Fixing a Submission That Did Not Finish

Most submissions run from the first page to the confirmation page on their own. When one stops early, its status says why, and the person who started it gets an email: Not submitted, saying what happened and what to do, or Ready to review and sign when the submission was set to stop before signing. This guide covers each case: a submission that will not start, each status a submission can end in, and how to finish an application that is filled in but unsigned.

A submission will not start

New Submission checks the form first, and names what to fix:

• A section is incomplete. Every required question in the named sections needs an answer. Open the section from the form overview and fill in what is missing, or send the client their link.
• A section is marked invalid. An answer holds something the official site rejects, such as a character outside the set it accepts. Open the section and correct the answer.
• The photo failed the DS-160 photo checks. Replace the photo, or tick the box to go ahead without it. See Document Storage & Photo Automation.

Statuses and what to do

Status	What happened	What to do
Captcha timed out or Captcha not accepted	The site refused our answer to the first code or we could not read it, and then it was not typed in time, or the site refused all three tries. Nothing was filled in.	Start a new submission.
Signature captcha timed out or Signature captcha not accepted	The application is completely filled in at the official site, but unsigned.	Open it on ceac.state.gov with the Submission Details and sign it yourself, or start a new submission.
Photo needed	There was no usable photo — none was on file, or you went ahead without one that failed the checks. We filled in the application and stopped before signing, because signing cannot be undone and the site needs the photo first.	Open the application on ceac.state.gov with the Submission Details, upload the photo, then sign and submit.
Ready to sign	The submission was set to stop before signing. Every page is filled in and reviewed at the official site, and the PDF is saved.	Review it and sign it on ceac.state.gov; see Reviewing a DS-160 on CEAC Before Signing.
DS160 Form Error	The official site refused one of the pages. The submission shows a screenshot of what it said.	Correct that answer in the form and start a new submission.
Errored	Something went wrong on our side. We are alerted automatically.	Start a new submission.

Captcha code was not accepted

The DS-160 site rejected the code that was entered, so the application was never started. Start a new submission and type the new code exactly as it appears.

Signature captcha not entered in time

Your application was filled in and is waiting at the DS-160 site, but the signature captcha was not entered in time so it was never signed. Open it on the DS-160 site with the submission's Application ID and sign it yourself, or start a new submission, which starts a new application.

Photo needed before signing

Your application was filled in at the DS-160 site but left unsigned, because no photo was available to upload. Sign in at the DS-160 site with the application ID below, upload your photo, then sign and submit.

Application ID: AA00EXAMPL

Finish an unsigned application on CEAC

When the application is filled in but not signed (Signature captcha timed out, Signature captcha not accepted or Photo needed), you can finish it on the official site and keep its Application ID:

1. Open the submission and click Retrieve DS160 Form.
2. Open the application on ceac.state.gov with the Submission Details: the Application ID, the first five letters of the surname, the year of birth and the security answer.
3. For Photo needed, upload the photo with the site’s photo tool.
4. On the Sign and Submit page, enter the passport number and tick the certification box if the site shows one, then sign and submit with the site’s own security code.
5. Keep the confirmation page the site shows you. The submission keeps its status, because the application was signed outside DS160.io.

The official site keeps an unsigned application for 30 days.

Submission Details

E·TREATY TRADER OR INVESTOR (E)E2-TR·TREATY INVESTOR (E2)

These are the details you need to retrieve your DS-160 application. Your application is only valid for 30 days.

Consulate

ENGLAND, LONDON

Application ID

AA00EXAMPL

First 5 letters of Surname

GARCI

Year of Birth

1988

Given name of your mother's mother

MARIA

Retrieve DS160 Form

Starting again

A new submission always starts a new application with a new Application ID; it does not pick up the unsigned one. If you would rather keep the Application ID you already have, finish that application on the official site instead.

Before you start again after a DS160 Form Error, correct the answer the screenshot names. If you are not sure which value changed, field history shows every value a field has held.

Codes we need you to type

If the site refuses our answer to a security code twice or we cannot read it, we email you to type it: Action needed to continue for the first code, Action needed to submit for the second. You have about 5 minutes for each, and anyone in the workspace can type it from the submission. If nobody does, the submission ends as Captcha timed out or Signature captcha timed out. See E-Filing the DS-160.