The new form DS160 was introduced earlier in 2010. Since its introduction, many non-immigrant visa applicants have been complaining of the session expiring and having to refill the application. In our earlier article, we had advised applications to save the file at each stage so that s/he can retrieve the application and continue from where it was last saved.

A recent update on the Consular Electronic Application Center’s website indicates that the application will be saved each time the “Next” button is clicked. It is important to note the record “Application ID” displayed on the to right-hand corner of the screen. If the applicant has to stop prior to submission of the application this “Application ID” will be required to retrieve the un-submitted application. The data can be retrieved within 30 days. If you foresee that you may be able to submit the application later than 30 days, then you may use the option to save the data file permanently to your hard-drive. This can be done by clicking on the “Save” on the bottom of the screen.

This update can be found here.