Fictional example · DS-160 · Exchange visitor, work and travel

J-1 DS-160 Sample for a Summer Work Travel Student (Turkey)

See how a fictional university student from Turkey on a Summer Work Travel program answered the DS-160, including her SEVIS ID, the program number from her DS-2019 and her U.S. employer as her contact. Know what the form asks before you start your own.

20sections183responses~35 minto fillJ-1 & exchange visas
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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?

  • J-1 exchange visitor visa (Summer Work Travel), applying in Istanbul
  • A university student working at a resort in Wisconsin for four months
  • Paying for the trip herself
  • Her U.S. employer is her point of contact
  • Not planning to study in the U.S. during the program
  • 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 DS-2019, for the SEVIS ID and the program number
  • Your job offer, for the host employer's address, phone and a named contact
  • The address where you will live during the program
  • Your Turkish identity number
  • Your university's address and phone, and the date you started

Helpful to have nearby

  • Earlier jobs, including summer work, with dates and a supervisor's name
  • Two people at home who know you, such as a lecturer and a past employer
  • 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

    Exchange Visitor Program
    Do you intend to study in the U.S.?required

    Answer Yes if your exchange program includes study at a U.S. school or university; you will then be asked for its details. Camp counselors and work and travel participants answer No.

    Why
    Elif copies her SEVIS ID and the program number from her DS-2019. She is going to work at a resort, not to take classes, so she answers No to studying in the U.S.
    For your application
    Copy both numbers exactly from your DS-2019. For the study question, check whether your program includes classes in the U.S. A Yes asks for the school's details.

  2. 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
    Elif knows nobody in the U.S., so she names Karen Hansen at Dells Lakeside Resort, her host employer, with Employer as the relationship.
    For your application
    Your job offer usually names a person at the host employer. Use their name, phone and email as printed there.

  3. Sample answer

    Address where you will stay in the U.S.
    Why
    She will live at the resort, so the address where she will stay is the same as her employer's. She pays for the trip herself and chooses Self.
    For your application
    Give the housing address your employer or sponsor has confirmed. Choose Self only if you are paying for the trip yourself.

  4. Sample answer

    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
    Why
    Elif enters the 11-digit number from her Turkish identity card.
    For your application
    Copy the number from your national identity card. If your country issues none, choose Does Not Apply.

  5. Sample answer

    Are you a former exchange visitor (J) who has not yet fulfilled the two-year foreign residence requirement?required
    Why
    This is Elif's first exchange program, so she has never been a J visitor and answers No.
    For your application
    The question is about earlier J programs, not this one. If you held a J visa before, your old DS-2019 and visa show whether the two-year home residency rule applied.

  6. Sample answer

    Have you ever been in the U.S.?required
    Have you ever been issued a U.S. Visa?required
    Why
    She has never been to the U.S. or held a U.S. visa, so both answers are No.
    For your application
    Count every trip, however short, and any U.S. visa ever issued to you, even one you never used.

Common questions about this example

Who do I name as paying if my sponsor arranged the job?

The question asks who pays for your trip, not who arranged it. Elif pays for the trip herself, so she chooses Self. If a parent pays, choose Other Person and give their details.

Can my employer be my U.S. point of contact?

Yes. The contact can be a person or an organisation in the U.S. that knows about your trip. Elif gives her host employer and a manager there, with Employer as the relationship.

Do I have to be a university student for Summer Work Travel?

Yes. Summer Work Travel is for university students who go back to their studies after the summer, and your sponsor checks this before it issues your DS-2019. On the DS-160, Elif gives her university as her present occupation.

Does the two-year home residency rule apply to me?

The DS-160 asks only whether you are a former exchange visitor who has not met it, so on a first program the answer is No. Whether it will apply after this program depends on the program and your field, such as government funding or graduate medical training: the State Department's exchange visitor page lists the conditions.

Official source

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
09 OCT 2004
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

11 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
14 JUN 2027
Address where you will stay in the U.S.
§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

16 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
18 FEB 2026

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
18 FEB 2036
NA No expiration
Have you ever lost a passport or had one stolen?required
§8

US Contact Information

10 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

10 responses
Father's Full Name and Date of Birth
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Date of Birthrequired
12 MAR 1974
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 JUL 1977
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
Do you have any other relatives in the United States?required
§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
25 SEP 2023
NA Does not apply
§11

Previous Occupation

26 responses
Were you previously employed?required
Employer/Employment Information:
Employer Address
NA Does not apply
NA Does not apply
NA Do not know
NA Do not know
Employment Date Fromrequired
01 JUL 2025
Employment Date Torequired
31 AUG 2025

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
16 SEP 2019
Date of Attendance Torequired
16 JUN 2023
§12

Additional Occupation Details

9 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

3 responses
Exchange Visitor Program
Do you intend to study in the U.S.?required

Answer Yes if your exchange program includes study at a U.S. school or university; you will then be asked for its details. Camp counselors and work and travel participants answer No.

§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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