US visa process has a new rule in place; skipping it can cost you your interview

The United States Embassy in Romania has announced a new change for all non-immigrant visa applicants. Effective April 7, this year, all nonimmigrant visa applicants must present a printed copy of the confirmation page with barcode to show that they used the same DS-160 application form to schedule their appointment.

Before their interview, applicants must verify that they completed and submitted the online DS-160 form and ensure that the barcode number on their DS-160 confirmation page matches the one used to schedule their appointment.

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If the numbers do not match, applicants who scheduled their appointment using an incomplete or incorrect form will not be permitted to do an interview and will be required to reschedule their appointment through USTravelDocs.com using the matching DS-160 barcode number.

Form DS-160 (“Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application”) is an online application used to apply for all nonimmigrant visas in the U.S., including B-1/B-2 visitor visas, K (fiancé) visas, F-1 student visas, and work visas like the H-1B, O-1, and more.

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Essentially, if you are applying for any type of temporary visa to enter the United States, you will need to complete and submit the DS-160 form online. The form is a crucial part of the visa application process, as it provides the consular officer with the necessary information to evaluate your eligibility for a visa.

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There is no fee to file the DS-160 form itself. However, you will still need to pay a processing fee for the specific visa you are applying for. For most non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas the processing fee is $185.