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Start with incognito mode — and know that you are dealing with two separate portals
Before you do anything else, open your browser in incognito mode. The new visa portal has a lot of technical glitches, and using incognito mode — or clearing your browser cookies — significantly reduces those errors. Keep incognito mode on for the entire process, from filling the DS-160 right through to booking your appointment slot.
Once you are set up, you will be working with two separate portals. The first is the DS-160 portal at ceac.state.gov — this is where you complete your visa application form. The second is the scheduling portal at usvisascheduling.com — this is where you create your profile, pay the visa fee, and book your appointments. I have linked both below this article.
Step 1 — Start your DS-160 form and grab your application ID
You need to start your DS-160 form before you do anything on the scheduling portal, because the scheduling portal will ask for your DS-160 application ID (also called the confirmation number) when you set up your profile.
Here is how to start it. Go to the DS-160 portal, select your country (India), and then select the consulate closest to where you live. If you are in Bangalore, for example, you can choose Chennai or Hyderabad. Enter the captcha, accept the conditions, and create a security question. Write that security question and answer down somewhere safe — you will need it every time you return to the form.
Once the form opens, you will see your application ID at the top of the page. Copy it. You do not need to finish the form right now. You can pause here and go set up your scheduling portal account, because getting an appointment slot usually takes longer and you want to start that process early.
One very important rule: the DS-160 form expires if you do not log into it for 30 days. Log in every two to three days to keep it active, and finish it gradually.
Step 2 — Create your account on the new visa scheduling portal
Go to usvisascheduling.com and click Sign Up. Even if you had an account on the old CGI portal, you must create a fresh account here — your old login does not carry over.
During sign-up you will set a username, password, email ID, and several security questions. A very common mistake I see is that people forget one of their security questions or their username, and then they cannot log back in. Keep a safe record of every single detail you enter during sign-up.
Choose a username that is easy for you to remember — your name plus a few digits works well. For your email address, use one that is active and that you check regularly. Every update from the embassy, every communication about your application, will come to that email address. It is the one ID you will rely on throughout your entire US visa process.
After you enter your email, the portal will send you a verification code. Check your inbox, enter the code, and click Verify. Then fill in your given name and surname (matching your passport), answer your security questions carefully, and click Create. You are in.
Step 3 — Create your application profile
Once you are logged in, click Start Application on the left-hand menu. Here is the single most important thing to understand about this step: once your application is submitted, you cannot edit any of the details. This rule was introduced to prevent people from creating dummy profiles to hold appointment slots. Whatever you enter must be accurate and must belong to the person who is actually attending the interview.
The form will ask for your first name and last name exactly as they appear in your passport, your country of birth, gender, contact details (enter two phone numbers — a primary and a backup), and your mailing address. The mailing address is where your passport will be shipped after the interview if you choose delivery, so make sure it is current and correct.
Then you will enter your passport details — issuance date, place of issue, expiry date, date of birth, and nationality. There used to be an option to go back and edit passport details. That option has been removed. Double-check everything before you hit submit.
Selecting your visa category
After submitting your personal details, you will be asked to select your visa type. Under Non-Immigrant, choose the consulate or embassy closest to you — this does not have to be your final choice at this stage since you have not booked a slot yet. Then select your visa category: Business/Tourism covers B1/B2, Employment covers H and L visas, and Students covers F1, F2, M1, and M2.
The portal will show Visa Priority as English by default. There is no option in the portal to select a different interview language. If you need a translator, you can request one on the day of your interview at the first counter where they check your passport — but the portal itself will always show English.
Entering your DS-160 number and student-specific details
The next page asks for your DS-160 number and supporting information. This page changes depending on your visa category — for F1 students it asks for your DS-160 confirmation number, your SEVIS number (found at the top of your I-20), and your university name and ZIP code. Write the full university name — no abbreviations.
For the Exchange Visitor Number field: if you are applying for an F visa, you can either write NA or enter the number starting with CCC that appears on your SEVIS fee receipt.
The DS-160 number you enter here and the number on your DS-160 confirmation page must match exactly when you go for your interview. Once you move to the next step, these details cannot be edited either.
Step 4 — Adding dependants to the same account
If you are attending the interview with a spouse, children, or parents, you do not need to create separate portal accounts for each person. You can add them as dependants within your own account using the Find or Add Dependent option.
