United States immigration authorities have implemented updated requirements for Form DS-260, the official online application for foreign citizens seeking permanent residency through a Green Card.
Immigration lawyers warned that any contradictory information, omissions, or errors in answers can delay application processing or lead to the final rejection and termination of an immigration case.
Legal experts specialized in immigration issues specified that the adjustments came into effect on September 17. They noted that the revised form asks for more detailed data to prevent fraud during the residency process.
Form DS-260 is an electronic immigrant visa application processed by the United States Department of State for foreign nationals seeking to live permanently in the country. Obtaining a Green Card allows individuals to reside and work legally throughout the United States.
Work history and travel records
Under the updated requirements, applicants must report their complete employment history and international travel conducted over the past 15 years.
Attorneys recommended providing precise information about past employers, individual work experience at each workplace, all foreign countries visited, and the exact duration of each trip.
Family details and marital status
The updated form also requests expanded details regarding family members, including parents, spouses, siblings, and children. The new version requires full legal names, dates of birth, and nationalities for each listed relative.
Accurate reporting of marital status is another critical component of the application. Lawyers stressed that cohabitation or a de facto marital union does not automatically equate to a legal marriage under United States immigration regulations.
Applicants must confirm their legal marital status before marking married on the application. Attorneys warned that if an applicant previously claimed to be married on an earlier DS-160 non-immigrant visa form without a legal marriage, authorities will treat the discrepancy as an inconsistency and gather additional evidence.
Impact on existing applications
For applicants who submitted Form DS-260 prior to the September 17 updates, immigration lawyers stated that the changes do not result in an immediate automatic modification of their files.
The necessary steps to follow will vary depending on the current status of each application file and the specific circumstances of individual cases.
