The DS-160 isn’t just a form — it’s your first interrogation. Every field is a signal the officer reads before you reach the window. And crucially: once submitted, the DS-160 cannot be edited — only replaced with a new one. A mistake planted here runs all the way to the refusal. Here are the 12 fields where applicants most often fail.

1. Name: Latin only, from the passport (MRZ)

CEAC accepts Latin script only, and you must transliterate exactly as in the machine-readable zone (MRZ) of your passport — not “however you like.” A mismatch with your document is already a problem.

2. Full Name in Native Alphabet

The one field where non-Latin script is required, not just allowed. Enter your name as in your domestic documents. Don’t transliterate it, and don’t mark “Does Not Apply” if you do have a native alphabet.

3. Place of birth: city ≠ region

The DS-160 splits birthplace into City / State / Country. Passports often list a region — but the form wants the city of birth, with state and country separately.

4. Purpose + “Specify”: two different answers

First the general category (for tourism/business — B1/B2), then the “Specify” sub-purpose (e.g. TOURISM). The free-text purpose must be specific, time-bound, and consistent with what you’ll say at the interview.

5. Who pays for the trip

“Someone in the US pays” strengthens the picture of dependence. “Employer pays” with purpose “tourism” is a contradiction. The strongest answer is SELF — if true and supported.

6. US point of contact: a person OR an organization

CEAC asks for either a person (surname + given name separately) or an organization name. A hotel goes in “Organization,” with the person fields set to “Do Not Know.” The contact phone and address should match the address of stay.

7. Monthly income — in LOCAL currency

The field is “Monthly Income in Local Currency” — your currency, not USD. Enter gross (pre-tax), digits only, no commas or currency signs. Self-employed: average net income after expenses.

8. Duties and job title — in English, not transliterated

Fields the consul reads must be in English. Transliteration is a fatal error: names are transliterated, but descriptions are translated (Software development, not gibberish).

9. Education: ALL institutions from secondary school

The DS-160 requires every institution from secondary school up — name, city, course, and years attended (from–to). If your highest level is a university, you still list the school as a separate row.

10. Social media for 5 years — all of it, even deleted

This field is mandatory. The consulate cross-checks archives and sees even closed accounts. Hiding an account that later surfaces can be treated as misrepresentation (§212(a)(6)(C)) — a lifetime bar, not a 214(b).

11. Security questions: answer deliberately

A “yes” to a security question does not mean an automatic refusal — it means an explanation, and often a lawyer’s review, is needed. But a false “no” that comes out is misrepresentation and the end.

12. Previous visas, travel, and REFUSALS

The DS-160 separately asks about prior refusals. You can’t hide one — it’s in the system. Omitting it is a direct lie on the form. If there was a refusal, you disclose it and build a strategy (see the recovery protocol).

The rule that ties all 12 fields together: consistency

The consul reads the form as one story. Tourism for 2 weeks + income of $200/mo + a $300/night hotel are three correctly filled fields that together scream “mismatch.”

Our DS-160 auto-fill service is built around these traps: we read passport data, transliterate names by your citizenship’s scheme, keep non-Latin script out of Latin fields, translate descriptions, cross-check 130+ fields for consistency, and explain the strategy behind each field. Start with the free risk test.