Visa question of the month - DS-160 required for appointment scheduling

The US authorities have recently standardized the visa procedure to a greater extent. One key adjustment is the obligation to submit the DS-160 form online before an interview appointment can be booked. This rule applies in particular to applicants for non-immigrant visas, such as for Business, Visit- or Study visits and Work visas.

In the past, the process was more flexible in many cases: First, an appointment could be secured via the respective appointment profiles of the German US consulates, while the DS-160 form could then still be completed and submitted online.&amp

Many US consulates worldwide, including the German US consulates, now require that the DS-160 has already been submitted online before an appointment can be booked. In the common appointment portals worldwide, the booking is therefore often only activated once a valid DS-160 barcode number has been entered. This is from a DS-160 form that has already been submitted. If a DS-160 barcode number is entered in the profile that has not yet been submitted, an error message appears. The system therefore automatically recognizes if no transmission has yet taken place.

Without a submitted form, no Interview date can be made.

The aim of this organizational adjustment is to better structure the processes for the US consulates, to be able to check applicants' data at an early stage and to make the interview appointment itself more efficient. Short-notice appointment cancellations or delays are also to be reduced.

For applicants, this primarily means a changed sequence in the process. The DS-160 form must be filled out via the official website. Extensive personal data, travel information and security-related details are requested. Once completed, the form is sent electronically with this information and a digital passport photo. Applicants then receive a confirmation page with a barcode number, which is essential for booking an appointment.

Only when this confirmation number is stored in the appointment profile and the consular fees have been paid will the appointment calendar be activated in the system and an appointment booking can be made. If the data does not match or the barcode number is missing, the appointment booking cannot be completed.

Important: Your employee can only successfully attend the appointment if the DS-160 barcode number given in the appointment confirmation matches the DS-160 barcode sheet presented on the day of the appointment. If there are any discrepancies, a new appointment will usually have to be arranged.

In practice, it is therefore advisable to process and submit the DS-160 in good time in order to be able to book an appointment promptly. Not all US consulates worldwide follow the same procedure, but the majority of US representations have started to only allow appointments to be booked with US-160 forms that have already been submitted.