Business/Visitor/Medical visas

All Vietnamese and other nationals who are seeking to travel to the U.S. temporarily for business and/or pleasure can apply for a nonimmigrant visa at the U.S. Consulate General.  In order to apply for a nonimmigrant visa, please follow the procedures below:

Step 1:  Make an Appointment

Step 2:  Complete the visa application forms 

Form DS-156:  All applicants, including children traveling on a parent’s passport, must complete the electronic DS-156 visa application form online; print ONE copy of the form and barcode page. The application form is available online at https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp. Please note the online DS-156 form does not transmit any information to the U.S. Consulate electronically.  We will accept this form at your interview date.

When completing the DS-156 EVAF on the Internet at https://evisaforms.state.gov/ds156.asp, please pay special attention to these areas:

1. To use the electronic visa application form, your Internet browser must support 128-bit encryption and you should use either an ink-jet or laser printer to print the completed application form. If you are using Windows Internet Explorer, the minimum version that will work with this site is version 5.0, with service pack. If you are using Netscape, the minimum version that will work with this site is version 6.2. You must also have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to download and print the completed application form. The minimum version that will work with this site is version 5. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, you may download a copy from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.
   
   
2. Sections 1-5 of the DS-156 EVAF must contain the correct name, passport number and issuance information, exactly as shown in the applicant’s passport.
   
   
3. Section 2 should only include the city of issuance for the passport. Do not select “Vietnam” for place of issuance, and do not include State/Province. Leave these two fields blank.
   
   
4. Sections 8-9 are only for other names or aliases of the applicant. Do not type the words “NONE” or “N/A” if there are no other names; simply leave this section blank.
   
   
5. Section 24 requires the address where the applicant will stay in the United States.
   
   
6. Sections 30 and 31 must contain information about each U.S. visa issued and each visa refused, including tourist and other types of visas.
   
   
7. The applicant must personally complete section 38 on the computer.
   
   
8. Anyone who helps an applicant to complete a visa application must also sign the application and include in Section 40 his or her name, address and relationship to the applicant.
   
   
9. Press “CONTINUE”and print the DS-156 EVAF and two-dimensional (2-D) barcode page.
   

Each visa applicant must submit one (1) 50mm square “full face”, unmounted photos, with white background taken within the past six months.  A "full face" photo is one in which the applicant is facing the camera directly. The applicant should not be looking down or to either side, and the face should cover about 50 percent of the area of the photo. Although variations in hair styles and in head coverings make it difficult to rigorously define the term "face", in general, the head of the applicant, including both face and hair, should be shown from the crown of the head to the tip of the chin on top and bottom, and from hair line side-to-side. It is preferable that the ears be exposed. The key requirement is that the photograph clearly identifies the applicant.

Visa photo sample

Form DS-157:  Only male applicants between the ages of 16 and 45 are required to complete this form. The application form is also available online at http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/79964.pdf. This form is non-electronic; it can be filled out manually.  

Step 3:  Prepare supporting documents

Because each applicant’s situation is different, there is no set answer as to what documents are specifically required.  The following documents have proven helpful in the past in determining an applicant’s eligibility for a nonimmigrant visa.

• An itinerary for your visit to the U.S., including contact names, addresses, and telephone numbers in each city 
   
  
• (If your company is sponsoring your trip) Your labor contract or business license, information about your company, and a letter stating your position within the company, the length of time you have been employed, the nature of your business in the U.S., and who will be paying for your expenses in the U.S.  
  
  
• If an individual is sponsoring your trip, a letter from the sponsor regarding the purpose of your visit and financial evidence that he/she has sufficient funds to cover your travel and other expenses (for example, Form I-134 Affidavit of Support, tax returns, employment letters, pay stubs, bank account statements, etc.) 
  
  
• Information about your employment, education, social or family relationships, and personal property can also help to demonstrate your ties in Vietnam
  
  

Step 4:  Interview

The applicant should appear at the U.S. Consulate General one hour earlier than the time and date set in the appointment slip for the visa interview. Applicants should bring both parts of the receipt, passport, completed and signed visa forms with photo, and supporting documents to the interview.  Do NOT fax or mail any documents to our office before your appointment.

• If the visa application is approved: The applicant can usually pick-up the visa the next working day at 3 p.m. at the Information Unit Booth. Processing time may be longer depending on the personal circumstances of the applicant.  In the event that you wish to authorize someone to pick up the visa on your behalf, you should state so with the interviewing officer at the time of your approval.
  
  
• If the visa application is refused: The applicant will be given a letter explaining why the visa was refused.  Most refusals of nonimmigrant visas are based on Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act.  For further information about this ineligibility, please visit http://travel.state.gov/visa/frvi_denials.html.  This section states:

“Every alien shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa...that he is entitled to nonimmigrant status...”

This means that consular officers are required by law to view each visa applicant as intending to immigrate to the U.S. until the applicant demonstrates otherwise. 

As is standard practice around the world, any nonimmigrant visa application, once denied under this section, will not be reconsidered unless the applicant re-applies.  The proper procedure for appealing a visa refusal is to file a new application that will be adjudicated by a different consular officer.  The applicant must pay the fee again and obtain a new interview.  There is no limitation on the time and the number of reapplications.  Please note that we always advise the applicants with more than one recent refusal NOT to re-apply unless his or her circumstances have changed significantly, because it is unlikely the outcome will change.

Further, NO assurance regarding the issuance of visas can be given in advance. Please do not make any binding travel plans until you have received your visa.

Seeking to travel to the U.S. for medical treatment

In addition to the supporting documentation for business or pleasures visas, the following documentation is also required for persons seeking medical treatment or donating an organ in the U.S., as well as any other documentation the consular officer may request at the time of the visa interview:

• Medical diagnosis from Cho Ray Hospital - Visa Medical Unit (201B Nguyen Chi Thanh Street, Ward 12, District 5, HCMC) explaining the nature of the ailment and the reason the applicant requires treatment in the United States. The statement must discuss the availability of adequate treatment in Vietnam and must indicate whether U.S treatment methods differ significantly from those in Vietnam. If you are traveling to the U.S. to donate an organ, you must also provide a statement assessing your fitness as a donor.
  
  
• Letter from a physician or medical facility in the United States, expressing a willingness to treat this specific ailment and detailing the treatment plan and the projected length and cost of treatment (including doctors' fees, hospitalization fees, and all medical-related expenses).
  
  
• Statement of financial responsibility from the individuals or organization which will pay for the patient's transportation, medical and living expenses. The individuals guaranteeing payment of these expenses must provide proof of ability to do so, often in the form of bank or other statements of income/savings or certified copies of income tax returns.
  
  
• In addition to providing the information above, you must demonstrate that your proposed trip will be temporary and you intend to return to your permanent residence in Vietnam or another country.