The DS-260 confirmation number appears on the confirmation page generated after successful submission. It is different from the NVC case number and invoice identification number used to access a case. The official sample confirmation lists a case number and confirmation number as separate fields. [1]
Rules that determine the answer
After submitting DS-260, applicants should print the confirmation page and bring it to the immigrant-visa interview as instructed. The government’s completion guidance explains the CEAC application step; the sample form also shows a dedicated Print Confirmation function. Printing a browser screen or a saved draft is not necessarily the same as printing the submitted application’s barcode confirmation. [2]
If a confirmation cannot be found, first determine whether the form was actually submitted. A saved draft, an application reopened for correction, and an inaccessible completed application raise different issues. [1] Do not submit duplicate applications merely to obtain another number without guidance from NVC or the consular post. Use the official case inquiry route if access information is missing or the portal cannot display the completed form. Protect the case and invoice identifiers as account-access information; avoid posting confirmation pages publicly. The barcode confirmation establishes submission, while document qualification, interview completion, and visa approval remain separate stages. [2]
What to do next
- Sign in through the official CEAC immigrant-visa process using the case-access information.
- Select the correct applicant and the completed IV application rather than a different family member’s form.
- Open and save or print the confirmation page using the available confirmation function.
- Check the applicant’s name, case information, submission details, and readable barcode against the interview instructions.
Practical example
A family has one NVC case but separate DS-260 applications for the immigrating spouse and child. The parent should not assume one applicant’s confirmation page proves that both individual applications were submitted.
For related situations, see the home-address field on DS-160 and I-824 transfers to NVC.
Primary sources
- Department of State: DS-260 exemplar and confirmation page
- Department of State: Complete the online immigrant-visa application
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.