Many Vietnamese students register for US visa interview schedules, slots fill up quickly

On the evening of June 20, some people said they had made appointments for student visa interviews at the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, more than 3 weeks after this activity was suddenly suspended.

An applicant successfully registered for a US student visa interview appointment on the afternoon of June 20.

PHOTO: NVCC

Provide network account before visa interview

Confirming with Thanh Nien on the evening of June 20, leaders of several study abroad companies in Vietnam said they were able to access the US student visa interview appointment system at the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City. "It was 4:23 p.m., we had just paid the student visa application fee when the interview schedule appeared and it was only available on June 27," Ms. Huynh Ngoc Thanh Tuyen, Head of the Document Processing Department of Asia - Europe Study Abroad Company (Ho Chi Minh City), informed.

After checking all customer accounts, Ms. Tuyen discovered that only a few accounts could access the appointment booking system, and the number of available slots was filling up very quickly. After half an hour, she successfully registered 4 customers and the system also announced that there were no more student visa interview slots available on that day. "At the same time, I also checked the appointment schedule at the US Embassy in Hanoi but they still hadn't allowed bookings," Ms. Tuyen added.

Another difference in the registration process compared to before, according to Ms. Tuyen, lies in the DS-160 form (application for student visa - PV). Currently, applicants must declare at least one social media account they are using and clearly provide the link of the account, instead of being able to choose to ignore it like before the time the US temporarily stopped issuing student visa interview appointments. "It can be Facebook, Instagram or any social network," she said.

The female manager also informed that the US has not yet received student visa renewal applications from Vietnamese people via post . Therefore, among Ms. Tuyen's 4 successful clients, some people, because they could not wait for the renewal process to reopen, chose to re-interview to find a chance.

Ms. Dang Thi Thu Hien, Director of IEF Vietnam Study Abroad Consulting Company ( Da Nang ), added that June 27 coincides with the 2025 high school graduation exam, so she still cannot schedule for students who are all in grade 12. "You have to continue waiting and I think everything will be normal from next week. American universities have also informed us a few days ago about the visa interview situation," Ms. Hien said.

Student visas will prioritize schools with few international students

Mr. Vu Thai An, Director of GLINT Study Abroad Company (HCMC), noted that when the US announced the re-issuance of student visa interview schedules, the country also outlined a number of new conditions that Vietnamese students should pay attention to. First, applicants must make their social media accounts public so that consular officers can check the content of the last 5 years. Second, the issuance of student visas will prioritize schools with few international students, with the number accounting for less than 15%.

"Therefore, the student visa approval rate may decrease slightly due to more careful social media checks and factors related to choosing schools and majors. Not to mention, competing for interviews is also more competitive because the number of spots is limited," said Mr. An. "But the heat has never decreased, the number of students interested in studying abroad in the US in the fall semester remains high, and many students who have 'deferred' (asked schools to postpone admission - PV) since 2024 are also anxious with the mentality of going now or missing out."

Vietnamese students participate in a simulation of a US student visa interview

PHOTO: NVCC

Based on the above facts, Mr. An believes that this year's student visa is no longer as "safe" as previous years and many good students can still be rejected because of illogical explanations or not convincing enough about their study plans. "Be prepared to be rejected," said the male director.

"In addition, you need to check and 'clean' all social networks, make sure that posts, shares, comments, memes, emotions... are at a 'harmless' level. Increase your preparation for the interview and be mentally prepared for the interview right after receiving the I-20," the male director advised.

The applicant's social network must ensure 3 factors

Meanwhile, Ms. Thanh Tuyen noted that the applicant's social media account should ensure three factors: legitimacy, meaning the account must show that it is the applicant; consistency with what was declared in the student visa application; and finally, understanding of the field that the applicant will study in the US.

"You should not be too extreme and delete all posts. The consular officer will mainly want to see an active account that can supplement the application. It can be pictures of charity activities you participate in, or articles and shares on the topic of marketing if you will study abroad in this field. This helps the fake account become a plus point for the real application," Ms. Tuyen noted.

In addition, Ms. Tuyen said that the interview for a student visa is no longer directed towards answering questions with memorized answers such as which school do you study at, why... Instead, the consular officer will delve into what the applicant has learned about the field of study, such as if you study information technology, do you know how to code, or if you study marketing, what do you understand about the 4P model...

"You have to learn specialized terms in depth to increase your visa approval rate, instead of saying 'I study marketing because this industry is hot and easy to find a job'," said the female department head.

Previously, the US Embassy in Hanoi and the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City announced on the evening of June 20 that they were "preparing to re-interview and review applications for student visas and exchange programs". The agency also noted that applicants need to ensure that their social media accounts declared in the DS-160 form are set to "public" or they will be denied a student visa.

According to statistics from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in 2023, there were 31,310 Vietnamese studying in the US, ranking 6th in the number of international students. This is the first time the number of Vietnamese studying in the US has reached more than 30,000 after 2 years below 30,000. However, if we consider the number of students in schools from kindergarten to high school, Vietnam is the 5th largest with 3,187 people, behind China, South Korea, Mexico and Spain.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhieu-du-hoc-sinh-viet-dang-ky-duoc-lich-phong-van-visa-my-suat-trong-het-nhanh-185250621070508096.htm