The embassy’s process for issuing tourist and student visas seems to lack consistency and transparency. My own experience involved a frustrating rejection of my wife’s tourist visa application, despite us meeting the regulated qualifications both financial and our ties in Vietnam and in the US, they didn’t even look at the paperwork. Its based on their feelings. We came well prepared, bank statements, I-134s from myself and US family members, assets, we had it all. We even have an American Vietnamese child together. All they asked her was about me and denied. We just wanted to introduce our new son to his sister and grandmother back in the states.
Similarly, an acquaintance with significant financial means, owning over $1 million USD and her home, solely intending to study in the U.S. for a short period, also faced rejection. In both cases, detailed financial and personal documentation appeared to be disregarded and not looked at. These incidents suggest a systemic issue within the embassy, where decisions on visa applications seem to be made without thorough evaluation of the qualifying paperwork, reflecting a deeper problem in the visa processing approach. I believe The Immigration and US Nationality Act (US) is highly disregarded in these cases.
Below is the letter a rejected applicant receives (it’s our scanned copy):
As I mentioned, it’s based on their feelings. If you meet the requirements posted publicly by the Immigration and US Nationality Act and the interviewing officer doesn’t even review the evidence except ask a simple question, “who is your husband?” then by what part of the law did they follow in their decision making that violates the law? They didn’t ask anything in regards to her ties in Vietnam, do we own a home, family, jobs, nothing.
Tip 1: Do not pay for shipping during the application, do pickup only if you’re of few lucky people to get issued a VISA. I understand that the VISA fee is non refundable but why not the shipping fee? You're giving them free money if you’re denied. This poses ethical considerations and should be reviewed. A service was not rendered, so what did they ship? Nothing.
As an American they do serve my legal needs such as notary and I’ll give them that. The counter staff inside the embassy are kind and helpful, these are the people most foreigners will never see. They’re called the American Services Unit.
What you can do to resolve VISA issues.
For Americans, write your Senators office in your state with VISA issues in regards to your spouse. They have limited power but one of their main jobs is to assist with visas.
If you have complaints about embassy issues or other concerns, you can contact the following entities:
- Bureau of Consular Affairs: Part of the U.S. Department of State, this bureau oversees consular services. You can contact them for issues related to visa processing.
- Office of Inspector General (OIG): The OIG for the Department of State investigates complaints about mismanagement or misconduct within the Department, including embassies.
- Your Local Congressional Representatives: U.S. Senators and Representatives can sometimes assist with issues related to government services, including those provided by embassies (senate.gov).
- Customer Service Center at the Department of State: They handle general inquiries and can guide you on how to proceed with a complaint.
For each of these, you will find contact information and specific procedures for filing complaints on their respective websites. It’s important to provide as much detail as possible about your issue to facilitate a thorough review and response.
I waited a month to write this review to gather my thoughts on it. I hope it helps someone.
On another note, I’m also a Mexican citizen, if you can’t get into America then Mexico is a great option. The Mexican embassy is wonderful to work with. They actually like Vietnamese people, just be safe if you go to Mexico, read about safety and stay in tourist areas. This can also be said about America.
Updated 3/6/2024