Retrieve/Recover DS-160 Application Form

NEW VERSION OF DS-160

Option C - Retrieve Incomplete Application

Application ID and Security Question:

In this new version, when starting a new DS-160, you will be provided with an Application ID. Please record your Application ID. You will also be required to select and answer a secruity question from a dropdown list. Then you will be able to retrieve or recover your partially completed DS-160 from the database by entering the Application ID and providing three pieces of information.

Required Information to Retrieve Your DS-160:

• First five letters of Surname,
• Year of birth
• The answer to the security question you selected when your application was first created
  
  
  1. Please be aware that there is no reset for the security question. Doing so would make the application less secure. You are responsible for choosing your security question and remembering your answer. Otherwise, you will need to begin a new application.
     
     
  2. If you want to retrieve the DS-160 appliction started in an older version (i.e., any version prior to October 31), you will be prompted to provide only the first five letters of surname and year of birth. If this data is entered correctly, you will then be required to select and answer a security question, which will be asked for the next time.

Retrieve/recover Your Application:

• Partially completed DS-160 from the database: You will have the ability to save a partially completed application and retrieve it by entering the Application ID and providing identification information;
• Submitted application to print the confirmation page: You will be able to reprint your confirmation page by clicking on the "Retrieve Incomplete Application" button on the "Getting Started" page. When the "Retrieve Incomplete Application" button is clicked, you are asked to provide identification information. One of the identifying pieces of information you must provide is the answer to the security question that was selected when your DS-160 was first created. If the DS-160 application was created before October 31, 2010 and no security question was ever selected, the system only prompts the applicant for two identifying pieces of information. If answered correctly, the system displays the confirmation page.
• Recover from an application or session error: If you lost connections with your DS-160, you can recover the partially completed application from the database by entering the Application ID and providing identification information.

Improved "Save" Function:

Your application will be automatically saved each time you click the “Next” button. If you need to stop your application before submitting it, you should record the Application ID displayed on the top right-hand corner. You will need this Application ID to continue your application at a later date. You will be able to retrieve your unsubmitted application for the next 30 days. To complete your application after 30 days, you can permanently save the application to a disk or to your hard drive. Click the "Save" button at the bottom of the last page you have completed and follow the instructions to save the application data to a file.