SUPPORTING
STATEMENT FOR
PAPERWORK
REDUCTION ACT SUBMISSION
Application
for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration
OMB
Number 1405-0185
DS-260
Why is this collection necessary and what are the legal statutes that allow this?
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq., mandates the application and eligibility requirements for noncitizens seeking to obtain an immigrant visa and alien registration. INA section 221(a) (8 U.S.C. § 1201(a)) provides that a consular officer may issue an immigrant visa to an individual who has made a proper application.
INA section 222(a) (8 U.S.C. § 1202(a)) specifically requires that an applicant provide the following information in an application for an immigrant visa: full and true name; any other names he/she has used or by which he/she has been known; age; sex; date of birth; place of birth; and such additional information necessary to the identification of the applicant and the enforcement of the immigration and nationality laws as may be by regulations prescribed.
INA section 222(b) (8 U.S.C. § 1202(b)) further identifies other documentary evidence needed to obtain an immigrant visa. Every individual applying for an immigrant visa shall furnish to the consular officer, with his/her application, a copy of certification from appropriate police authorities as to what their records show concerning the applicant, prison records, military records, and record of birth, as well as any other documentation that the consular officer may require.
INA section 221(b) (8 U.S.C. § 1201(b)) requires that a photograph accompany the application.
INA section 222(e) (8 U.S.C. § 1202) requires that an applicant sign the application in the presence of the consular officer under oath.
Grounds for the ineligibility of certain individuals to receive a visa or to be admitted to the United States are detailed in INA section 212(a) (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)), INA section 208(d)(6) (8 U.S.C. § 1158(d)(6)), and other statutes. Among the grounds of ineligibility are those related to the health of the applicant, the applicant’s past and present criminal activities, security concerns, potential for the applicant to become a public charge, and previous violations of the INA by the applicant. In the visa application form, applicants are asked to indicate whether any of the various inadmissibility grounds may apply to them.
Department of State regulations pertaining to immigrant visas are published in 22 CFR Part 42. The regulation pertaining to the filing of the online DS-260, Electronic Application for Immigrant Visa and Alien Registration is located at 22 CFR 42.63.
What business purpose is the information gathered going to be used for?
Department of State consular officers use the DS-260, in conjunction with a personal interview, to elicit information necessary to fulfill the legal requirements for the issuance of an immigrant visa. The information required on the form is necessary for consular officer to determine the eligibility and classification of an individual seeking an immigrant visa to the United States. A consular officer cannot approve such a visa without collecting and reviewing this information.
Is this collection able to be completed electronically (e.g., through a website or application)?
The DS-260 is an online form available via the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) at http://www.travel.state.gov. Applicants electronically complete, sign, and submit the form to receive a confirmation page containing a record locator (barcode). The applicant must print the confirmation page and present the page to a consular officer at the interview phase.
Electronic submission allows the Department time to review an application prior to the interview appointment. During the interview, a consular officer scans the applicant’s barcode to quickly access his or her information and asks any necessary follow up questions to determine visa eligibility before obtaining the applicant’s sworn affirmation and biometric signature.
Does this collection duplicate any other collection of information?
This collection is not duplicative of another existing collection.
Does this collection impact small business?
This information collection does not burden small businesses or other small entities.
What are the consequences if this collection is not done?
This information collection is essential for determining whether an applicant is eligible for an immigrant visa. An alien completes the form once per visa application. It is not possible to collect the information less frequently, as consular officers need up-to-date information to determine whether an applicant is eligible to receive a visa.
Are there any special collection circumstances?
No special collection circumstances are associated with this collection.
Did the Department solicit public comments on the collection?
The Department published a notice in the Federal Register soliciting public comments for a period of 60 days on July 9, 2025 (90 FR 30543). The Department received four comments before the comment period ended on September 8, 2025, with two being nonresponsive to the collection. Comments are publicly viewable on regulations.gov, and the Department addresses the two responsive comments here:
COMMENT 1
The American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) submitted a comment on behalf of the over 15,000 member attorneys who practice immigration law in the United States. The Department appreciates AILA’s thoughtful feedback and has reviewed and addressed recommendations in the space below.
Countries
the Applicant Has Visited
AILA
recommended rephrasing the question, “Have you traveled to any
countries/regions within the last five years?” to clarify that
the applicant should not include U.S. travel in that section.
In addressing this suggestion, the Department is first clarifying that the proposed version of the form, which was available for public comment through regulations.gov, included modified language requesting 15 years of address history rather than five. The United States is not an available region or country in this section, and U.S. travel is requested in the form prior to reaching this section. However, since additional clarity may reduce applicant burden, the Department will incorporate this suggestion to the proposed DS-260. The question now reads: “Have you traveled to any countries/regions, other than the United States, within the last fifteen years?”
