Fictional example · DS-160 · Sibling already in the U.S.

F-1 DS-160 Sample for an Indian Master's Student

See how a fictional engineer from India going to a U.S. master's program answered the DS-160, including his SEVIS ID and school, his father paying, and his brother in Texas as an immediate relative and his U.S. contact. Know what the form asks before you start your own.

20sections187responses~40 minto fillF-1 with family in the U.S.
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This is a fictional example for educational purposes, not an official or pre-approved application. Your DS-160 answers must reflect your own circumstances. Do not copy the sample answers unless they are independently true for you.

Is this example similar to your situation?

  • F-1 student visa, applying in Hyderabad
  • Starting a two-year master's in computer science in Texas
  • His father pays for his studies
  • His brother lives in the U.S. on a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa: listed as a relative and as his U.S. contact
  • A software engineer in Hyderabad, with an engineering degree
  • First trip to the U.S.

Different situation? Browse other completed DS-160 examplesSkip to the full sample

Before you start: information you'll want ready

The form will ask for

  • Your passport
  • Your I-20, for the SEVIS ID, the school's address and your course
  • Your brother's U.S. address, phone, email and visa status
  • Your father's name, phone and email, as the person paying
  • Your employer's address and phone, your start date, duties and monthly income
  • Two people at home who know you, such as a professor and a manager, with their contact details

Helpful to have nearby

  • Your degree certificate, for your college's address and dates
  • The address of the flat where you will live
  • Your social media usernames from the last five years
  • A recent photo that meets the U.S. visa photo rules

Questions applicants commonly get stuck on

How this fictional applicant answered, why, and what to check for your own form. Answer for your own situation, which may differ.

  1. Sample answer

    Provide additional information below:

    Course Study

    Why
    Karthik copies his SEVIS ID from the I-20 for The University of Texas at Dallas, and gives the school's address from the same form, not the flat where he will live.
    For your application
    The school's address here is the one on your I-20. Where you will live goes on the travel page instead.

  2. Sample answer

    Address where you will stay in the U.S.
    Provide the following information:
    NA Does Not Apply
    Is the address of the party paying for your trip the same as your Home or Mailing Address?required
    Why
    He will live in a flat in Richardson, near the campus. His father, Venkatesh, pays for his studies and lives at the family home in Hyderabad, so the payer's address is the same as his.
    For your application
    Name whoever is actually paying, with their relationship to you. If a scholarship or an organisation pays instead, the form asks for its details.

  3. Sample answer

    Immediate Relatives

    Means fiancé/fiancée, spouse (husband/wife), child (son/daughter), or sibling (brother/sister).

    Do you have any immediate relatives, not including parents, in the United States?required
    Provide the following information:
    Why
    His brother Arjun lives in Texas on a temporary visa, so Karthik answers Yes, lists him as a sibling and gives his status as Nonimmigrant.
    For your application
    A brother or sister in the U.S. counts here, but parents do not. Give their status as it is today, and ask them if you are not sure.

  4. Sample answer

    Contact Person or Organization in the United States

    Your U.S. Point of Contact can be any individual in the U.S. who knows you and can verify, if necessary, your identity. If you do not personally know anyone in the U.S., you may enter the name of the store, company, or organization you plan to visit during your trip.

    Contact Person or Organization in the United States

    Contact Person

    Do Not Know

    Organization Name

    Do Not Know
    Why
    Karthik names Arjun as his U.S. contact too, with Relative as the relationship and Arjun's own address and phone in Austin.
    For your application
    Your contact can be a relative, a friend or your school in the U.S. Give their address and phone, not the place where you will live.

  5. Sample answer

    Additional Point of Contact Information

    List at least 2 contacts in your country of residence who can verify your information. Do not list immediate family members or other relatives.

    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    NA Does Not Apply
    Why
    He lists Suresh Narayana from his college's computer science department and Divya Krishnan at his employer. His brother does not go here, because the page asks for people at home who are not relatives.
    For your application
    Pick at least two people in your home country who know you and will answer if contacted, such as a professor or a manager. Check that their details are current.

  6. Sample answer

    Were you previously employed?required
    Why
    Deccan Cloudworks is his first job after his degree, so he answers No to previous employment. His college goes in the education part of the same page.
    For your application
    Count only jobs before your current one. Your present job is on the previous page and is not repeated here.

Common questions about this example

Does my brother have to be my U.S. contact?

No. The contact can be anyone in the U.S. who knows you, or your school. Karthik names his brother because he knows him best. Whoever you choose, a brother in the U.S. still goes on the family page as an immediate relative.

Should my U.S. address be my school or where I will live?

The travel page asks where you will stay, so Karthik gives the flat he will live in. The school's address goes on the student page, copied from his I-20.

How early can I arrive in the U.S.?

New F-1 students can enter the U.S. up to 30 days before the program start date on their I-20. Karthik has not booked flights, so he answers No to specific travel plans and gives the date he expects to arrive.

Official source
Does my father fill in anything because he is paying?

No. He does not fill in a form of his own. Karthik gives his father's name, phone, email and relationship on his own DS-160, and answers Yes to the same address because they live together.

