Foreign nationals who must apply for a nonimmigrant visa must do so online by completing Form DS-160. What happens when you make a mistake and want to correct the form before your visa appointment? While it is not possible to change information on a DS-160 after it has been submitted, there are two options for creating a new DS-160 and effecting a “correction.”
If the error is discovered within 30 days from when the original application was submitted, an applicant should log into the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) system and select “Retrieve an Application” using the application ID number. Next, when asked whether to go to the confirmation page or create a new application, select create a new application. The entire application will appear, except for travel plans to the U.S. Here, edit and update the information and re-submit.
Alternatively, if the “DAT” file was saved from the original application, access and amend the information at any time from the already submitted application. Once the changes have been made, save and submit the new application.
The State Department advises, however, that if the original DS-160 was used to make the visa appointment or pay the MRV (machine-readable visa) fee, the applicant must present at the interview the confirmation pages from the new and original DS-160, as each submission creates a different barcode.