Online Immigrant Visa Application Announced by the State Department
The Department of State (DOS) has declared formally that there is going to be a new
Form DS-260 known as the Electronic Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration for all foreign nationals who wish to seek immigrant visas.
The new Form DS-260 has been in development by the State Department for the past several years and is based on the Form DS-160, the electronic nonimmigrant visa application form. The Form DS-160 was proposed in late 2008 and became mandatory for all nonimmigrant visa applicants only in April 2010.
Though the new Form DS-260 is developed to replace the previous paper-based immigrant visa application; it is expected that the Department of State will continue to accept either the paper-based or the electronic version of the application initially. All foreign nationals can submit the visa application online after it has been made available for use by the public.
This electronic version of application will eventually replace the paper-based immigrant visa application Form DS-230. It will take a little while before the Form DS-260 is fully implemented. Prior to the execution of the DS-260, fingerprints must be provided by all applicants for identification purposes. The online version of the application allows applicants to complete the Form DS-260 for all family members.
Applicants applying for immigrant visas can then electronically sign and submit their visa application online. They will no longer be required to submit a paper application. Applicants should extra care in completing the Form DS-260 to ensure accurate information is recorded. They can seek the help of their immigration counsel in filling out the form. However, applicants are expected to complete the electronic signature part of the Form DS-260 by themselves.
Finally, after completion the application forms will be transmitted to the DOS. The officers at the National Visa Center of the DOS and the adjudicating officers at U.S. consulates will then use the information present in the Form 260 to process the immigrant visas for foreign nationals.
Online Immigrant Visa Application Announced by the State Department