The completed DS-160, question by question

§1

Personal Information - Part 1

11 responses

Surnames

Enter all surnames as listed in your passport. If only one name is listed in your passport, enter that Surname.

Given Names

If your passport does not include a given name, please enter 'FNU' in Given Names.

Full Name in Native Alphabet

If your passport does not include a given name, please enter 'FNU' in Given Names.

NA Does Not Apply/Technology Not Available

Other Names

Other names used include your maiden name, religious name, professional name, or any other names which you are known by or have been known by in the past.

Have you ever used other names (i.e., maiden, religious, professional, alias, etc.)?required

Telecode

Telecodes are 4 digit code numbers that represent characters in some non-Roman alphabet names.

Do you have a telecode that represents your name?required

Sex

Please select MALE or FEMALE

Date of Birth

If day or month is unknown, enter as shown in passport.

Date of Birthrequired
11 JAN 2002
NA Does Not Apply

Country/Region

Select the name that is currently in use for the place where you were born.

§2

Personal Information - Part 2

6 responses
Do you hold or have you held any nationality other than the one indicated above on nationality?required

Permanent Resident

Permanent resident means any individual who has been legally granted by a country/region permission to live and work without time limitation in that country/region.

Are you a permanent resident of a country/region other than your country/region of origin (nationality) indicated above?required

Identification Numbers

Your National ID Number is a unique number that your government provides. The U.S. Government provides unique numbers to those who seek employment (Social Security Number) or pay taxes (Taxpayer ID).

NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
§3

Purpose of Visa

18 responses
Purpose of Visit
Have you made specific travel plans?required

Arrival Plans

If you are unsure of your travel plans, please provide an estimate.

Please provide an explanation of your travel plans.
Arrival Daterequired
09 AUG 2027
Address where you will stay in the U.S.
Provide the following information:
NA Does Not Apply
Is the address of the party paying for your trip the same as your Home or Mailing Address?required
§4

Travel Companions

1 responses

Traveling with Others

You should answer Yes to this question if you are traveling with family, as part of an organized tour, or as part of a performing group or athletic team. You do not need to list individuals who are traveling with you for the purposes of employment with the same employer.

Are there other persons traveling with you?required
§5

Previous U.S. Travel History

5 responses
Have you ever been in the U.S.?required
Have you ever been issued a U.S. Visa?required
Have you ever been refused a U.S. Visa, or been refused admission to the United States, or withdrawn your application for admission at the port of entry?required
Have you ever been denied travel authorization by the Department of Homeland Security through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA)?required
Has anyone ever filed an immigrant petition on your behalf with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services?required
§6

Address and Phone Details

18 responses
Home Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply

Mailing Address

If your mailing address is different from your home address, please provide your mailing address.

Is your Mailing Address the same as your Home Address?required

Phone

You must provide a primary phone number. The primary phone number should be the phone number at which you are most likely to be reached; this could be a land line or a cellular/mobile number. If you have an additional land line or a cellular/mobile number please list that as your secondary phone number.

Phone
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
Have you used any other phone numbers in the last five years?required

Email Address

You must provide an email address. The email address you provide will be used for correspondence purposes. Provide an email address that is secure and to which you have reasonable access.

Have you used any other email addresses in the last five years?required
Social Media
Do you wish to provide information about your presence on any other websites or applications you have used within the last five years to create or share content (photos, videos, status updates, etc.)?required
§7

Passport Information

10 responses

Passport/Travel Document Number

Enter the information on the travel document you will be using when traveling to the U.S. Your travel document should be a valid, unexpired passport or other valid, unexpired documentation that is sufficient to establish your identity and nationality.

Passport Book Number

The Passport Book Number is commonly called the inventory control number. You may or may not have a Passport Book Number on your passport. The location of the Passport Book Number on your passport may vary depending on the country that issued your passport. Please contact your passport issuing authority if you are unable to determine whether or not your passport contains a Passport Book Number.

NA Does not apply
Where was the Passport/Travel Document Issued?
Issuance Daterequired
06 MAR 2024

Expiration Date

In most cases your passport/Travel Document must have at least six months of validity beyond the date of your visa application and/or your arrival in the United States.

Expiration Daterequired
05 MAR 2034
NA No expiration
Have you ever lost a passport or had one stolen?required
§8

US Contact Information

11 responses

Contact Person or Organization in the United States

Your U.S. Point of Contact can be any individual in the U.S. who knows you and can verify, if necessary, your identity. If you do not personally know anyone in the U.S., you may enter the name of the store, company, or organization you plan to visit during your trip.

Contact Person or Organization in the United States

Contact Person

Do Not Know

Organization Name

Do Not Know
Address and Phone Number of Point of Contact
NA Does not apply
§9

Family Information

13 responses
Father's Full Name and Date of Birth
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Date of Birthrequired
02 MAR 1962
NA Do not know
Is your father in the U.S.?required
Mother's Full Name and Date of Birth
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Date of Birthrequired
27 SEP 1965
NA Do not know
Is your mother in the U.S.?required

Immediate Relatives

Means fiancé/fiancée, spouse (husband/wife), child (son/daughter), or sibling (brother/sister).

