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Guide · NVC and sponsorship

Getting Ready for the DS-260

The DS-260 is the online immigrant visa application for National Visa Center (NVC) processing. Gather addresses, work, family, and travel records before starting. Someone may help prepare it; the applicant must understand the answers and signing instructions.

For: CR-1, IR-1, and F2A applicants and partners helping them prepare.

Written from official U.S. government sources. Last reviewed August 2026. Sources and limits. 4 sources await review.

At a glance

  • Help is allowed. Identify anyone who helped prepare the application as the form requires.
  • The applicant must understand the answers and follow the electronic-signature instructions.
  • Gather records before typing. Check names, dates, addresses, work, and travel against documents.
  • Submission is not an interview appointment. Print the confirmation page and follow the next NVC instructions.

What the application covers

Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources

State uses DS-260 for the online immigrant visa application. Its online application instructions say to start after required fees show PAID in CEAC, the online visa portal. Follow the form's questions for personal, family, work, travel, and other history.

Use the current form for required dates and history periods. The DS-260 FAQ explains English-language answers, required fields, saving, and reopening a submitted form.

Gather records before starting

Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.

  1. 1. Find past addresses

    Use leases, bills, statements, and messages to check addresses and dates. Follow the form's rules for any missing details.

  2. 2. Find work and study details

    Collect names, locations, and start and end dates from contracts, payslips, and school records.

  3. 3. Check travel records

    Compare passports and travel bookings. Do not invent dates to fill a gap.

  4. 4. Check family details

    Compare names and dates of birth with civil records. Note differences in spelling.

  5. 5. Put your documents beside you

    Keep passports, civil records, and petition copies available while checking answers.

  6. 6. Complete and review the form

    Use the collected records, read each question, and save progress before taking a break.

How a partner can help

Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.

A partner may help prepare the DS-260. State's DS-260 rule requires the applicant to identify the helper and electronically sign. 22 CFR 42.67 requires the applicant to know the full contents before signing and submitting.

  • Check the answers together. Helping prepare them does not remove the applicant's responsibility to understand them.
  • Record who helped. Follow the form's preparer and signature instructions.
  • Save before a break. Unsaved answers can be lost when CEAC signs you out.
  • Ask an immigration attorney about consequential questions, including prior refusals, arrests, or immigration history.

After you submit

Origin: official source. Official sourceStated by a US government publisher on the page we cite.Sources

State says online submission does not formally execute the visa application; that happens at the consular interview. Print the confirmation page and bring it to the interview. After submission, you need NVC or the embassy or consulate's help to reopen the form.

  • Save the confirmation page and your own record of the submitted answers.
  • For a correction or later change, follow the Ask NVC instructions or your assigned embassy or consulate's instructions for the stage.
  • Do not confuse submission with review or an interview appointment.

What comes next

Origin: Togetherward explanation. Togetherward explanationOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.

Continue with the sponsorship paperwork and civil documents required for your stage. Use the NVC checklist and current NVC instructions to track what remains.

Common questions

Can the sponsoring partner fill in the DS-260?
Yes, a partner may help prepare it. Identify the helper as required. The applicant must understand the answers and follow the form's electronic-signature instructions.
What if we cannot remember exact dates?
Check documents and the form's instructions. Do not invent a date. Ask for legal advice if an uncertain answer could affect your case.
Does submitting it mean an interview is scheduled?
No. NVC document review and interview scheduling are separate steps.
Can something be corrected afterwards?
State says a submitted DS-260 needs NVC or the embassy or consulate's assistance to reopen. Follow the contact instructions for the stage handling your case.

Related guides

How Togetherward helps

Suggestion

Use shared notes, documents, and tasks to organize records before completing DS-260. Togetherward does not fill in the government form or submit it for you.

In Togetherward

Sign in to your case to continue where this leaves off.

Sign in to continue

This guide helps organize preparation. It is not legal advice or instructions for individual answers. Use the current form and ask an immigration attorney about questions that could affect your case.