Security
and Fraud Questions
AILA
suggested simplifying the language of complex questions to ensure
applicants understand their intent and scope.
The Department acknowledges and agrees with the importance of clarity in these questions and is actively engaging in a large-scale modernization project that will address these concerns. The modernization will include technical improvements and plain language rephrasing of these and other questions throughout the form. The Department appreciates AILA’s continued patience while it works to improve its systems, as the modernization project cannot be completed in the limited time left in this PRA renewal cycle.
Present
and Previous Address Information
AILA
proposed requiring only city, state/province, country, and dates for
address history, with an option to mark street addresses as
“unknown.” While the Department recognizes the
challenges applicants may face in recalling detailed address
information, particularly for elderly applicants, past addresses are
used for multiple purposes beyond police certificate requirements,
including fraud prevention and enhanced vetting. At this time, the
Department will not implement this suggestion, but it will re-open
discussions with vetting partners to determine whether adding an
“unknown” checkbox to the address field is possible
without significantly impacting U.S. national security interests in
the future.
Family
Information
AILA
recommended rephrasing questions about family members’
immigration intentions.
The Department agrees to rephrase these questions and will replace the word "immigrating” with the more specific phrase “applying for a U.S. immigrant visa.”
Additional
Work/Education/Training/Travel Information Page
AILA
suggested providing additional context to the question, “Have
you belonged to, contributed to, or worked for any professional,
social, or charitable organization?”
The Department understands AILA’s suggestion to be motivated by applicants’ possible misunderstanding of the scope of information sought. Due to resource and time constraints, the Department will need to further consider this recommendation as part of the ongoing modernization project.
Security
and Background Information
AILA
recommended rephrasing the question, “Has the Secretary of
Homeland Security of the United States ever determined that you
knowingly made a frivolous application for asylum?”
The Department agrees with this recommendation and will revise the form to reference “an immigration judge or Board of Immigration Appeals” instead of “the Secretary of Homeland Security of the United States.”
Signature
and Submission
AILA
proposed retitling the page, making grammatical adjustments, and
including language clarifying that the visa application is not
formally made until the consular interview. While the Department is
open to considering these changes, these issues will be addressed as
part of the aforementioned modernization project.
E-Signature
Section
AILA
questioned a reference to the Australian Department of Home Affairs
(ADHA)
and raised privacy and security concerns regarding language about
medical examinations and data storage in the eMedical system.
In response to this comment, the Department is revising language to better explain the role that ADHA plays in the eMedical system and clarify its relevance to all applicants subject to medical examination. For greater transparency, the Department also is adding language to better explain how applicants’ medical information may be temporarily stored in the eMedical system and providing additional data privacy assurances, as records access by the ADHA is strictly limited to providing technical support to the U.S. government and its designated panel physicians. This language is now included in a new “Medical Examination Disclosure and Consent” subsection, which is separate from the e-signature section where the information currently displays.
Accessibility
AILA
highlighted certain technical issues, including timeouts, login
errors, and the inability to amend the form post-submission.
The Department’s modernization project also aims to address many of these technical challenges, and attempts to resolve these issues are underway.
General
Data Collection
AILA
advocated for the option to provide explanatory information, either
through a tick box next to each question or a stand-alone final page,
similar to the overflow sheet option in the old paper DS-230 form.
The Department has determined that these changes are neither necessary nor feasible and will not implement them at this time.
The DS-230 previously contained the following instruction that allowed for an “overflow” sheet: “If there is insufficient room on the form, answer on a separate sheet using the same numbers that appear on the form. Attach any additional sheets to this form.” The intention behind this instruction was to allow applicants to provide required information that did not fit in the limited space provided on the paper form. This included information about additional family members, additional social media, etc. The instruction was not designed to allow applicants to provide explanatory information beyond the explicit information the Department requested. Furthermore, space is not limited in the DS-260, as the e-form allows applicants to select “add another” for questions that might have required an additional sheet when completing the paper form. Applicants wishing to provide explanatory information for responses have the opportunity to do so during the required in-person interview.
COMMENT 2
The comment expresses “concern for the volume of applications for the registration of individuals applying and the extreme annual cost of $156B” and recommends the Department review the “authenticity and the number of applications” for this collection.
The Department assures the public that every application undergoes adequate vetting. Furthermore, the Department clarifies that the cost to process the DS-260 is not $156 billion, as the comment states, but rather $94,022,024 in federal government expenditures. Consular fees are generally set based on the policy of full cost recovery, which means the full cost is offset by the DS-260 application fee. The net cost to the American taxpayer is $0.
