Alex Carlon
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.