Each dependant must have completely unique identifying information — their own passport number, their own DS-160 number, and their own email address. The relationship (for example, spouse), country of birth, gender, and contact details all need to be accurate. Just like the main applicant, passport details for dependants cannot be edited once the appointment is booked, so be careful when entering them.
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Book a Mock InterviewStep 5 — Choose your passport delivery option
After adding dependants, you will be asked how you want to receive your passport after the interview. There are three options: premium delivery to your home address, pickup from a Blue Dart Express location, or pickup from a VFS centre (Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, or Mumbai).
This choice also cannot be changed after you book your appointment. I get a lot of messages from people who selected pickup and then wanted home delivery — unfortunately once it is locked in, it stays. Make your decision carefully here.
In terms of timing, pickup tends to be one to two days faster than home delivery. But you will need to make the extra effort of travelling to collect your passport. Weigh your timeline and convenience, and pick accordingly.
Step 6 — Paying the visa fee
Before you make a fresh payment, check whether you already have a valid visa fee payment sitting unused. If you paid the visa fee previously — for a spring intake, for example — but never attended the interview, or if you paid on the old portal but never booked a slot, you can claim that old payment instead of paying again. Click Claim Receipt, enter the receipt number from your original payment confirmation email and the date of payment, and the system will pull in the old payment automatically.
If you are paying fresh, scroll down and verify that the number of applicants shown matches the total number of people appearing for the interview (including dependants). The fee will calculate automatically for the full group.
For payment method, in India the three options that reliably work are cash deposit at a designated Citibank branch, debit/credit card through VFS, and UPI through VFS. If you pay by cash deposit, allow one working day for the payment to be confirmed and your receipt to activate. Debit/credit card and UPI payments are confirmed instantly.
Step 7 — Booking your OFC and interview appointments
Once payment is confirmed, you will book two separate appointments. The first is your OFC (Offsite Facilitation Centre) appointment — this is where your biometric data (photo and fingerprint scan) is collected. The second is your actual interview with the visa officer.
On the calendar, available dates are shown by location. Slot availability in India is limited, so you will likely need to check multiple cities. As of the time I recorded the examples in this walkthrough, the nearest available OFC appointments in Chennai, Delhi, and Kolkata were all around June 2025. The nearest interview appointment in Chennai was 16 July. The specific dates will be different when you look, but the principle is the same — be flexible about location.
Your biometric and interview appointments do not have to be at the same city. You can book them in two different locations, and there can be a gap of up to 14 to 15 days between them.
Book whatever is available, even if the date is far out. You can reschedule up to four times after booking, so it is better to have something confirmed and then keep monitoring for earlier slots. When an earlier date opens up, come back, reschedule, and shift to it.
Step 8 — Save your appointment confirmation immediately
The moment your appointment is confirmed, save the confirmation page. Click Print, save it as a PDF, store it on your device, and email it to yourself.
Here is why this matters: the portal has a known glitch where the Appointment Confirmation tab on the left-hand menu disappears if you subsequently make any changes in the portal — even something as simple as trying to reschedule. Your appointment remains valid, but you will no longer be able to view or reprint the page. If you saved it when you first booked, you are protected.
The appointment confirmation contains two barcodes — one linked to your DS-160 form and one linked to your visa fee payment. Both barcodes are important at the interview. You no longer need to carry a separate MRV fee receipt; the payment barcode on this page is sufficient.
Common errors to avoid
Using an expired DS-160 number
This is the mistake I see most often. Many applicants started their DS-160 a long time ago, have the number noted down, but are not sure whether the form is still active. They use that number to complete the scheduling process and only after booking the appointment do they realise the form has expired.
If your appointment is booked against an expired DS-160, you cannot attend the interview with it. Your only option is to cancel and restart the entire process. Before you begin booking your appointment, log into your DS-160 and confirm it is either submitted or still active. If there is any doubt, start a fresh DS-160 form and use that new number.
Entering details you cannot change later
Once your appointment is created, you cannot make any changes to your passport number, your name, or your DS-160 number. Read every field twice before submitting each section of the profile. This applies equally to dependant profiles — their passport numbers and DS-160 numbers are locked in the moment the appointment is booked.
Forgetting account credentials
A very common reason people get stuck is forgetting their username or one of their security question answers. The portal requires you to answer two security questions every time you log in. Keep a secure written record of your username, password, and every security question and answer you set. You will need them repeatedly throughout the process.
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