Are payments or gifts given to the respondents?
No payments or gifts are provided to respondents.
Are any assurance of privacy/confidentiality provided to respondents?
A confidentiality statement is provided to the applicant in the DS-260 as assurance of privacy and confidentiality. The applicant is informed that, in accordance with INA section 222(f), 8 U.S.C. § 1202(f), information obtained from applicants in the immigrant visa application process is considered confidential and is to be used only for the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement of the immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States. The statement further notes that, at the discretion of the Secretary of State, copies of visa records may be made available to a court which certify that the information contained in such records is needed in a case pending before the court.
Are any questions of a sensitive nature asked?
Some questions on the form may be considered sensitive in nature. Consular officers may not issue a visa to aliens who are ineligible under applicable provisions of INA section 212, 8 U.S.C. § 1182, or any other provision of law (unless a lawful waiver is authorized), and asking these questions is necessary to ensure compliance with the law.
To protect U.S. national security and adjudicate a visa, the application form asks for personal and biographical information, including information concerning the alien’s health, marital status, employment, social media, financial support, criminal offenses, narcotics addiction, political affiliation with subversive organizations, and participation in genocide or terrorist activities. The sensitive information collected is essential to the Department and its vetting partners, who need a holistic view of the applicant to ensure no alien who poses a threat to U.S. citizens is allowed on U.S. soil. As noted in paragraph 10 above, such information is confidential under INA section 222(f), 8 U.S.C. § 1202(f).
What is the hour time burden and the hour cost burden on the respondent needed to complete this collection?
Applicants are required to fill the DS-260 once per application. To calculate hour cost burden, we provide an annual estimate for future submissions. The Department then uses this annual estimate to calculate the total number of hours applicants spend filling the form. The hours are then multiplied by the 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimate for the median hourly wage for all occupations.
(annual responses) x (response time burden) x (hourly wage) = Hour Cost Burden
The table below provides data on the total number of IV applications processed by the Department for each of the past 5 fiscal years.
Fiscal year |
IV applications |
2023 |
604990 |
2022 |
523283 |
2021 |
321818 |
2020 |
257212 |
2019 |
582537 |
Average |
457968 |
Using this data, the Department anticipates a total annual volume of approximately 460,000 DS-260 responses.
The Department estimates a time burden of 155 minutes per response. If 460,000 respondents spend 155 minutes filling the form, the total response time burden is 71,300,000 minutes, or approximately 1,188,333 hours. The 2024 BLS estimate for the median U.S. hourly wage for all occupations is $23.80. This hourly wage multiplied by the total time burden gives us an annual cost burden of $28,282,325.40.
What is the monetary burden to respondents (out of pocket costs) needed to complete this collection?
The applicant must submit a digital photo and print a confirmation page, which may result in a minimal cost. The Department estimates that the average cost of obtaining these will be 5 USD, based on estimate values provided by oversea embassies. We therefore estimate that the total respondent monetary cost burden is $2,300,000 (460,000 applicants x $5).
What are the costs incurred by the Federal Government to complete this collection?
The Department of State’s Cost of Service Model (CoSM) estimates the cost value for data intake and review is $94,022,024. This figure encompasses the time associated with form review, records management, system checks, and all related activities within “Data Intake and Review.”
Consular fees are generally set based on the policy of full cost recovery, and the CoSM is updated annually to account for all costs to the U.S. government associated with providing consular services, which includes immigrant visa application processing. In other words, all federal government costs associated with this information collection are offset by the required DS-260 application fee, and the net cost incurred will be $0.
Are there any changes/adjustments to this collection since the previous submission?
The Department is submitting the DS-260 with the following revisions:
Form Section |
Form Change |
Sign in |
+ Add NEW Field: Users will read a Privacy Act Statement and check a box that affirms, “I have read the terms of the Privacy Act Notice.”
|
Personal Information 2 |
+ Add NEW Question: “Have you owned any other passports within the past fifteen years that have not already been mentioned above?” [Yes/No]
|
Present and Previous Address Information: Social Media |
+ Modify Social Media description: “Select from the list below each social media platform you have used within the last five years. In the space next to the platforms name, enter the User ID (Email address, Username, Handle, Telephone Number, etc.) you have used on that platform. Please do not provide your passwords. If you have used more than one platform or more than one username, handle, or telephone number on a single platform, click the “add Another” button to list each one separately. If you have not used any of the listed social media platforms in the last five years, select “none.”
|
+ Other Social Media modification:
|
|
Mailing and Permanent Address Information |
+Modify question to: “Current Mailing Address Is your Current Mailing Address the same as your Present Address?”
