VisaDash

Immigration Toolkit

Field-by-field help for the U.S. immigration forms that come up most.

Educational guidance · always confirm against the official instructions on uscis.gov & travel.state.gov
DS-160
Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application I-129
Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker I-140
Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker I-485
Application to Register Permanent Residence I-130
Petition for Alien Relative N-400
Application for Naturalization
DS-160 Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application Visa applicants abroad

The form every nonimmigrant visa applicant completes online before a U.S. consular interview (H-1B, F-1, B-1/B-2, etc.). Generates the barcode confirmation page you bring to the interview.

Key fields to get right

  • Use your name exactly as printed in your passport — same spelling, same order.
  • List every country you've visited in the last five years, and all prior U.S. visits and visas.
  • Travel/contact, work and education history must line up with your résumé and prior filings.
  • Social-media handles are required — list the accounts you actually use.

Common mistakes

  • Misspelling your name or transposing given/surname vs. the passport.
  • Leaving the SEVIS/petition receipt number blank or mistyped for petition-based visas.
  • Forgetting a short trip or a previously refused visa — both are asked and are checkable.

Documents to have ready

  • Passport (valid 6+ months)
  • Petition receipt (I-797) or SEVIS I-20/DS-2019 if applicable
  • Travel dates & U.S. point-of-contact
  • Employment and education history
Tip. Print the full Application PDF from the review screen, not just the one-page confirmation. Run two versions through the DS-160 Compare tool to catch any drift between a prior filing and a refile.

Frequently asked

What is the DS-160 used for?

It is the online nonimmigrant visa application every applicant completes before a U.S. consular interview. Submitting it produces the barcode confirmation page you bring to the interview.

Who has to file a DS-160?

Any nonimmigrant visa applicant abroad — including H-1B, F-1 student, and B-1/B-2 visitor applicants. Each traveler files their own.

What is the most common DS-160 mistake?

Entering your name differently from the passport — a misspelling or swapping the given name and surname. Match the passport character-for-character, in passport order.

Open the full DS-160 guide →

I-129 Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker U.S. employers

Employer-filed petition to classify a worker in H-1B, L-1, O-1, TN and similar categories. The H-1B version requires a certified LCA first.

Key fields to get right

  • Job title, SOC code and worksite must match the certified LCA exactly.
  • Offered wage must be at or above the prevailing wage for that SOC, area and level.
  • Beneficiary's name and dates of birth must match the passport and prior I-94s.

Common mistakes

  • Filing before the LCA is certified, or with an LCA wage level below prevailing.
  • Worksite address on the petition not matching the LCA.
  • Specialty-occupation argument that doesn't tie the degree to the duties.

Documents to have ready

  • Certified LCA (ETA-9035)
  • Beneficiary's degree/credential evaluation
  • Detailed job description & itinerary
  • Company financials / ability to pay
Tip. Check the offer against the Prevailing Wage tool before filing — a wage below the prevailing level is the most common avoidable RFE.

Frequently asked

Who files the I-129?

The U.S. employer files it to classify a worker in a nonimmigrant category such as H-1B, L-1, O-1 or TN. The worker is the beneficiary, not the filer.

Does the I-129 require an LCA?

The H-1B version does — you need a certified Labor Condition Application (ETA-9035) first, and the job title, SOC code and worksite on the petition must match it.

What triggers an I-129 wage RFE?

An offered wage below the prevailing wage for the occupation, area and level. Verify the offer against the prevailing wage before filing.

Open the full I-129 guide →

I-140 Immigrant Petition for Alien Worker Employers (EB-1/2/3)

Establishes the employment-based green-card category (EB-1/2/3). For PERM-based cases it follows a certified labor certification and sets your priority date.

Key fields to get right

  • Priority date = PERM filing date (or I-140 receipt for categories without PERM). Track it on the Visa Bulletin tool.
  • Job requirements must match the PERM exactly.
  • Ability-to-pay evidence must cover from the priority date forward.

Common mistakes

  • Education/experience that doesn't meet the PERM minimum requirements.
  • Switching the offered position or worksite from the PERM without explanation.

Documents to have ready

  • Approved PERM (ETA-9089) where required
  • Degrees, transcripts, experience letters
  • Employer's tax returns / audited financials
Tip. Your priority date controls everything downstream — note it the day the I-140 is filed and watch it against the bulletin.