Sources and limits

Last reviewed and verification status

Last reviewed
Last recorded source review: . We aim to re-read it every 120 days.
Review recorded.
Verification status of the sources behind this page
3 of 7 sources are recorded as checked. 4 are awaiting verification. See the note beside each pending source for what remains to be checked.

Verified (3)

Pending verification (4)

  • Pending verificationDepartment of State — Complete Form DS-260 — A direct source read supports the revised wording about application preparation, assistance and signing. Full guide review against this source is still pending; the recorded page review date has not changed. Flagged .
  • Pending verificationDepartment of State — DS-260 frequently asked questions — A direct source read supports the revised wording about application preparation, assistance and signing. Full guide review against this source is still pending; the recorded page review date has not changed. Flagged .
  • Pending verificationDepartment of State — DS-260 preparation assistance (2010 final rule) — A direct source read supports the revised wording about application preparation, assistance and signing. Full guide review against this source is still pending; the recorded page review date has not changed. Flagged .
  • Pending verification22 CFR 42.67 — Applicant signature and knowledge of contents — A direct source read supports the revised wording about application preparation, assistance and signing. Full guide review against this source is still pending; the recorded page review date has not changed. Flagged .
About this guide and its review

Guide scope

  • NVC and sponsorship
  • CR-1 / IR-1 (Form I-130)
  • F2A (spouse of a permanent resident)
Who this is for
CR-1, IR-1, and F2A applicants and partners helping them prepare.
Stage it covers
NVC processing, before the immigrant visa interview.
What it helps you do
Gather records, share preparation work, and understand signing and submission.
What this page cannot tell you
  • How to answer a question or whether an answer affects your case.
  • The form's current questions, required history periods, or technical instructions.
  • How prior refusals, arrests, or immigration history affect an application.

How we put this page together

Togetherward analysis

Based on State's NVC, immigrant visa process, online application, and DS-260 FAQ pages. The DS-260 rule and 22 CFR 42.67 explain assistance, signing, and understanding the application. Record-gathering steps are Togetherward suggestions.

What we did not include

  • A copy of the form's questions or instructions for individual answers.
  • Case-specific legal advice, fees, or processing estimates.
  • K-1 applications, which use a different form.

Review record

Author
The Togetherward editorial team. The people who build Togetherward. We are not attorneys and we do not give legal advice.
Review
Reviewed by Togetherward Team
Scope of review
Read the full review scope

Review scope: a second person on the Togetherward editorial team re-read this page against the official pages listed below and confirmed that every process statement still matches them. That is what our review covers, and it is described in full in our editorial standards. It does not assess legal accuracy, eligibility, or how anything applies to a particular case — for that, speak with a qualified immigration attorney.

Dates
Last reviewed · Published .
Review status: Review recorded.
How this guide was prepared
How we review guides.
What the labels in this guide mean
  • Official factStated by a U.S. government publisher on the source page we cite.
  • Togetherward analysisOur reading of the official sources, not something an agency says.
  • SuggestionA way to organise your own case. Optional, and not a requirement.
Limitations
  • This is an explanation of a published government process, not legal advice, and not a prediction about your case.
  • Figures that move — processing ranges, Visa Bulletin dates, fees, form editions, interview availability — are described rather than reproduced here, so you read the current number at the source.
  • USCIS, the National Visa Center, the embassy, or the consular officer may ask for something this page does not mention.
  • This page describes what the application covers so you can gather the history in advance. It does not tell you how to answer any question on it.
Commercial independence
Commercial independence: nobody pays to appear on this page. There are no sponsors, no advertising, no referral fees, no affiliate links, and no paid placement of any attorney, agency, or service. Togetherward makes money from couples who use the product, and a commercial relationship cannot change what this page says, when it was last reviewed, whether it is flagged as out of date, or whether it stays in search results.
Corrections
Report a correction using the form below, support@togetherward.app or use the support page.