Earlier this year, the Department of State (DOS) announced the creation of the new Form DS-160 Nonimmigrant Visa Electronic Application. Currently, only four embassies and consulates require completion of Form DS-160: Monterrey and Nuevo Laredo, Mexico; and, as of October 22, 2008, Montreal and Vancouver, Canada.

The roll-out of the Form DS-160 will continue to be gradual, and not all American embassies and consulates will mandate use of the form at the same time. The DOS has announced that the form DS-160 will eventually replace the current nonimmigrant application Forms DS-156, 157, 158 and other related forms used when applying for a nonimmigrant visa at an American embassy or consulate (including DS-156E, DS-156K and DS-156V). The Form DS-160 allows applicants to electronically sign the application and, upon submission online, the applicant receives a confirmation page to bring to the visa appointment. The DOS plans to issue future announcements updating which American consulates and embassies require use of the Form DS-160 as it progresses closer to full implementation.

How This Affects You:
While the DOS eventually intends to implement the Form DS-160 at all American consular posts, it is important to check with the particular embassy or consulate where a foreign national is applying to determine whether the Form DS-160 is required at that post. Nonimmigrant visa applicants should note that, unlike the Forms DS-156 and 157, the Form DS-160 transmits information entered online directly to the consular post. While this eliminates the need for the applicant to print out multiple physical forms and bring them to the interview, the automatic transmission also means applicants should take extra precaution to ensure accurate information is entered into the online system.

We will provide further information as soon as it becomes available.

Business Immigration Alerts Mailing List
If you wish to be added to this mailing list, please send an email to bizimmalert@mgplc.com.
If you would like to be removed from this mailing list, please send an email to unsubscribe@mgplc.com with "Remove" in the subject line.

Goeschl Law Corporation's Business Immigration Alerts provide a general description of the law; they are not intended to provide specific legal advice or to establish an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2008 Goeschl Law Corporation, 155 Sansome Street, Suite 800, San Francisco, California 94104. Permission is granted to make and redistribute, without charge, copies of this entire document provided that such copies are complete and unaltered and identify Goeschl Law Corporation as the author. All other rights reserved.