Form DS-260 guide: Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application

Wang Law Firm, LLC · David Wang, Managing Attorney · Attorney-reviewed · Updated October 2026

The DS-260's official name is the Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application. It is administered by the U.S. Department of State and completed online through the Department's Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC). It is the core form you must complete when you are outside the United States and obtaining a green card through a U.S. embassy or consulate ("consular processing"). Every immigrant visa applicant, including an accompanying spouse and children, completes a separate DS-260.

The DS-260 comes in the "second half" of the immigration process. First, a petition must be approved by USCIS, such as an I-130 filed by a U.S. citizen or green card holder, an I-140 filed by a U.S. employer, or an EB-5 investor's I-526E. After the case is transferred to the Department of State's National Visa Center (NVC), the applicant pays the fees, completes the DS-260, and submits the affidavit of support and civil documents; once NVC finds the file complete, it schedules a consular interview. The applicant becomes a permanent resident only at the moment the interview is approved and he or she enters the United States on the immigrant visa. The DS-260 itself is not an approval, and submitting it does not mean your visa application has been formally made. According to the Department of State, the formal application is not complete until the interview with a consular officer.

At a glance

Who needs to complete the DS-260

• Family-based beneficiaries: beneficiaries outside the United States who choose consular processing after a U.S. citizen's or green card holder's I-130 is approved.
• Employment-based beneficiaries: applicants whose I-140 (or EB-5 investor petition) is approved and who are outside the United States, or who are in the United States but choose to interview abroad.
• Accompanying family members: in preference categories, the principal applicant's spouse and unmarried children under 21 who accompany as derivative applicants each complete one.
• Diversity Visa (DV green card lottery) selectees: they also complete the DS-260, but their cases are coordinated by KCC rather than NVC.

The DS-260 is not used in these situations:

• You are in the United States and adjusting status through an I-485 (you can choose only one of the two routes; see the comparison below);
• K-1 fiancé(e) visas: although the applicant ultimately adjusts status inside the United States, the visa stage uses the nonimmigrant visa form DS-160 (the Department of State's official guidance says the DS-160 applies to K visas);
• Temporary visas for tourism, study, work and similar purposes: these all use the DS-160.

Legal basis

The application for and issuance of immigrant visas are governed by sections 221 and 222 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) and by Department of State regulations at 22 CFR Part 42. INA 222 sets out the information an immigrant visa application must contain, which is where the DS-260's questions come from; INA 221 governs visa issuance and validity, and an immigrant visa is generally valid for no more than 6 months. The applicant must not be inadmissible under INA 212(a) (or must have obtained a waiver), and family-based cases and most other categories that require an affidavit of support must also meet the affidavit of support requirements of INA 213A.

Also note INA 203(g): if, after the Department of State notifies the applicant that a visa number is available, the applicant does not apply for an immigrant visa within one year, the petition may be terminated; if the applicant can show the failure to apply was due to circumstances beyond his or her control, reinstatement can be requested within the prescribed time. Letting a case sit for a long time after receiving NVC's notice carries this risk.

The full NVC process

The Department of State breaks the immigrant visa process into a series of steps. Here they are in the order you will actually work through them:

1. The petition is approved and the case is transferred to NVC. After USCIS approves an I-130, I-140 or similar petition, it sends the case to NVC. Once NVC creates the case, it sends a welcome letter by email or paper mail containing the case information you need to log in to CEAC (such as the NVC case number). In preference categories where the priority date is not yet current, NVC may wait until the priority date approaches before it starts collecting documents.
2. Log in to CEAC. Use the information in the welcome letter to log in to CEAC, where you check case status, pay fees, complete the DS-260, upload documents and receive NVC messages.
3. Pay two fees. The first is the IV Application Processing Fee; the second is the Affidavit of Support Fee (a small number of cases that do not require an affidavit of support do not pay it). Each fee is paid online in CEAC and must be debited from a checking or savings account at a U.S. bank (you need the routing and account numbers); NVC does not accept credit cards or personal checks. Fee amounts are as currently published by the Department of State. You can open the DS-260 only after the bank confirms payment and CEAC shows the status as "Paid."
4. Submit the affidavit of support (I-864). The petitioner (sponsor) completes the I-864 (or I-864EZ); if income is insufficient, a joint sponsor can be added or the income of household members living with the sponsor can be used (I-864A). See below for details.
5. Collect financial evidence and other supporting documents.
6. Complete the DS-260. On the CEAC summary page, click start under IV Application; each applicant completes a separate form.
7. Collect civil documents. Birth notarial certificates, marriage notarial certificates, police certificates and so on (see below).
8. Scan documents. Prepare electronic copies following NVC's scanning format requirements.
9. Upload and submit. Upload in the Affidavit of Support Documents and Civil Documents sections of CEAC, then click Submit Documents. The submit button becomes available only after every required document for every applicant has been uploaded.
10. NVC review. There are two possible results: Corrections Required, in which case you fix the issues and resubmit; or Documentarily Complete (commonly called "DQ"), after which NVC coordinates an interview with the embassy or consulate.
11. Interview preparation and the interview. After you receive the interview notice, complete the medical exam, register for passport delivery as the post requires, and bring original documents to the interview.
12. After the interview. If approved, you receive your passport with the immigrant visa, pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee, enter the United States within the visa's validity period, and the green card is mailed to your U.S. address.

