
To accurately report your monthly income in local currency on the DS 160, you'll need to follow the guidelines set by the US Department of State.
The DS 160 form requires you to enter your monthly income in the local currency of your home country. This information is crucial for visa applicants, as it helps determine their eligibility for a visa.
The US Department of State specifies that the local currency should be used to report income, not the US dollar. This is to ensure that the income is accurately represented and not inflated due to exchange rate fluctuations.
To accurately report your income, you'll need to know the current exchange rate between your local currency and the US dollar.
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Income Information
You can specify your approximate take-home salary in local currency in the L1B blanket DS 160, even if it doesn't match your country's base salary divided by 12.
The key is to ensure you're getting paid a fair wage and not working below minimum wages. If questioned, you can explain it during the interview with supporting documents like payslips, bank statements, and IT returns.

If your salary is above average, you're likely fine. But it's always better to be safe than sorry, and having supporting documents ready can help put your mind at ease.
Here's a summary of key points to keep in mind:
- Specify your take-home salary in local currency in the DS 160.
- Ensure you're getting paid a fair wage and not working below minimum wages.
- Have supporting documents like payslips, bank statements, and IT returns ready in case you're questioned.
It's also worth noting that the "Monthly Income (in USD):" field in the DS 160 may match your US base salary divided by 12, but this doesn't necessarily affect your local currency salary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is DS-160 monthly income in local currency before or after tax?
No, DS-160 monthly income is in local currency, but it's your gross (pre-tax) salary, not net salary
Sources
- https://www.immihelp.com/forum/usa-l1-l2-visa/792206-ds-160-monthly-salary-in-local-currency
- https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/180590/ds-160-monthly-salary-local-currency
- https://www.immihelp.com/us-visa-ds-160-form-present-work-education-training-information/
- https://shiplife.org/selection-process/visas-for-seafarers/filling-the-ds-160-for-seafarers/
- https://visaguide.world/us-visa/ds-160/
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