduled an appointment.Please help.
I think you will be ok with that.
Hi Raghu,
I have made a mistake in filling the passport issue place in the DS 160 form. What should i do?
Should I let them know during my biometric/visa interview?
Or fill one more DS 160 form, and update the confirmation number in the profile section of appointment portal? Does updating the number there help?
Tell them at the Biometrics. If they want to fill new form, then do it.
Hi Raghu,
I filled my DS160 and booked appointment for me and family. But happened to notice I used the old petition number. So I’m in process of filling out new DS160 for all of us.
My question is, can i submit the new DS160, update my profile in appointment scheduling page will the new DS160 reflect in the appointment?
or should I be cancelling and booking a new appointment altogether ?
Even if I change my DS160 confirmation for me in ‘update my profile’ in the appointment scheduling page, how will it change my families DS160 confirmation number?
Your reply will be really helpful. Thanks in advance.
During biometrics you can inform them that you have submitted new DS-160.
Please my DS-160 form was wrongly filled where I was ask “Is your father in US” The print out showed YES. Same to my mother. I thought I filled NO. Please what can I do to correct this submitted application? I have already schedule my interview date. Please help me urgently. I don’t want to loose the conference scholarship opportunity I have been praying for all these years. Thank you sir for your prompt response. Thanks.
I have updated the article with your example.
Pls my ds160 was wrongly filled by an agent..my wifes place of work was put as mine and have already picked a date..so after noticing the mistake i had to cancel the appointment.can i pay a new visa fee and start a new ds160 afresh ?
Hi pls a friend of mine use agent to fill in her DS-160 form since 2012 but the agent fill it wrongly and submited it like that because of that she was denied a visa. pls can she still reaply with her family using a new DS-160 and new information .
Speak the truth. If VO asks next time, tell about the agent’s mistake and own up the mistake.
Hi pls I dnt upload my photo nd sign on my ds-160 nd have already pay nd schedule appointment
The place of birth on my passport shows my place of origin (Ijebu Ode) while my birth certificate is Lagos, please can i still proceed with us visa application with it
Hi,
I have forgot to enter complete Company name (i.e Parent company name) in DS 160, I have already scheduled appointment will that be a problem?
Hi ,
While entering name of the Company i haven’t mentioned full name that is parent company name. I have already scheduled appointment, will it be a problem?
Filled the ds160 for b1/b2 visa. Intended length of stay was mentioned as 1 month. But if my parents have plan to stay for five months, will the duration mentioned in ds160 create an issue in the port of entry. Should it be corrected prior to biometrics and interview date
Hi, pls I used an agent to apply for Visa but each time I call him to ask for information on why I have not been given a date for an interview at the embassy, he gives excuses that there are no available dates yet. Pls I am worried, can I fill another form cos I don’t know if my information is already on the database of the embassy. Please advice
Dear Madam/ Sir,
I would like to clear my doubt regarding incorrect place of birth entered in DS 160 form. In my passport, village name is written in the place of place of birth. While filling DS 160 form,they asked place/city of birth, so i have entered city name. I have already scheduled the interview appointment. kindly let me know, whether this will create any issue in H1B visa interview.
You shouldn’t have a problem with this.
Hi anchana I would like to ask you regarding your mistake even I also have same mistake which u had done. Can you please let me know what was the result of that during interview.
need urgent help.
I have submitted DS160 form and biometric is done. I have interview tomorrow and found mistake on prior travel to US section. what can I do now? can I submit new DS160 now?
Hi Ks, Was there a problem? I have also did a typo in DS-160. Please respond.
My DS160 application will expire in 2 days while i’m still filling it, can I submit and carrying on with payement and schedule my interview or need to do a new application? i will appreciate your feedback, thanks
Hi
I have accidentally filled wrong place of birth and my biometrics is on 10-11-2016.Is there any problem
Hi all I submit DS 160 but don’t received any reply from ds 160. Do I need to wait the reply before I will schedule interview and pay? Please help my problem.. thank you
Hi,
I submitted my form DS 160 B1 Visa and then when I went for Bio-metric they told me to the place of birth is different from that on passport I edited the form again I went for the Bio-metric and the 1st part was done. Then when i returned home I realized that the passport issue place was wrongly filled instead of Delhi I filled Gurgaon as I put up in Gurgaon. I again tried to edit the form and submitted but the confirmation page that appeared was the same as the first one when place of birth was wrongly written. My interview is next week please advise what should I do now? will my Visa application be rejected?
Any corrections require new ds160.
Hi
I filled out Ds-160 form and after some days I edited the field ‘Given Name to my first name’ because mistakenly I have added FNU there.
After editing, I submitted the form to get my confirmation barcode page which showed lastname, FNU .
Can anyone please confirm and help me in this matter that what can be done and what can be the outcome if my DS-160 form is showing lastname,FNU
Best
Diya
You can’t correct DS-160 now. Hence, fill new form from the scratch and re-submit it. Explain to VO that you made a mistake and had to submit new form.
Hi
I have mistake in company name Instead of HCL USA Inc, i just mentioned HCL Inc in DS-160, Do i need to take another appointment?