Tips for completing the DS-260

The DS-260 is a long online form, and its questions change dynamically based on your earlier answers. Below we explain what to watch for in each main section rather than walking through every question.

Before you start

• Have ready your passport, past visas and entry/exit records, address history, employment and education history, marital history, and information about your parents, spouse and children. It is best to organize it all into an English-language information sheet before you begin.
• Complete the form in English using English characters only (the Department of State's FAQ expressly requires this, except where specifically noted). Enter a Chinese name in the pinyin spelling used on the passport; where the form specifically asks for your name in your native alphabet, follow the prompt.
• The system logs you out after about 20 minutes of inactivity and unsaved content is lost, so save frequently. A form that has not been submitted can be reopened and edited from CEAC.

Personal information and contact details

• Your name, date of birth and place of birth must match your passport and birth notarial certificate; list all other names you have used (former names, maiden name).
• The form asks about online information such as social media accounts; truthfully list the platforms and usernames you use.
• Green card mailing address: the form asks for the U.S. address where you want your permanent resident card mailed. Enter an address where you will actually be able to receive mail after you arrive (for example, a relative's home), and confirm it is correct before you travel.

Family information

• List your parents, your current spouse, all former spouses, and all children (including children who are not immigrating with you, adult children, children born outside marriage, and stepchildren). Omitting children is a common problem; it can affect the children's own future immigration cases and may be treated as a misrepresentation.
• Marital information must match your marriage and divorce notarial certificates, and every marriage and divorce needs a corresponding document.

Employment, education and address history

• Fill in your history truthfully for the number of years the form requires; your history should be continuous and the dates should not conflict.
• The information should be consistent with any DS-160, I-130 or USCIS forms you filed before; if there are differences, you should be able to explain why.

Prior U.S. travel

• Truthfully report any U.S. visas you have held, any visa refusals, and your stays and any overstays in the United States. A prior refusal does not mean you cannot apply again, but concealing a refusal may constitute a misrepresentation.

Security and background questions

• This section asks, item by item, about health, criminal, immigration-violation, security and other grounds of inadmissibility. Make sure you understand each question before answering, ask a lawyer first if you are unsure, and do not check "No" just to make your application "look good."
• Willfully making a material misrepresentation in an immigration matter can lead to permanent inadmissibility under INA 212(a)(6)(C)(i), a consequence far more serious than the underlying issue itself.

Signing and submitting

• The last page is where you sign electronically and submit. Once submitted, you cannot change it yourself. According to the Department of State's FAQ, you need help from NVC (KCC for DV cases, or the embassy or consulate where you will interview) to reopen the form. If you find an error, you can contact NVC through its Public Inquiry Form, or explain the correction to the consular officer at your interview.
• After submitting, print the confirmation page and bring it to the interview; you do not need to bring the full application, which the consular officer can view online.

Submitting the affidavit of support (I-864) at the NVC stage

Family-based cases (and some employment-based cases where a relative filed the I-140 or a relative owns a significant ownership interest in the employer) generally require an affidavit of support. At the NVC stage, the affidavit of support forms and financial evidence are also uploaded through CEAC, with no paper copies to mail. Key points:

• Choosing the form: if there is only one applicant and the sponsor's income comes entirely from W-2 wages or pensions, the I-864EZ can be used; in general, use the I-864; if income is insufficient, a joint sponsor can complete a separate I-864, or the income of household members living with the sponsor can be used (with each such household member signing an I-864A). NVC will not decide for you which form to use.
• Situations exempt from the affidavit of support: for example, an applicant who has accumulated 40 qualifying quarters of work, or a child who qualifies for automatic citizenship under the Child Citizenship Act (CCA). Contact NVC first to explain; do not simply pay the Affidavit of Support Fee.
• Financial evidence: usually includes the sponsor's most recent federal tax return or IRS tax transcript, W-2s or 1099s, and proof of U.S. domicile; follow the requirements listed in CEAC.
• Income threshold: generally 125% of the federal poverty guidelines (100% for active-duty military members sponsoring a spouse or child), based on household size and updated annually; rely on the I-864P published by USCIS.

