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DS-160 Confirmation and Visa Fee Receipt

The online application, the handles it lists, and the receipt that goes with it

Last updated Oct 28, 2026

Educational only — not legal advice.

Evidence that supports this criterion

Official Definition

The confirmation page of the online nonimmigrant visa application (Form DS-160), which lists the applicant's social media handles from the last five years, the photo uploaded with it, and the receipt for the visa application fee where it is paid before the interview.

What Consular Officers Look For

You bring the DS-160 confirmation page to the interview, along with a photo and the receipt for the visa application fee if it is paid before the interview. The fee is listed as US$185 on several embassy pages; check your embassy, because embassies publish their own instructions.

The DS-160 asks for every social media username or handle you used on each platform in the last five years. Since June 2025 the State Department reviews the online presence of all F, M and J applicants, and applicants are instructed to set the privacy settings of all their social media profiles to public. Leaving a handle out can lead to a refusal and to ineligibility for future visas. Applicants are not asked for passwords.

The DS-160 must agree with the Form I-20 and with what you say at the interview.

Evidence Strength

Strong Evidence

DS-160 confirmation page with its barcode, name, application ID and visa class F-1
Social media handles for the last five years listed completely
Receipt for the visa application fee, where paid before the interview
Details that match the I-20, the passport, and the other documents

Weak Evidence

A social media handle left off the form
School, program or dates that differ from the I-20
A confirmation page for a different visa class or applicant
A missing fee receipt where the fee was paid before the interview

Common Refusal / Processing Triggers

Common Problems

Social media handles left off the DS-160.
Answers on the form that contradict the Form I-20 or the interview.
A confirmation page that does not match the applicant or the visa class.
Following another country's embassy instructions instead of the page for your own embassy.

Tips for Strengthening Your Evidence

Pro Tips

List every handle you used in the last five years on every platform, and set the profiles to public.
Check the school, program and dates against the Form I-20 before you submit.
Keep the confirmation page and the fee receipt together with the I-20.
Read your embassy's fee page and appointment instructions for the current fee and steps.

Relevant Document Types

Typical uploads: the DS-160 confirmation page with its barcode, the visa application fee receipt, and the interview appointment letter.

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