Alex Carlon

May 19, 20212 min

Student Visa Application Process Guide: Filling Out the DS-160

Updated: Mar 30, 2022

This blog post is the second in a series about applying for your student visa. To read the previous post, Finding a University, click here.

Congratulations, you’ve been accepted to a U.S. college or university! The next step in your journey to the U.S. is beginning your formal student visa application by filling out the DS-160 form. Below are the steps to finding your country’s application and locating the necessary documents.


1. Find the website of the United States embassy/consulate closest to you

You can find the website of your country’s embassy or consulate by clicking here

2. Navigate to the “non-immigrant visas” section of the embassy/consulate website

For most country’s websites, this can be found underneath a tab titled “Visas” at the top of the home page.

3. Navigate to the online DS-160 form

To view an example of this form, click here.

4. Follow the instructions on the online form


When filling out the DS-160, you will also need to have a series of documents available to reference. Here are all of the documents you should have with you before beginning to complete the DS-160.

  • Passport (valid for at least 6 months after you plan to enter the USA)

  • Two passport photos

  • Receipt of application fee payment

  • Receipt of SEVIS fee payment

    • A Student & Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) fee is a charge that must be paid before completing your visa application. Your SEVIS fee can be paid here.

  • I-20 form

    • This form will be given to you by your U.S. college or university after you’ve been admitted. To learn more about finding a U.S. university, view our first blog in this series.

To keep track of the documents required for filling out the DS-160, download EdAgree’s document checklist below.

To learn more about each of these steps and gain access to EdAgree’s comprehensive visa application guide, complete the survey linked below.

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