The affidavit of support is a legally binding commitment, and the sponsor's obligation continues until events such as the immigrant naturalizing or accumulating 40 quarters of work. See the Form I-864 guide for details.

Civil documents and special requirements for Chinese documents

Each applicant (including accompanying family members) usually needs to prepare:

• Passport: a copy of the biographic data page of a valid passport (bring the original to the interview);
• Birth certificate: an original or a certified copy;
• Marriage certificate: proof of each marriage;
• Proof of termination of marriage: for each prior marriage, a final divorce decree, death certificate of the spouse, or annulment record;
• Police certificates: applicants aged 16 or older who have lived for more than 6 months in a country (including their country of nationality or current country of residence), or for more than 12 months in any other country, must provide a police certificate from that country; those who lived in the United States do not need a U.S. police certificate. The Department of State says police certificates expire after two years (except those from a country of former residence to which the applicant has not returned since the certificate was issued); a certificate that expires before the interview must be obtained again;
• Court and prison records: anyone who has been convicted, even if later pardoned, must provide certified copies of the court and prison records for every conviction;
• Military records: required for anyone who has served in the military;
• Adoption documents: such as the adoption decree for an adopted child;
• Photos: bring two identical 2×2-inch color photos meeting the Department of State's photo requirements to the interview.

Documents from mainland China: according to the China page of the Department of State's Visa Reciprocity and Civil Documents schedule (Reciprocity Schedule), birth, marriage and divorce documents are generally notarial certificates issued by a local notary office. Police certificates are likewise notarial certificates issued by a notary office after it reviews a certificate issued by the public security authorities (the public security authority's certificate itself is different from the notary office's notarial certificate). Notarial certificates must include an English translation, which is usually issued together by the same notary office. Requirements for documents from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and other countries vary; check them in the Department of State's Document Finder (civil documents by country).

Documents that are neither in English nor in the official language of the country where you interview must be accompanied by a certified English translation, in which the translator states that the translation is accurate and that he or she is competent to translate. For general translation requirements, see Translation requirements for immigration documents.

If a document is unavailable under that country's rules, follow the instructions in the Document Finder; if you cannot obtain it for some other reason, you must submit a detailed written explanation to NVC when you upload your other documents, and the consular officer will ultimately decide whether you still need to provide it.

Before and after the interview: medical exam, interview location, immigrant fee and green card delivery

Interview location (an important change starting in 2025)

The Department of State announced that, starting November 1, 2025, NVC generally schedules immigrant visa interviews in the consular district covering the applicant's place of residence, or, at the applicant's request, in his or her country of nationality. The former, more flexible practice of choosing a third country for the interview has been tightened, with only limited exceptions for humanitarian, medical emergency or foreign policy reasons. For countries where the United States does not provide routine visa services, the Department of State designates other processing posts. If you need to move your case to a different embassy or consulate after NVC schedules the interview, request it through NVC's Public Inquiry Form; NVC may ask for proof of residence. These rules are still evolving; rely on the Department of State's current announcement.

Priority dates and interview scheduling

After a case is documentarily complete, embassies and consulates give NVC available interview dates, which NVC assigns in order; in preference categories, the priority date must also be "current" (see How to read the Visa Bulletin). NVC cannot predict exactly when you will get an interview, and the situation varies widely from post to post.

Medical exam

Every applicant (including accompanying family members) must complete a medical exam and any required vaccinations with a "panel physician" designated by the embassy or consulate before the interview; exams by other doctors are not accepted. If the doctor gives you a sealed envelope, do not open it; hand it to the consular officer at the interview. Note that this is different from the I-693 used for adjustment of status inside the United States. For a general introduction to the exam, see The immigration medical exam.

Interview day

• Bring: the interview notice, passport, DS-260 confirmation page, photos, originals or certified copies of all civil documents uploaded to NVC, original police certificates, and the medical exam envelope (if any). According to the Department of State, you generally do not need to bring the affidavit of support and financial evidence again, but the consular officer may ask for them, so prepare according to your post's instructions.
• Before the interview, register for passport delivery service as the embassy or consulate instructs.
• The consular officer will review the contents of your DS-260 and ask about your family relationship, the genuineness of the marriage, your work history, background questions and so on. Answer truthfully.