Frequently asked

What does the I-140 establish?

It establishes the employment-based immigrant category (EB-1, EB-2 or EB-3) and, for PERM-based cases, sets your priority date.

What is my I-140 priority date?

For PERM-based cases it is the date the PERM labor certification was filed; for categories without PERM it is the I-140 receipt date. Track it against the Visa Bulletin.

Open the full I-140 guide →

I-485 Application to Register Permanent Residence Applicants in the U.S.

Adjusts status to lawful permanent resident without leaving the U.S. Can only be filed when a visa number is available for your category and priority date.

Key fields to get right

  • Confirm your priority date is current on the bulletin's Dates for Filing chart before filing.
  • Address and immigration history must be complete and consistent across all I-485 sections.
  • Medical exam (I-693) should be signed and sealed by a civil surgeon.

Common mistakes

  • Filing when the category is retrogressed and no number is available.
  • Gaps or inconsistencies in the 5-year address/employment history.
  • Letting underlying nonimmigrant status lapse before AOS is filed (non-214(b) cases).

Documents to have ready

  • I-797 approval for the underlying I-140/I-130
  • Sealed I-693 medical exam
  • Birth certificate + certified translation
  • Two passport photos, I-94, EAD/AP if applicable
Tip. You can usually file I-765 (EAD) and I-131 (Advance Parole) together with the I-485 — bundle them to get a work/travel document while you wait.

Frequently asked

When can I file the I-485?

Only when a visa number is available for your category and priority date — confirm you are current on the Visa Bulletin's Dates for Filing chart before filing.

Can I work while the I-485 is pending?

You can file I-765 (EAD) and I-131 (Advance Parole) together with the I-485 to obtain a work and travel document while the case is pending.

Open the full I-485 guide →

I-130 Petition for Alien Relative U.S. citizens / residents

Establishes a qualifying family relationship (spouse, child, parent, sibling) so the relative can pursue a green card.

Key fields to get right

  • Relationship evidence must be specific — marriage certificate, joint accounts, birth records.
  • Petitioner's status (USC vs. LPR) decides the category and the wait.
  • Beneficiary's biographic details must match their passport/birth certificate.

Common mistakes

  • Thin marriage evidence in bona-fides — one document instead of a pattern over time.
  • Mismatched names across the marriage certificate, passport and prior filings.

Documents to have ready

  • Proof of petitioner's citizenship/residency
  • Marriage or birth certificates establishing the relationship
  • Bona-fide-relationship evidence (for spouses)
Tip. For spouse cases, build the bona-fides file from day one — joint lease, accounts, photos over time beat a last-minute stack.

Frequently asked

What does the I-130 do?

It establishes a qualifying family relationship — spouse, child, parent or sibling — so the relative can pursue a green card. It does not by itself grant any status.

Does the petitioner's status matter?

Yes. Whether the petitioner is a U.S. citizen or a lawful permanent resident decides the category and how long the beneficiary waits.

Open the full I-130 guide →

N-400 Application for Naturalization Eligible green-card holders

Application to become a U.S. citizen, generally after 5 years as a permanent resident (3 if married to a U.S. citizen).

Key fields to get right

  • Confirm continuous residence and physical-presence day counts before filing.
  • Disclose every trip outside the U.S. of 24 hours or more.
  • Answer the good-moral-character questions honestly — omissions are the real risk.

Common mistakes

  • A single trip of 6+ months that breaks continuous residence, filed too early.
  • Unpaid taxes, unreported arrests, or missed selective-service registration left undisclosed.

Documents to have ready

  • Green card (both sides)
  • Travel history for the statutory period
  • Tax transcripts
  • Records for any citations/arrests, if any
Tip. Count your physical-presence days carefully — applying even a few weeks early on the residence requirement gets the case denied.

Frequently asked

When am I eligible to file the N-400?

Generally after 5 years as a permanent resident, or 3 years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen — provided you meet the continuous-residence and physical-presence requirements.

What is the biggest N-400 risk?

Filing before you actually meet the residence requirement, or failing to disclose trips, taxes, or arrests. Omissions on the good-moral-character questions are the real danger.

Open the full N-400 guide →