DS-160 is the Online Non-immigrant Visa Application form. This form must be filed by citizens of foreign countries who seek to get non-immigrant visas to temporarily visit the United States. Now the US Department of State (DOS) has announced that the K-1 visa, K-2, K-3 and K-4 visa applicants must file DS-160 to get non-immigrant visas. This Form DS-160 replaces forms DS-156, Electronic Visa Application form, DS-156K, Non-immigrant Fiance Visa Application, and DS-230, Application for Immigrant Visa.
DS-160 must be filed online, with the DOS. Applicants must complete the form and submit it along with digital photographs. After filing the form, applicants must schedule interviews and appear for the non-immigrant visa interviews.
Consular officers will use the information entered on the form and the information that the applicants provide during the personal interview to determine whether or not the applicants are eligible for US visas.
K visa applicants were earlier required to file forms DS-156, DS-156K, or/and DS-230 but now they need to file DS-160 to get US visas. However, a K visa applicant need not file this form if his/her case is already in process at a US Embassy or Consulate. Likewise, people who filed applications for K visas before 7th October, 2013, need not file DS-160 if they have already scheduled non-immigrant visa interviews.
This also applies to the ones who have already appeared for interviews and whose applications require administrative processing. Foreigners who have received instructions to file forms DS-156, DS-156K and/or DS-230 and who have submitted these forms, need not file DS-160.
All the other applicants applying for K-1, K-2, K-3 or K-4 visas must now file DS-160 online. They need to print the confirmation barcode page that appears after they complete the form. They just need to print the confirmation page and keep it with them, they need not print the whole application.
After filing the form, the K visa applicants must schedule visa interview appointments and they must remember that interviews will not be scheduled by the US Embassies or Consulates in their home countries. Followed by that, they need to pay the visa application processing fee.