Thanks,
Parth
No, you should be good to go.
I mistakenly fill wrong father’s name in my submitted application DS 160 and have already paid for the visa fee.
Please advise cause am worried and feel bad to have put down a wrong information.
I hope this does not affect my application been granted???
Complete another DS-160.
swarna , even I have the same problem .
Hi All,
Please suggest.
1)If we filled DS 160 form but didn’t submit that one and forget to note down the application id ,can i fill the ds 160 form freshly and submit that one.
2)If any duplication takes place because of old Application and any discrepency at the time of Visa Interview?
VO will ask you why you have two DS. Check your email to see if they sent the application number or if you can retrieve the applicaiton.
My parents submitted DS-160 form for tourist(B2) visa to US. But they forgot to save it on their PC and also forgot to add my organization(employer) information in the form.Can I fill out a new DS-160 form with that specific information or would it be a problem if we have 2 different applications/ confirmation numbers ? We have also booked an appointment for interview.Also would it be sufficient for VO if my parents carry the documents with my employer information even though they missed out to fill it in the DS-160? Someone please advise..thanks much!
I have mistakenly written wrong information in my ds-160 . I have also taken visa(F1) interview date. I have pais SEVIS fee also.
What should I do now?
Hi,
By mistake i wrote my Undergraduate Branch as Computer Science whereas in my degree and in all my marksheets it is written as Computer Engineering, I also took my visa date for 31 may.
Could anything be done now. I am really very much worried. Please help, waiting in anticipation.
Thanks! a lot!
Regards,
Vaibhav
hey did you got your answer?
i forgot to provide my secondary and higher secondary educational details and provided only undergraduate details. i have taken visa date for may 29.
what do i do?
i heard that we can fill another ds160 and take both during interview.
is it so?
plz help!!
regards,
kushal
is it necessary taht we should submit the DS 160 form before remitting the visa apllication fee.Can we change the university name after submitting DS 160 or after booking the dates
You can submit the fomr, and hen pay the fees. You cannot schedule the interview without paying the fees.
Thank you for clearing up the confusion.I would still like to ask that does the VO only knows the information which is presented to him in the ds 160 form.Also i am worried if i make significant changes the VO might track the old one and compare them.Although if i am right above you mentioned that if i havent submitted the fees yet proceeding with a completely new generated ID will not be an issue?and also the VO wont know what had been entered in the previous one?please reply me as sson as possible
No Need to Worry at all.
Just fill a new form. and this time make sure that you fill the “intended stay” exactly as mentioned in the 5th column of the I-20 which says “The Normal Length Of The Duration Of The Course is 24/30/36/48/60 months as mentioned in your I-20. Don’t differ on this.
I take this opportunity to add some points here.
Your DS form is nothing to do with paying the Fees at HDFC. You require only Passport Copy 1st page to pay the Fees.
Or if i am mistaken in getting you and If you mean to say you want to pay new fees just to get rid of this mistake, no need for that.
Changing DS Forms before “Taking” Appointment is fine. Don’t worry about tracking changes etc. That doesn’t matter.
Proceed normally by entering correct data from the options
“Start New Application” which will generate a
New Application ID (atleast tracking worries (if any) will be reduced.)
(or)
“Upload a Previously Saved Application”
Using a Data File which has been saved while filling previous application (Ex: CEACAA123ABCD.dat) again new Application ID will be generated and take appointment by linking this new Id number to VFS Appointmnent.
Even if you have confirmed or finalized the Form also, no need to worry.
Start filling the fresh DS-160 form by going any one of the above two options. Take a Print out of the same. Take both DS forms to consualte at the time of Interview and try to explain the same to the person in consulate, who will be checking your documents initially. Generally if the reson is valid especially “typos”, they will be accepting the same.
Important Point is try to “Save” data while filling your application form locally in “your computer” also.
HTH all.
i forgot to provide my secondary and higher secondary educational details and provided only undergraduate details. i have taken visa date for may 29.
what do i do?
i heard that we can fill another ds160 and take both during interview.
is it so?
plz help!!
regards,
kushal
Hi,
Changing DS-160 form before interview is not a problem. I changed my DS-160 after realizing a mistake in my previous DS-160 form. I took both DS-160 forms with me to the embassy. I showed old DS-160 form at the embassy entrance (because I registered for interview with old one). When I was called for interview. I asked the person, who was checking my documents, fingerprints etc just before VO, to replace my DS-160 and I handed in new DS-160. Then, I went to VO and he took my interview. He didn’t ask me anything about DS-160 and said that I would get my passport with visa in 2-3 business days. I was curious so I asked him whether new DS-160 would be a problem or its fine. He replied that he checked my DS-160 and I do not need to worry about DS-160 and I would get my passport in 2-3 business days. So, it should not be a problem for you.
Hi Deepak,
congrats for your visa. could you please share your visa experience and at which consulate did u appear for interview? Thanks in advance
Hi All,
Please suggest.
1)If we filled DS 160 form but didn’t submit that one and forget to note down the application id ,can i fill the ds 160 form freshly and submit that one.
2)If any duplication takes place because of old Application and any discrepency at the time of Visa Interview?
Swarna