Important Notice on June 17, 2015 About Technical Problems With Processing Visa By U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs

Theo nguồn tin trên trang mạng của Tổng lãnh sự Hoa Kỳ ở tại Sài Gòn

Important Notice—June 17, 2015

The Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs continues to address technical problems with our visa systems. This issue is not specific to any particular country or visa category; this is a global issue. Currently, we are unable to print most nonimmigrant and immigrant visas approved after June 8, 2015. Once the systems are fully operational, we will work as quickly as possible to clear the backlog of pending visa cases. We apologize to applicants and recognize that this may cause hardship to applicants waiting for visas.

We are also unable to process new nonimmigrant applications submitted on or after June 9, 2015. Some applicants have been contacted directly to reschedule their appointments. If you have a nonimmigrant visa appointment scheduled in the coming days, and you submitted a DS-160 online application after June 9, 2015, you should consider rescheduling your appointment. Appointments can be rescheduled by following the instructions located on http://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn/vn-niv-visaapply.asp. Individuals who submitted their DS-160 online applications prior to June 9, 2015, should plan to attend their scheduled visa interview appointments. Those with urgent travel should follow the instructions for expedited appointments found on http://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn/vn-niv-expeditedappointment.asp.

For applicants with interviews in Hanoi only: If you submitted your DS-160 to Ho Chi Minh City, but have scheduled an interview in Hanoi, we are unable to process your case. Please follow the guidance above to reschedule your interview.

As always, we strongly recommend that you refrain from finalizing your travel arrangements, including purchasing your airline ticket, until you have received your visa in hand. If you’re a student, tourist, or business traveler and you need your passport back during this period for urgent non-U.S. travel; applicants in Ho Chi Minh City please contact us at http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/contact/nivinquiries.html; Applicants in Hanoi should contact the Call Center at 19006444, or at www.ustraveldocs.com/vn. Please note that your visa case will be suspended until you return your passport to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City or U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.

Additional information can be found at: http://travel.state.gov/content/travel/english/news/technological-systems-issue.html.

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Welcome to the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City.

We are located at 4 Le Duan Blvd, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

The Consular Section of the U.S. consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City is responsible for processing immigrant and nonimmigrant visas.

What is a visa?

A visa is an endorsement that enables foreign nationals to travel to the United States and apply for admission. A visa does not guarantee entry into the United States. An immigration inspector from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines whether or not to admit a visa holder in to the United States for a specified status and period of time.

The type of visa a traveler needs depends on his or her purpose of travel.

What types of visas are there?

The type of visa you must obtain is defined by U.S. immigration law, and relates to the purpose of your travel. There are two main categories of U.S. visas: immigrant and nonimmigrant.

• The Immigrant Visa (IV) unit of the U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City processes visa applications of persons seeking to reside permanently in the United States, including family members of U.S. citizens, legal permanent residents, fiancé(e)s of American citizens, alien workers, and Amerasians. Applications are made by appointment. To find out more about the IV unit, please click here.

• The Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) unit processes visa applications of Vietnamese and other foreign nationals seeking to travel to the U.S. temporarily for business, pleasure, study or work. Applications are made by appointment. To find out more about the NIV unit, please click here.

Who needs a visa?

All foreign nationals entering the United States must generally obtain a nonimmigrant visa for temporary stay or an immigrant visa for permanent residence unless they qualify for travel under the Visa Waiver Program.

Note: Vietnam currently does not participate in the Visa Waiver Program

Fraud Warning

Committing visa fraud or providing false information on your petition, visa application or to a Consular Officer may result in the revocation of your petition and/or a permanent ineligibility to travel, work or immigrate to the United States.

The U.S. Consulate does not endorse or have a “special relationship” with any individual or business that offers advice or assistance with the visa process. No one can guarantee the issuance of a visa to you. Visa eligibility can only be determined at the time of the visa interview. All U.S. government forms are free.

Beware: many visa applicants lose money or are permanently barred from the United States as a result of providing inaccurate information or using fraudulent applications provided by visa consultants.

Reporting Fraud

The Consulate General treats allegations of fraud or malfeasance in visa processing very seriously. The information you provide to our office will remain confidential and will only be seen by Consular Officers and other U.S. Government employees working on a person’s visa case. We ask that you be honest and as concise in your statement as possible. If you have specific information about an incident of fraud or malfeasance, please email us via HCMCFPU@state.gov.

Security Notice

All visitors are prohibited from bringing the following items into the Consulate:

Electronic Devices (cellular telephones, Blackberries, PDAs, etc.)
Recording Devices
Still Cameras
Video Cameras
USB/Thumb Drives
Laptops/Computers and accessories
Explosive Devices
Flammable liquids
All firearms
Edged Weapons
Other items as identified by the Consulate

Customer Service

We are here to serve you according to the laws of the United States of America. We are committed to customer service. Please

click here to view our Customer Service Statement.

Other useful links

• Homepage of the U.S. Department of State: http://www.state.gov
• Visa Information: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english.html

• Safety and Security of U.S. Borders (biometrics): http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/general/border-biometrics.html

• Lost and Stolen Passports, Visas, and Form I94: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/general/lost-or-stolen-travel-documents.html

• International Information Programs http://www.usa.gov

• Other Government Agency Web sites including:

– DHS web homepage: http://www.dhs.gov

– DHS USCIS: http://www.uscis.gov

– DHS-US-VISIT: http://www.dhs.gov/us-visit-traveler-information

– DHS-CBP: http://cbp.gov/

– DHS TRIP for complaints about entry: http://www.dhs.gov/dhs-trip

– USA.gov: http://www.usa.gov/

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/visas.html