Form DS-260
Tanım
Form DS-260 is the United States' Online Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration Application, submitted through the Consular Electronic Application Center by people seeking an immigrant visa (green card) from abroad. Applicants complete it after an approved I-130 or I-140 petition, when the National Visa Center invites them; it is signed under penalty of perjury.
How the DS-260 works
Form DS-260 is filed online through the Consular Electronic Application Center as part of consular processing, the route for people obtaining an immigrant visa from outside the United States. It follows an approved underlying petition, such as Form I-130 for family cases or Form I-140 for employment cases, and a current priority date.
Once a visa number is available, the National Visa Center invites the applicant to pay fees, submit civil and financial documents and complete the DS-260. The form collects biographic, family, address, employment and security information, and is signed under penalty of perjury. Agencies coordinating US immigrant visa cases track this NVC stage closely.
Who needs a DS-260 and how it differs from the DS-160
Anyone applying for a US green card through a consulate abroad, whether family-sponsored, employment-based or a diversity-visa immigrant, completes a DS-260, and each family member needs their own. It is distinct from the DS-160, which is for temporary, nonimmigrant visas.
Because the DS-260 sits at the end of a queue that can take years, applicants often update addresses and circumstances before filing. Agencies handling family immigration to the United States keep each applicant's evidence current so the case is ready the moment the National Visa Center makes contact.
The DS-260, the NVC document set and each applicant's priority date are long-running items, and a platform like VisaCRM stores them per family member with status tracking so nothing is missing when a visa number becomes current.
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What is the difference between the DS-160 and DS-260?
The DS-160 is for nonimmigrant, temporary visas such as tourist, student or work visas. The DS-260 is for immigrant visas, people moving to the United States permanently to obtain a green card through a consulate abroad. They are separate forms on the same CEAC platform, used at different stages and for different purposes.
When do I file the DS-260?
You file the DS-260 after your underlying petition, such as an I-130 or I-140, is approved and a visa number is available for your category and priority date. The National Visa Center notifies you when to pay fees and submit documents, and you complete the DS-260 as part of that step before your consular interview is scheduled.
Does everyone in my family file a separate DS-260?
Yes. Each intending immigrant, the principal applicant and each accompanying spouse or child, completes their own DS-260. The forms are linked to the same case at the National Visa Center, but every person submits individually. Preparing one form for the whole family is not possible, so plan for a separate submission per applicant.
Is the DS-260 the last step to a green card?
Not quite. After submitting the DS-260 and your documents, you attend a consular interview. If the immigrant visa is approved, you travel to the United States and are admitted as a permanent resident; the physical green card follows. Processing times vary widely by category and country, so verify current estimates with official sources.
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