Justification for Changes

Justification for Change

1405-0018 - Non-Immigrant Visa Application - Expires July 31, 2017

The Visa Office at the Department of State respectfully requests that changes be made to the DS-0156, Non-Immigrant Visa Application. The DS-0156 is the paper back up for the DS-0160, Online Application for Nonimmigrant Visa (1405-0182). While performing an internal review, the Visa Office was made aware of several discrepancies between the two forms. In an effort to reconcile the differences, the Department requests that specific changes be made to the DS-0156 so that the two forms are requesting the same information. It is imperative that these changes are made since the DS-0156 is the form used by members of the public who cannot access the DS-0160.

Our proposed edits consist of adding security “trigger questions” to the DS-0156 that are already approved and utilized on the DS-0160, as well as adding a fiancé section for K-1 and K-3 visa applicants, deleting one repeated question, and fixing a grammatical error . Again, these edits are to ensure uniformity between the paper and electronic versions.

Although we propose to add questions to the form, our estimated burden will remain the same¹. We can expect approximately 1,000 respondents to each make one response. Each response is estimated to take 75 minutes, totaling 1,250 annual burden hours. Burden calculations for the electronic DS-0160 also estimate 75 minutes per response².

Our proposed edits are as follows:

SECTION: FAMILY INFORMATION – SPOUSE

Please change the first question: Do you any former spouses?

PLEASE ADD SECTION BETWEEN SPOUSE AND FAMILY INFORMATION SECTIONS

Title of section: “Fiancé Information Please provide the following information if you are a K-1, K-3 applicant”.

Include the following boxes: Fiancé/Fiancée’s Surname, Fiancé/Fiancée’s Surname, Fiancé/Fiancée’s Date of Birth, Fiancé/Fiancée’s Street Address (line 1), Street Address Line 2, City, State/Province, Postal Zone/Zip Code, Fiancé/Fiancée’s Occupation

SECURITY AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION SECTION

Please add the following questions between question 21 (Have you, while serving as a government official, been responsible for or directly carried out, at any time, particularly severe violations of religious freedom?) and question 22 (Have you ever been directly involved in the establishment or enforcement of population controls forcing a woman to undergo an abortion against her free choice or a man or woman to undergo sterilization against his or her free will?)

• Are you a member of or affiliated with the Communist or other totalitarian party?: Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below

• Have you ever directly or indirectly assisted or supported any of the groups in Colombia known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), National Liberation Army (ELN), or United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)?: Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below

• Have you ever through abuse of governmental or political position converted for personal gain, confiscated or expropriated property in a foreign nation to which a United States national had claim of ownership? Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below

• Are you the spouse, minor child, or agent of an individual who has through abuse of governmental or political position converted for personal gain, confiscated, or expropriated property in a foreign nation to which a United States national had claim of ownership? Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below

• Have you ever disclosed or trafficked in confidential U.S. business information obtained in connection with U.S. participation in the Chemical Weapons Convention? Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below.

• Are you the spouse, minor child, or agent of an individual who has disclosed or trafficked in confidential U.S. business information obtained in connection with U.S. participation in the Chemical Weapons Convention? Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below

Please add the following question between question 11(Are you the spouse, son, or daughter of an individual who has committed or conspired to commit a human trafficking offense in the United States or outside the United States and have you within the last five years, knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities?) and 12(Are you the spouse, son or daughter of an individual who has violated any controlled substance trafficking law, and have knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities in the past five years?)

• Are you the spouse, son or daughter of an individual who has been identified by the President of the United States as person who plays a significant role in a severe form of trafficking in persons and have you, within the last five years, knowingly benefited from the trafficking activities? Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below

PLEASE DELETE DUPLICATE QUESTION (NUMBER 34 of SECRURITY AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION SECTION)

Have you attended a public elementary school on a student (F) status or a public secondary school after November 30, 1996 without reimbursing the school? Box for Yes Box for No, If yes please explain below.

1 1405-0018 approved burden, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewICR?ref_nbr=201406-1405-001

2 1405-0182 Supporting Statement, http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAViewDocument?ref_nbr=201403-1405-001