DS-160 Auto-fill Skill

---

name: ds160-autofill

description: Automate filling of US nonimmigrant visa DS-160 forms using CDP for element location, CSV data source for user information, LLM assistance for complex cases (captcha, missing elements), and session persistence for resume capability. Use when user needs to: (1) Fill DS-160 visa application forms automatically, (2) Resume filling an interrupted DS-160 application, (3) Handle captcha and complex form elements with LLM assistance. Supports Chinese input with automatic translation to English.

---

# DS-160 Auto-fill Skill

This skill automates the filling of US nonimmigrant visa DS-160 forms by combining:

Quick Start

Starting a New Application

1. **Provide CSV data**: User must provide a CSV file with their personal information (use `ds160-user-info.csv` as template)

2. **Open DS-160 website**: Use `browser` tool to open `https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/` with profile `openclaw`

3. **Initialize session**: Load and execute `scripts/ds160-filler.js` to parse mappings and CSV

4. **Start filling**: Begin with the home page, handle captcha with LLM, then proceed page by page

Resuming an Application

1. **Load existing session**: Check `ds160/ds160-session.json` for saved Application ID

2. **Open application**: Use the saved Application ID to resume on DS-160 website

3. **Continue filling**: Load CSV from saved location and continue from last page

Core Workflow

Step 1: Prepare Data

**Always check if session exists first:**

// Read ds160/ds160-session.json
// If exists → Resume mode
// If not → New application mode

**New application mode:**

```json

{

"applicationId": null,

"securityQuestion": null,

"securityAnswer": null,

"currentPageIndex": 0,

"completedPages": [],

"startDate": "2026-02-06T21:00:00Z"

}

```

**Resume mode:**

Step 2: Initialize Browser

// Open browser with openclaw profile
browser_start: { profile: "openclaw", targetUrl: "https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/" }

// For resume mode, add Application ID to URL
// Example: https://ceac.state.gov/GenNIV/Common/ConfirmApplicationID.aspx

Step 3: Fill Current Page

**For each page in sequence:**

1. **Snapshot page** to understand current state:

```javascript

browser_snapshot: { refs: "role", profile: "openclaw" }

```

2. **Load mappings** from `references/ds160-elements.yaml`

3. **Execute fill logic** using `browser act` with evaluate:

```javascript

// Load ds160-filler.js

// Call fillPage(page, currentUrl, userData, yamlData)

```

4. **Handle results**:

- **Success**: Continue to next page

- **Needs LLM assistance**: Call LLM and retry

- **Needs user input**: Save progress and pause

Step 4: Handle Special Cases

**Captcha:**

**Missing element:**

**Translation needed:**

**Missing user data:**

Step 5: Save Progress & Continue

**After completing a page:**

1. **Update session data**:

```json

{

"applicationId": "AA00FBLCQP",

"securityQuestion": "What is the given name of your mother's mother?",

"securityAnswer": "LiMei",

"currentPageIndex": 5,

"completedPages": ["home", "security_question", "personal_1", "personal_2"],

"startDate": "2026-02-06T21:00:00Z"

}

```

2. **Save to file**: `write(ds160/ds160-session.json, JSON.stringify(sessionData))`

3. **Report progress to user**:

- Current page completed

- Next page name

- Application ID

- Security question/answer (first time only)

- Overall progress (X/Y pages)

4. **Click "Continue" button** to proceed to next page

Data Structures

CSV Format

The CSV must have these columns:

1. `页面` - Page name

2. `字段名称` - Field identifier (matches YAML `name` field)

3. `英文说明` - English description

4. `中文说明` - Chinese description

5. `必填` - Required? (是/否)

6. `示例值` - Example value

7. `用户填写` - **User-provided value** (this is what gets filled)

**Important**: Users can provide values in Chinese. The script includes a built-in translation dictionary for common fields (gender, marital status, countries, etc.). For fields not in the dictionary, LLM will be called for translation automatically.

YAML Structure

Each page in `ds160-elements.yaml` contains:

- `id`: Element ID

- `name`: Field identifier (matches CSV)

- `type`: Element type (text, select, radio, checkbox, button)

- `label`: English label

- `label_cn`: Chinese label

- `required`: Is required?

- `options`: Available options (for select)

- `group`: Radio group name

Error Handling

Element Not Found

**Symptoms**: `fillPage` returns `needsLLM: true`

**Action**:

1. Take page snapshot

2. Call LLM with:

- Current URL

- Element information (id, name, type)

- Page HTML snippet

- Ask LLM to analyze and provide alternative selector

3. Retry with LLM-suggested selector

Translation Needed

**Symptoms**: `fillPage` returns `needsTranslation: true`

**Action**:

1. Call LLM with translation context:

- Field name and description (EN/CN)

- Field type and available options

- Original Chinese value

- Ask LLM to translate to appropriate English value for the field

2. Update CSV with translated value

3. Retry fill operation with translated value

**Example LLM prompt for translation**:

I need to translate this Chinese value for a DS-160 form field:

Field: ${elementName}
Type: ${elementType}
English label: ${label}
Chinese label: ${label_cn}
Chinese value: "${originalValue}"

Available options (if select): ${options}

Please provide the correct English value for this field. Consider:
- The field type and context
- Available options (if applicable)
- Standard DS-160 terminology

Return only the English value, no explanation.

