Visa to the U.S.

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 non-immigrant 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

Please note that electronic devices (mobile phones, radios, recorders, laptops, PDAs, cameras, iPods, etc.) will be kept at Security when you enter the U.S. Consulate building. Your electronic devices will be returned to you when your business is completed.

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

• State Department homepage: http://www.state.gov
• Visa section of travel.state.gov for visa information at http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
• Safety and Security of U.S. Borders (biometrics) at http://travel.state.gov/visa/immigrants/info/info_1336.html
• Lost and Stolen Passports, Visas, and Form I94’s at http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_2009.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/files/programs/content_multi_image_0006.shtm
- DHS-CBP: http://cbp.gov/
- DHS TRIP for complaints about immigration (CBP) entry to the U.S. at  http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/gc_1169676919316.shtm)
- USA.gov: http://firstgov.gov