Do you have any immediate relatives, not including parents, in the United States?required
Provide the following information:
§10

Current Occupation

12 responses
Present Work/Education/Training Information
Present Employer or School Information
Present Employer or School Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
Start Daterequired
15 JUL 2024
NA Does not apply
§11

Previous Occupation

12 responses
Were you previously employed?required

Level of Education

You must answer Yes to this question if you have ever attended, for any length of time, a high school/secondary school (or its equivalent in your country) or college, university, graduate school, a doctoral program, or a vocational program.

Have you attended any educational institutions at a secondary level or above?required
Provide the following information on the educational institution(s) you have attended.
Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
Date of Attendance Fromrequired
01 SEP 2020
Date of Attendance Torequired
30 JUN 2024
§12

Additional Occupation Details

10 responses
Do you belong to a clan or tribe?required
Provide a List of Languages You Speak

Enter only one language per field. To add more languages, use the Add Another button below — do not list several languages in the same field.

Have you traveled to any countries/regions within the last five years?required
Provide a List of Countries/Regions Visited
Have you belonged to, contributed to, or worked for any professional, social, or charitable organization?required
Do you have any specialized skills or training, such as firearms, explosives, nuclear, biological, or chemical experience?required
Have you ever served in the military?required
Have you ever served in, been a member of, or been involved with a paramilitary unit, vigilante unit, rebel group, guerrilla group, or insurgent organization?required
§13

Security Background - Part 1

3 responses
Do you have a communicable disease of public health significance? (Communicable diseases of public significance include chancroid, gonorrhea, granuloma inguinale, infectious leprosy, lymphogranuloma venereum, infectious stage syphilis, active tuberculosis, and other diseases as determined by the Department of Health and Human Services.)required
Do you have a mental or physical disorder that poses or is likely to pose a threat to the safety or welfare of yourself or others?required
Are you or have you ever been a drug abuser or addict?required
§14

Security Background - Part 2

7 responses
Have you ever been arrested or convicted for any offense or crime, even though subject of a pardon, amnesty, or other similar action?required
Have you ever violated, or engaged in a conspiracy to violate, any law relating to controlled substances?required
Are you coming to the United States to engage in prostitution or unlawful commercialized vice or have you been engaged in prostitution or procuring prostitutes within the past 10 years?required
Have you ever been involved in, or do you seek to engage in, money laundering?required
Have you ever committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States?required
Have you ever knowingly aided, abetted, assisted or colluded with an individual who has committed, or conspired to commit a severe human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States?required
Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States and have you within the last five years, knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities?required
§15

Security Background - Part 3

12 responses
Do you seek to engage in espionage, sabotage, export control violations, or any other illegal activity while in the United States?required
Do you seek to engage in terrorist activities while in the United States or have you ever engaged in terrorist activities?required
Have you ever or do you intend to provide financial assistance or other support to terrorists or terrorist organizations?required
Are you a member or representative of a terrorist organization?required
Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has engaged in terrorist activity, including providing financial assistance or other support to terrorists or terrorist organizations, in the last five years?required
Have you ever ordered, incited, committed, assisted, or otherwise participated in genocide?required
Have you ever committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in torture?required
Have you committed, ordered, incited, assisted, or otherwise participated in extrajudicial killings, political killings, or other acts of violence?required
Have you ever engaged in the recruitment or the use of child soldiers?required
Have you, while serving as a government official, been responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom?required
Have you ever been directly involved in the establishment or enforcement of population controls forcing a woman to undergo an abortion against her free choice or a man or a woman to undergo sterilization against his or her free will?required
Have you ever been directly involved in the coercive transplantation of human organs or bodily tissue?required
§16

Security Background - Part 4

5 responses
Have you ever been the subject of a removal or deportation hearing?required
Have you ever sought to obtain or assist others to obtain a visa, entry into the United States, or any other United States immigration benefit by fraud or willful misrepresentation or other unlawful means?required
Have you failed to attend a hearing on removability or inadmissibility within the last five years?required
Have you ever been unlawfully present, overstayed the amount of time granted by an immigration official or otherwise violated the terms of a U.S. visa?required
Have you ever been removed or deported from any country?required
§17

Security Background - Part 5

5 responses
Have you ever withheld custody of a U.S. citizen child outside the United States from a person granted legal custody by a U.S. court?required
Have you voted in the United States in violation of any law or regulation?required
Have you ever renounced United States citizenship for the purposes of avoiding taxation?required
Are you a former exchange visitor (J) who has not yet fulfilled the two-year foreign residence requirement?required
Have you attended a public elementary school on student (F) status or a public secondary school after November 30, 1996 without reimbursing the school?required
§18

Student Visa Details - Part 1

20 responses
Additional Point of Contact Information

List at least 2 contacts in your country of residence who can verify your information. Do not list immediate family members or other relatives.

NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
NA Does Not Apply
§19

Student Visa Details - Part 2

7 responses
Provide additional information below:

Course Study

§20

Preparer of Application

1 responses

Preparer of Application

If someone other than you completed this application, provide their details here. You must still electronically sign the application yourself.

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