Describe how your marriage ended using its legal outcome: divorce, annulment, or the spouse’s death. A pending divorce or informal separation does not make you divorced. Match the dates and status to the civil records rather than describing which spouse caused the breakup.
Use a short, factual explanation
An explanation such as “Divorce became final on May 12, 2024, in Ontario, Canada” identifies the event, date, and place without arguing about the relationship. If the form asks only how the marriage ended, a narrative about incompatibility or misconduct usually does not answer that question.
The State Department requires complete and accurate answers in English, except where it specifically requests a name in the native alphabet. Your electronic signature certifies the answers. A preparer can help, but responsibility for checking the application remains with you. [1]
Resolve inconsistent records
Review previous visa applications, the divorce decree or death certificate, and any later marriage certificate together. Use the date the divorce legally took effect, not the date someone moved out or filed papers. If a foreign decree’s effect is uncertain, clarify that issue before selecting a status.
An innocent mistake is different from willful material misrepresentation, which can create serious visa consequences. Do not conceal a prior marriage because it was short or because the former spouse is absent. [2]
If you already submitted an incorrect DS-160, follow the embassy’s instructions for correction or a replacement application and its barcode requirements. Bring the relevant records to the interview and explain the correction directly. Updating the appointment profile alone does not rewrite the submitted form.
A separation is not a final divorce
For example, a couple may stop living together in January, file divorce papers in March, and receive a decree that becomes final in September. The January and March events do not make September the wrong legal ending date. Enter the status that is true when completing the application and use the date the legal termination took effect when the form asks for it.
If the decree has a different date from a later civil-registry entry, obtain an explanation of which date controls instead of guessing. Where a former spouse has died, use the death record rather than describing the marriage as a divorce.
An interview explanation should also identify any material change after submission. Keep a copy of the submitted application so the officer and applicant can distinguish an original mistake from a later event. Accuracy is more useful than trying to choose whichever label appears easiest for approval. [1]
For a correction already submitted, follow the guidance on changing a DS-160 after booking. Also check how to disclose a prior immigrant petition.
Primary sources
Sources checked: October 31, 2026.