Getting a Successful Submission

The complete walkthrough: create a form, fill it in, review, pay, submit, track progress, and retrieve your DS-160 Application ID.

This is the end-to-end walkthrough — from a blank form to a successfully filed DS-160 with an Application ID you can use to schedule your visa interview. Follow it in order and you’ll have a clean submission.

1. Create a form

From the Forms screen, create a new form. Give it a name you’ll recognize later (for example, the applicant’s name). New to the dashboard? Read Account & Workspace Basics first.

2. Fill in every section

A DS-160 is organized into sections — personal information, passport, travel, work and education, security questions, and more. Open each section and answer the questions.

A few tips for a smooth submission:

  • Match your passport exactly. Names, dates, and numbers must match your travel documents character for character.
  • Don’t leave required fields blank. A section isn’t Completed until every required answer is valid.
  • Save as you go. Your answers are saved automatically, so you can stop and resume any time.

3. Review everything

When all sections show Completed, click Review All. The review screen lays out every section side by side so you can read your answers end to end. This is your last chance to catch a typo before filing — go through it carefully, because corrections after submission mean starting a new DS-160.

4. Pay for the submission

Filing a submission requires a single payment per form. When you start a submission, you’ll be taken to checkout if you haven’t paid yet. See current prices on the Pricing page. You can enter a coupon code at checkout if you have one. Payment is handled securely through PayPal.

5. Submit

After payment, choose the consulate or embassy location where you’ll apply — this is required and is written into the official form. Then click Create Submission. If your photo doesn’t meet the official requirements, you’ll be asked to acknowledge a warning before continuing.

Our automation then fills the official DS-160 portal for you. You don’t need to keep the tab open.

6. Track progress

The submission screen shows live status as the automation works:

  • Pending start — queued
  • In progress — automation has begun
  • Awaiting captcha — paused for a human to solve a captcha on the official site
  • Filling form — entering your answers into the DS-160 portal
  • Completed — successfully filed

If something goes wrong you may see Errored, DS-160 error, or Captcha timeout. A captcha timeout just means the captcha window expired — start a new submission and try again. For other errors, the screen shows a screenshot of what the official site returned so you know what happened.

7. Retrieve your Application ID

On a Completed submission, open it to find your official Application ID, along with the surname, year of birth, and security details you’ll need to retrieve the application on the official site and schedule your interview. Copy the Application ID and keep it safe.

Next steps