After receiving an I-20 from a US university, many Nepalese student applicants often wonder about the next step. Well, once you receive your I-20, you have to step up for your US visa application, and DS 160 form is actually your US visa application form which you need to fill on your own to kick-start your US visa application process.
There may be many queries regarding DS 160, from what it means to how to fill it to what issues can arise. If you are one of those who have such queries, this article is just the one for you, so keep reading.
So, what is DS 160 form? A DS 160 form is a US visa application form that needs to be filled out online by non-immigrants, like people applying for student visas, tourist visas, and work visas. Where to find this form? Open CEAC State's website to fill out the form.
Since DS 160 is the form containing your personal, professional, and academic background information, it acts as a base for the US visa officer to make decisions regarding your visa application during your interview. It means you must fill DS 160 form with utmost sincerity and honesty. Any information that raises suspicion can lead to direct visa rejection. Therefore, the DS 160 form must be filled out consciously from your laptop and your unique IP address. Remember that DS 160 form is what you claim to be, and you must justify your claims in front of the visa officer during an interview.
While filling DS 160 form, you do not need to upload any documents. However, you do need the following documents to refer to during the form-filling process:
DS 160 form is all about your family details, personal information, educational details, travel history, and background information. The visa officer makes his/her discretion on your visa approval based on the information you provide in your DS 160 form and your interview. Therefore, you must be consciously honest and truthful while giving out your information.
Now, let us see the step-by-step process of filling DS 160 form.
Open the CEAC state website and select the country or location from where you will give your US visa interview. Enter the CAPTCHA code and select "Start an Application."
This question is asked for security reasons, and it is the same for everyone. You will be asked your mother's name, and you will answer that. And each time you want to log in, you will be asked the same question as it is like a password.
In the third step, you will be asked about your personal information, like your name, your name in the native alphabet, and any previous name if you have one. You are supposed to select' No' for the question where you will also be asked if your name can be represented in the telescode. Similarly, you will be asked other personal questions, so answer according to your profile with truth and honesty.
To fill this section, refer to your passport and I-20 documents. First, you must fill in your address, phone, and passport information. Since you are applying for a student visa, you select an F1 student visa, and your passport type is regular. If you have already booked your ticket, you must fill in the details accordingly. But, if you have not, you have to enter your intended date of entry in the USA. Refer to your I-20 to fill in the address of your stay. Then, answer questions like "who is paying for your trip?". If it is, you mention self, and if it is other, mention their details.
Similarly, if you are traveling with someone, you must mention their details too. Additionally, if you have any previous travel history, mention that too. Lastly, in the point of contact question, you must mention the name, address, and email of the Designated School Officer(DSO) stated in your I-20.
In this stage, you must fill essential family-related information, so answer accordingly.
In this section, you must mention all your bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, intermediate degrees, etc. If you have any employment experience, you can mention that too. If you are currently employed, and after completing your education, you wish to return to Nepal to join the same company, you can mention that honestly. Lastly, other questions are related to the languages you can speak and the name of places abroad you have traveled to.
Note: The answer to all the questions, like whether you have any skill in the field of explosives, if you were part of any rebel group, and so on, must be "No."
When you reach this stage, all the answers to the questions must be" No" because these questions are asked to ensure that you are a person with no criminal record and no communicable diseases to transfer. These questions are for the national security of the USA.
In this section, you mention your SEVIS ID, the name of the university, its address, and details about the course or program of your study.
Once you have completed your DS 160 form, check it thoroughly for any errors to be rectified. If you feel it is okay, you must sign and submit it, and you will receive the confirmation.
Still confused about the overall process of filling out the DS 160 form?
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The major issues while filling out DS 160 are frequent log-outs that make form filling time-consuming and the arrival of new 20 from another university. So, the tips for dealing with these issues are: 1) Save your application ID in your note pad 2) Keep saving the page each time you fill in the information to avoid loss of information 3) For new I-20 arrival, you need to refill the DS 160 form and update your application number.
For more tips, book your session with our foreign returned experienced counselor. Now!
Yes, you may have to fill out the new DS 160 form if you change your location to a different country like Nepal to India. But you can't fill in the new form if you change location within the same country.
You just have to create a new DS 160 form and fill it out. You must upload your profile to the CGI portal and print your confirmation page.