Data Missing

**Symptoms**: `fillPage` returns `needsUserInput: true`

**Action**:

1. **CRITICAL**: Save current page before pausing:

```javascript

// Find and click "Save" button

browser_act: {

request: { kind: "click", ref: "save_button" }

}

```

2. Report missing field to user:

- Field name (English and Chinese)

- Description

- Whether it's required

3. Update CSV with new data using `write` tool

4. Resume filling

Captcha

**Symptoms**: Captcha image detected on page

**Action**:

1. Take screenshot of captcha area

2. Use `image` tool:

```javascript

image: {

image: "/path/to/captcha.png",

prompt: "What is the code shown in this captcha? Return only the code characters."

}

```

3. Fill captcha field via browser evaluate

4. Submit form

Page Sequence

The pages are filled in this order:

1. **home** - Start application, select location, handle captcha

2. **security_question** - Confirm Application ID, set security question

3. **personal_1** - Personal information (name, gender, DOB)

4. **personal_2** - Nationality, other nationalities, IDs

5. **travel** - Travel purpose, dates, who is paying

6. **travel_companions** - People traveling with you

7. **previous_us_travel** - Previous US visits

8. **address_phone** - Current address and phone

9. **passport** - Passport information

10. **us_contact** - US point of contact

11. **family_relatives** - Family information

12. **work_education** - Work and education history

13. **security_background** - Security questions

Progress Reporting

**Report to user after each page:**

✓ Completed: Personal Information 1
📄 Next: Personal Information 2
🆔 Application ID: AA00FBLCQP
🔐 Security Question: What is the given name of your mother's mother?
🔑 Answer: LiMei
📊 Progress: 3/13 pages completed

**Include in every report:**

LLM Integration

When to Call LLM

1. **Captcha detection**: Always use LLM to read captcha

2. **Element not found**: When multiple locator strategies fail

3. **Translation needed**: When user provides Chinese value not in built-in dictionary

4. **Complex elements**: For elements that require understanding context

5. **Validation errors**: When form submission fails with unclear reason

LLM Prompts

**For element location:**

I need to find this form element on a DS-160 page:
- Element ID: {elementId}
- Field name: {fieldName}
- Element type: {elementType}
- Current URL: {url}

Please analyze the page and provide:
1. The correct way to locate this element (CSS selector or JavaScript)
2. Any visible labels or text associated with it

**For captcha:**

Please read the captcha code from this image. Return only the code characters, no explanation.

Translation Dictionary

The script includes a built-in translation dictionary for common Chinese values. This covers:

**Gender**:

**Marital Status**:

**Yes/No**:

**Countries**:

**Visa Types**:

**Payment**:

**Relationship (US Point of Contact)**:

**Other Values**:

**For values not in this dictionary**, LLM will be automatically called for translation.

Session Persistence

**Session file location**: `ds160/ds160-session.json`

**Session data structure**:

{
  "applicationId": "AA00FBLCQP",
  "securityQuestion": "What is the given name of your mother's mother?",
  "securityAnswer": "LiMei",
  "currentPageIndex": 5,
  "completedPages": ["home", "security_question", "personal_1", "personal_2", "travel", "travel_companions"],
  "startDate": "2026-02-06T21:00:00Z",
  "lastUpdated": "2026-02-06T21:30:00Z"
}

**When to save session:**

Browser Automation Notes

**Always use `openclaw` profile** to maintain session across pages.

**Use `browser act` with `evaluate` for form filling**:

**Use `browser snapshot` before each page**:

Testing Checklist

Before using this skill with real data:

Example Usage

**User says**: "Help me fill DS-160 form with my data in this.csv"

**Agent workflow**:

1. Load SKILL.md (this file)

2. Check for existing session

3. Save CSV to ds160/ds160-user-info.csv

4. Initialize session

5. Open browser to DS-160

6. Fill page by page

7. Report progress after each page

8. Handle errors with LLM or user input

9. Save progress and continue

**User says**: "Continue filling my DS-160 form"

**Agent workflow**:

1. Load SKILL.md

2. Load existing session

3. Open browser to DS-160 with Application ID

4. Load CSV from saved location

5. Continue from last page

6. Report progress

7. Complete remaining pages

Files Reference

Important Notes