Interview outcomes

• Approval: your passport is returned with the immigrant visa in it. As soon as you receive it, check your name, date of birth and other information, and contact the embassy or consulate immediately if anything is wrong.
• 221(g) refusal: common reasons are incomplete documents or the need for administrative processing. Submit the missing documents as the refusal letter instructs, and follow up on CEAC status check.
• Other grounds of inadmissibility: the law allows waivers for some grounds, for example through an I-601; the consular officer will tell you whether one applies. Applicants who were unlawfully present in the United States may need to evaluate an I-601A provisional waiver before departing for the interview.

A consular officer's refusal generally cannot be formally appealed to a court or administrative body, which makes preparation before the interview especially important.

USCIS Immigrant Fee

After receiving the immigrant visa and before entering the United States, the applicant generally must pay the USCIS Immigrant Fee online on the USCIS website; it covers producing and mailing the physical green card. The Department of State says: USCIS will not issue the green card until this fee is paid. Some categories are exempt, such as orphans or children adopted under the Hague Convention, Iraqi and Afghan special immigrants, SB-1 returning residents, and K visa holders. Payment usually requires the A-Number on the immigrant visa and the Department of State case ID. Fee amounts are as currently published by USCIS.

Entry and green card delivery

• You must arrive at a U.S. port of entry before the expiration date printed on the visa. An immigrant visa is usually valid for up to 6 months; if your medical exam results are valid for a shorter period, the visa's validity is shortened accordingly.
• Whether you are admitted is decided by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer. You become a permanent resident at the moment you are admitted. The immigrant visa stamped on entry can serve as temporary proof of permanent resident status for a limited period, as stated on the visa.
• USCIS mails the physical green card to the U.S. address you entered on the DS-260. If you move after entry, you must report your change of address to USCIS (see AR-11). If the card is slow to arrive, you can inquire through the USCIS Contact Center or your online account, and if necessary proceed as provided for the I-90.
• If your status is based on a marriage of less than two years, you receive a two-year conditional green card after entry and must file an I-751 within the 90 days before it expires.

Recent policy changes to watch

The immigrant visa area has seen many changes since 2025. What follows is only a summary; verify the latest rules before filing and before your interview:

• Tighter interview location rules: see above; starting November 1, 2025, interviews generally take place in the country of residence or nationality.
• Issuance restrictions for certain nationalities: travel restrictions under presidential proclamations, and measures such as the Department of State's pause, starting in January 2026, on issuing immigrant visas to nationals of certain countries on public charge review grounds, have had their lists of affected countries and exceptions change several times. Check the Department of State's visa news page to see whether your nationality is affected.
• Public charge and background review: consular officers' review of public charge and background/security issues has tightened noticeably in recent years. Make sure your affidavit of support evidence is solid, and disclose your health and financial situation truthfully.

How the DS-260 differs from the DS-160 and I-485

For a full comparison of adjustment of status and consular processing, see the I-485 adjustment of status guide.

Common reasons for refusal or delay

• An insufficient affidavit of support, or the sponsor's tax returns or income evidence not matching the form;
• Incomplete civil documents or documents in the wrong format (for example, submitting only a household registration booklet instead of a notarial certificate), or an expired police certificate;
• A DS-260 that omits children, prior marriages, visa refusals or other background information, or is inconsistent with answers at the interview;
• In marriage-based cases, the consular officer doubting that the marriage is genuine;
• A ground of inadmissibility (such as prior unlawful presence in the United States, misrepresentation, or certain criminal records) without a waiver evaluated in advance;
• Letting the case sit for a long time after receiving notice, triggering the risk of termination under INA 203(g);
• Changes in the age or marital status of the principal applicant or an accompanying child (such as a child turning 21 or marrying) that affect eligibility; if needed, use the CSPA age calculator for a preliminary assessment.

FAQ

Official sources

• Department of State: The immigrant visa process
• Department of State: Step 6, complete the DS-260
• Department of State: DS-260 FAQs
• Department of State: Step 7, civil documents
• Department of State: After the interview (including the USCIS Immigrant Fee)
• Department of State: Announcement on interviewing immigrant visa applicants in their country of residence
• NVC Public Inquiry Form
• USCIS: USCIS Immigrant Fee

Related reading

• Family-based immigration: who can petition for whom?
• Form I-864 affidavit of support guide
• Form I-130 petition for alien relative guide
• Translation requirements for immigration documents
• Traveling abroad as a green card holder

This article is general information and is not legal advice. Laws and policies can change; rely on the latest official information and on an attorney's advice for your specific situation.