I Renewed My Passport After My DS-160 was Submitted, Can I Change My Passport Information?

The majority of non-immigrant visa applications submitted at a consulate require a DS-160 form to be submitted with the application. The form is comprehensive and require detailed information regarding the applicant. What happens if you renew your passport after the DS-160 form is submitted?

Each applicant who is applying for an E-2 visa at a U.S. Consulate abroad needs to submit a DS160 form. If there are multiple family members, each family member applying for a visa needs to submit a separate DS160. A DS160 form asks for information such as applicant’s personal information, address history, employment history, information about applicant’s family, and information about the E2 company and the investment in the U.S., and also contains security questions that ask for example about the applicant’s previous criminal or immigration violations/overstays.

If you found a mistake on the DS160 form after you already submitted the form, you generally don’t need to re-submit the form and you can just inform the consular officer or the administrative staff at the Consulate on the day of your interview.

Passport information is important for the application. Visas will be issued based on the passport information provided on the form. If you renew your passport, your original passport will no longer be valid, therefore the information provided on the form is no longer current. So it is important to inform the consulate of the new passport.
The DS-160 form is operated by the US Department of State, consulates do not have the access to update DS160 forms for applicants. They can only see the information as it was submitted by the applicant. As such, consulates would prefer a new DS-160 is submitted.