US Consulate General: Maintain stable student visa policy for Vietnamese

That is the affirmation of the representative of the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City in the context that in recent months, a number of countries have continuously changed their study abroad policies, including student visas, to limit students from abroad.

Tổng lãnh sự quán Mỹ: Giữ chính sách visa du học ổn định với người Việt- Ảnh 1. — *Parents and students in Ho Chi Minh City listen to US university admissions representatives advise on careers and scholarships.*

Free US study abroad consulting

The US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City on October 3 organized the 2024 US UniversityEducation Fair, attracting hundreds of students and parents. Speaking with Thanh Nien on the sidelines of the event, Mr. Justin T. Walls, Head of the Culture and Information Department (US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City), affirmed: "We really want Vietnamese people to study in the US. That is why student visa policies in Vietnam remain stable, consistent, and have not changed." "This plays an important role in the comprehensive strategic partnership between the US and Vietnam, demonstrating our commitment to strengthening the relationship between the two countries," the Head of the Culture and Information Department emphasized. Mr. Walls added that when reviewing applications, the student visa department in Vietnam uses a lot of data and analysis to carefully evaluate, ensuring that qualified students can easily study in the US. "The US is hosting about 30,000 Vietnamese students, meaning that Vietnamese are the fifth largest international student community in the US. In Southeast Asia, Vietnam is also the country with the largest number of international students in the US," Mr. Walls shared. For those who intend to study in the US, Mr. Walls recommends that you visit the American Center - a unit under the US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City - to receive free 1:1 advice from experts on studying in the US. In addition, you can also attend study abroad seminars or English programs designed to help students succeed in the US. Detailed information can be found HERE .

Tổng lãnh sự quán Mỹ: Giữ chính sách visa du học ổn định với người Việt- Ảnh 2. — *Mr. Justin T. Walls, Head of Culture and Information (US Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City), delivered the opening speech at the 2024 US University Education Exhibition yesterday (October 3).*

Reasons for refusal of student visa

At the event, visa officers at the US Consulate General also shared a lot of information related to US student visas for students and parents. Accordingly, to apply for a US student visa (F-1 or M-1), Vietnamese people must go through 6 main steps, including: finding a suitable school, applying to the school, receiving the I-20 form and paying the SEVIS fee, filling out the DS-160 form to apply for a visa, paying the student visa application fee and scheduling an interview, and visiting the embassy or consulate for the interview. "Although not required, we recommend that you bring your transcripts, report cards and other documents related to your studies before coming for the interview. Meanwhile, the I-20 form and receipt proving that you have paid the SEVIS fee are two required documents," said the visa officer. What will be the issues raised during the interview? The visa officer said the interview content includes 4 main parts: sharing about your educational qualifications; proving that you have enough finances for the entire training program; Show that you intend to complete the course; plan to leave the US after completing your studies. "Even if you are nervous, don't memorize it and try to listen to what we are asking," the visa officer advised. The representative of the US Consulate General also corrected some false information about visa issuance. Specifically, the visa officer emphasized that the US does not set a limit on student visa issuance for Vietnam; visa issuance is not a game of chance; you do not have to pay the study abroad company to receive the visa; you do not need to bring all the documents to be granted a student visa; information that you have relatives in the US does not damage your application...

Tổng lãnh sự quán Mỹ: Giữ chính sách visa du học ổn định với người Việt- Ảnh 3. — *More than a hundred people attended the information sharing session about US student visas.*

"Some countries, when accepting student visa applications, only consider them based entirely on the applicant's profile. However, we focus more on talking to the applicant to better understand your story and your family. One of the things I want to note is that students should clearly state their parents' jobs, not just say, 'My parents are in business'," the visa officer informed. 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 also the first time the number of Vietnamese students in the US has reached more than 30,000 after 2 years below 30,000. However, if considering the number of international students in high schools alone, Vietnam is the 5th largest with 3,187 people, behind China, South Korea, Mexico, and Spain.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tong-lanh-su-quan-my-giu-chinh-sach-visa-du-hoc-on-dinh-voi-nguoi-viet-185241004143447036.htm