+Modify question header to: “U.S. Permanent Address”
|
Family Information: Spouse and Previous Spouse |
+ Modify fields:
+Modify question:
+Modify question:
|
Family Information: Children |
+Modify question:
+Modify question:
|
Family Information: Siblings
*NEW section*
|
+Add Question: “Do you have any siblings?” [“Yes”/ “No”] +Add Fields if “Yes”:
|
Work/ Education/ Training: Present |
-Eliminate field: “Not Employed” option will no longer populate an “Explain” text box.
|
Work/ Education/ Training: Previous |
+Modify previous employment and education requirement:
+ Modify question description.
|
Work/ Education/ Training: Additional Work/ Education/Training/Travel Information
|
+ Modify requirements:
+Modify Travel Question:
|
Security and Background: Security Information 1 |
+Question Modification:
|
Security and Background: Security Information 2 |
+Question Modifications:
|
Social Security Number: Social Security Number Information |
+Add Question when applicants answer “yes” to “Have you ever applied for a social security number?”
|
Disclaimer |
Modify contact information provided in the disclaimer:
Public Communication Division PA/PL U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520 202-647-6575 Also see http://contact-us.state.gov
Bureau of Global Public Affairs, Office of Public Liaison GPA/SOE/PL U.S. Department of State Washington, D.C. 20520 202-647-6575 |
Sign and Submit Page
*NEW* Medical Examination Disclosure and Consent Subsection |
Move language regarding medical examination to separate subsection.
“Immigrant visa applicants are required to undergo a medical examination with an authorized physician to assess visa eligibility consistent with INA Sections 212(a) and 221(d). I understand that failure to provide required information may cause delay or denial of my visa application. If required to undergo a medical examination, I understand that my medical examination information may be collected and temporarily stored in the eMedical system hosted, operated, and maintained by the Australian Department of Home Affairs. If my medical examination is collected in eMedical, I understand and consent to its collection and temporarily being stored in such system, and being transferred to the U.S. Government for the purposes of enabling the U.S. Department of State to determine my medical eligibility and for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to undertake public health functions under the Public Health Service Act Section 325 and INA Section 212(a).”
“MEDICAL EXAMINATION DISCLOSURE AND CONSENT Immigrant visa applicants are required to undergo a medical examination with an authorized panel physician to assess visa eligibility in accordance with Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Sections 212(a) and 221(d). The purpose of the examination is to determine whether the applicant has a medical condition which would render him or her ineligible to receive an immigration benefit. If required to undergo a medical examination, all applicants are advised that their medical information may be collected and temporarily stored in the online eMedical system, which is a platform that is hosted, operated, and maintained by the Australian Department of Home Affairs (AHDA) in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of State. The eMedical system is protected by a certified “Secure Gateway Environment,” which provides the necessary security controls to ensure information in the eMedical system remains private and confidential. Records access by the ADHA is strictly limited to providing technical support to the U.S. government or its panel physicians.
Applicant medical information will be transferred from eMedical to U.S. Government systems to determine medical eligibility and to allow the CDC to fulfill public health functions in accordance with the Public Health Service Act Section 325 and INA Section 212(a). In accordance with INA Section 222(f), this information is considered confidential and is only to be disclosed in certain circumstances enumerated in statute, including for use in the formulation, amendment, administration, or enforcement of the immigration, nationality, and other laws of the United States.
By signing this application, I understand and consent to the collection and storage of my medical information in the eMedical system. I also understand that by submitting this application, I am consenting to the disclosure of my medical information to any U.S. government agency having statutory or other lawful authority to use such information for the purpose of law enforcement and immigration enforcement. I am aware that while furnishing this information is voluntary, failure to provide requested medical information may cause delay or denial of my visa application.”
|
Note: highlights denote new language in a question or field.
Will any data gathered by this collection will be published?
No. The data gathered by this collection will not be published, however, a quantitative summary of all Department of State visa activities is published in the annual Report of the Visa Office. The Report of the Visa Office is an annual report providing statistical information on immigrant and non-immigrant visa issuances by consular offices, as well as information on the use of visa numbers in numerically limited categories. The Visa Office currently has annual reports available from 2000 to 2024. The link to the site is: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics.html.
Will the OMB expiration date be displayed?
Yes. The Department will display the OMB expiration date on the collection.
Are any exceptions to the OMB certification statement being sought?
No. The Department is not seeking exceptions to the OMB certification statement.
This collection does not employ statistical methods.
| File Type | application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| Author | Moreno-Mendez, Anabel |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2026-01-10 |