Creating a Form

Every DS-160 starts on the New DS-160 form page: open it with New DS-160 form on the Forms screen. You choose what the form starts from, fill in a few details and, in a business workspace, choose what happens once it exists, all in one step. Use this guide for every new form: a new client, a returning client whose answers you already have, a case moving across from Docketwise or CEAC, or a demo to try an e-file run.

Before you start

• Who can create a form: anyone in the workspace. In a business workspace, only Owners and Admins choose who the form is assigned to and invite the client as the form is made.
• A form credit: on a prepaid plan, creating a form uses one. Demo forms never use a credit.
• Import from Docketwise is offered in business workspaces only.
• One demo at a time: a workspace can hold one demo; archive it to load another.

Create the form

1. On the Forms screen, click New DS-160 form.
2. Under Start from, choose what the form starts from: a blank form, a copy of a form, an import from Docketwise or CEAC, or a demo. Each is described below.
3. Fill in the Form details: the form name, the preferred consulate and, for a form filed with others, its group. A demo has no details to set.
4. In a business workspace, Owners and Admins can type the Client email so the client gets their link as soon as the form exists.
5. Click Create form, or Create form and invite client when the client is to be emailed.

Start from

Option	What you get	Uses a credit
A blank form	Every section empty. Fill it in yourself or send your client a link.	Yes
A copy of a form	Answers from a form already in this workspace, section by section.	Yes
Import from Docketwise	Answers read from a DS-160 printed to PDF from Docketwise. Business workspaces only.	Yes
A demo form	A fictional applicant with every answer filled in, for trying an e-file run.	No

Start from*required

A blank formEvery section starts empty. Fill it in yourself or send your client a link.A copy of a formReuse answers from a form already in this workspace, section by section.Import from DocketwiseStart from a DS-160 printed to PDF from Docketwise.Import from CEACRead a DS-160 already on CEAC, with its Application ID and security answer.A demo formA fictional applicant with every answer filled in, to try an e-file run. Not billed.

A blank form

Every section starts empty. Choose it when the answers will come from the client or from you: set the form’s details and, in a business workspace, the client’s email, so the client gets a link and fills it in themselves. Creating it uses a form credit.

A copy of a form

Search for the form to copy by its name or client email; archived forms are included and marked Archived. Once you pick one, its sections are listed with how many answers each holds. Untick any section you don’t want: it starts empty on the copy. For a returning client, copy the personal details, family and work history and leave out the trip — the trip and visa details rarely carry over, so check them before you file. The original form is not changed.

Import from Docketwise

Moving cases across from Docketwise? Print the client’s DS-160 smart form to PDF and upload it here. Before the form is created you see what will import, what to check and what could not come across. The print settings that matter, what to complete by hand and how to fix an import that fails are in Importing a DS-160 from Docketwise.

Import from CEAC

Read a DS-160 already on CEAC into a new form with its Application ID and security answer. See Importing a DS-160 from CEAC.

A demo form

Pick a visa type. The demo is named after its fictional applicant and uses its sample’s consulate, so there are no details to set. A workspace can hold one demo at a time; archive it to load another.

Form details

• Form name: usually the applicant’s name. Leave it blank and we name it for you; you can rename it later.
• Preferred consulate: optional; the consulate you’ll choose when you e-file. You can change it later.
• Assigned to (business workspaces, Owners and Admins): the member the form belongs to. Everyone else’s forms are assigned to themselves.
• Group: optional; puts the form in a group of forms filed together, such as a family, with the applicant’s relationship to the group’s principal. See groups of forms.

Client

In a business workspace, Owners and Admins can invite the client as the form is made:

• Client email: optional. Type the client’s address and Email the client a link when the form is created ticks itself; untick it to save the address without sending anything yet. The button then reads Create form and invite client.
• Under the box, a line sums up the link’s settings, prefilled from your workspace defaults. Change opens Expires In (Days), Default Language, Hide agency branding, Allow any photo upload and the consent step for this one link.

Without an email, create the form and copy a link from its Client card instead. Either way the form opens on its overview, where the Client card shows whether the client has opened their link. See emailing clients their intake link.

Client

CommunicationManage links

maria.garcia@example.com

Invited 11 hours ago · Opened 11 hours ago · Link expires in 30 days

Send againCopy link

Link settings: Link lasts 30 days · Español · Asks for consent Change

Links for this form

Copy a working link again, or revoke one the client should no longer use.

Hide revoked and expired

Sent to	Created	Expires	Last Accessed	Actions
maria.garcia@example.com example00000000000000002	Sep 14, 2026 10:30 AM11 hours ago	Oct 14, 2026 10:30 AMin 30 days	Sep 14, 2026 10:41 AM11 hours agoFrom the link email	Copy linkRevoke
Not emailed example00000000000000001	Sep 10, 2026 9:00 AM5 days ago	ExpiredSep 13, 2026 9:00 AM2 days ago	Not opened

Form credits

On a prepaid plan the page tells you when creating the form uses one form credit. If your workspace has none left, Create form is disabled and Manage billing takes you to your billing settings. Demo forms never use a credit.

Opening the page pre-filled

Your own tools can link straight to the page ready to create: ?from=<formId> picks A copy of a form with that form, and name and email pre-fill the form name and client email. To open it on a demo, link to /workspaces/<workspaceId>/forms/new/demo/<template> instead, where <template> is the demo’s id, such as b1 or l1.

Expected result

The form is created and opens on its overview. If you typed a client email and left Email the client a link when the form is created ticked, the client is emailed their link, and the Client card shows whether they have opened it. On a prepaid plan, one form credit is used, unless the form is a demo.

Troubleshooting

Problem	What to do
Create form is disabled and the page says Your workspace has no form credits left.	Click Manage billing to open your billing settings.
Import from Docketwise is not offered	It is offered in business workspaces only.
The Client section says A workspace owner or admin can invite the client from the form.	Create the form. An Owner or Admin invites the client from its Client card.
A copy of a form says There are no forms in this workspace to copy yet.	Start from a blank form instead, or import the answers from Docketwise or CEAC.