Please follow the steps below BEFORE your immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Step 1: Register online

Before your interview, you must register a delivery address for your passport’s return with the consulate’s online service. Registration is free. Click the “Register” button below to register.  If you have any problems with the online address registration, send an e-mail to: support-vietnam@ustraveldocs.com.

Register >>

Step 2: Get a medical examination in Vietnam

As soon as you receive your appointment date, you must schedule a medical examination in Vietnam. Click the “Medical Examination Instructions” button below for a list of designated panel physicians in Vietnam. Please schedule and attend a medical examination with one of these panel physicians before your interview.  All applicants who have not completed their medical examination and brought their information sheet from the panel physician will also be turned away.

Medical Examination Instructions >>

Step 3: Complete your pre-interview checklist

It is important that you bring all required original documents to your interview. Click the “Pre-Interview Checklist” button below for a checklist that will tell you what to bring. Please print this Pre-Interview Checklist and bring it to your interview along with the listed documents.  This Pre-Interview Checklist includes a COVER SHEET that you need to make sure all the included items are ready for your interview. Applicants who have not uploaded updated documents to their CEAC, or who do not bring to their interview ORIGINAL/CERTIFIED COPY documents that match with the documents they uploaded to CEAC, will be TURNED AWAY and requested to reschedule a new interview. 

Pre-Interview Checklist >>

Step 4: Review interview guidelines

Read our Fingerprinting Instructions and other interview guidelines to learn about any special actions that you need to take before your visa interview.

Interview Guidelines >>

Medical Examination Instructions

All immigrant visa applicants, regardless of age, require a medical examination prior to the issuance of a visa. Only a physician accredited by the U.S. Consulate can perform this exam. It is your responsibility to schedule a medical exam with one of the doctors listed below before your visa interview appointment at the U.S. Consulate. Medical examination results from other physicians will not be accepted.

Approved Physicians

Cho Ray Hospital (CRH)
Visa Medical Department
201B Nguyen Chi Thanh Street Ward 12, District 5
Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: (84-28) 3856 5703
Website: choray.vn

International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Ho Chi Minh City
1B Pham Ngoc Thach Street
District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: (84-28) 3822 2057
Fax: (84-28) 3822 1780
Website: vietnam.iom.int

International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Hanoi
Level 23, Building 72 Keangnam Hanoi Tower, Pham Hung Street,
Me Tri Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi
Tel: (84-24) 3736 6258
Fax: (84-24) 3736 6259
Website: vietnam.iom.int

Items to bring to your medical examination

The panel physician will need the following items to complete the medical exam forms:

• Your visa interview letter,
• Original passport for each eligible travelling applicant
  
• Fee for your medical examination, and
• A copy of your vaccinations records, if available.
• DS-260 confirmation page.

Any medical examination fees, including x-ray and blood test fees, must be paid directly to the panel physician. Please refer to our fees page at: our fees page for costs associated with your medical examination.

During the medical exam

The medical examination will include a medical history review, a physical examination, a chest X-ray, and blood and urine tests (for applicants 15 years of age or older). The United States also requires tuberculosis (TB) testing for all applicants two years of age and older. Please be prepared to discuss your medical history, medications you are taking, and current treatments you are undergoing. More information on general medical requirements for U.S. immigrants is available on the CDC website.

U.S. immigration law requires immigrant visa applicants to obtain certain vaccinations prior to the issuance of a visa. Current immigrant visa vaccination requirements . You can also read Frequently Asked Questions about our medical examination requirements  at Travel.State.Gov. If the physician determines that you need additional vaccinations, you may go to one of these immunization providers:

Ho Chi Minh City Center for Disease Control
957 Ba Thang Hai Street, Ward 7, District 11,
Ho Chi Minh City

Hong Ngoc Hospital – Hanoi
55 Yen Ninh Street, Ba Dinh District
Hanoi
Tel: (84-24) 3927 5559 or 7305 8880

After the medical exam

When your examination is completed, the doctor will provide you with exam results in a sealed envelope or send them directly to the U.S. Consulate. IF GIVEN AN ENVELOPE TO CARRY TO YOUR INTERVIEW, DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE.  Instead, bring it to your visa interview. Any x-rays taken will be given to you. You DO NOT need to  bring the x-rays to your visa interview. However, you must carry the x-rays with you when you travel to the United States for the first time. The medical report must be less than six months old when you enter the United States as an immigrant.

back to top

Pre-Interview Checklist

All documents not in English or Vietnamese must be accompanied by a certified English translation that includes a statement by the translator that the “Translation is accurate” and the “Translator is competent to translate.” In some cases, you may also be requested to submit translations for Vietnamese documents.

Please use the list below to determine the items that every applicant must bring to the immigrant visa interview:

• COVER SHEET: Please print out the COVER SHEET here and complete all the items listed in the COVER SHEET to make sure you are ready for your interview.  You will be TURNED AWAY and requested to reschedule a new interview if this COVER SHEET have not been completed.  You must make sure that 1) You have uploaded ALL the updated documents to CEAC; and 2) You bring to your interview ALL the ORIGINAL/CERTIFIED COPY documents that match with the documents you uploaded to CEAC.  All applicants who have not completed their medical examination and brought their information sheet from the panel physician will also be turned away.

• Address Registration Confirmation Page:  You must visit: http://bit.ly/iv-register NOW to register your address and phone number(s) for your documents/visa delivery. You MUST bring a copy of the Address Registration Confirmation Page with you to the interview and whenever you are scheduled to come to the U.S. Consulate after your interview. Failure to submit this Confirmation Page will delay the visa processing and visa delivery.

• Appointment Letter and DS-260 Confirmation Page:  Upon your arrival to the Consulate, please present the Appointment Letter and the confirmation page of the Electronic Immigrant Visa Application DS-260 to the guard for entrance and to the Consulate’s staff to get your queuing ticket.  Please staple the DS-260 Confirmation Page of the principal applicant under the Appointment Letter.

• Two (2) full face color visa photos for each applicant taken within 6 months.  For visa photo requirements, please visit our website at: http://bit.ly/iv-photo. 

• Identification (ID) Card and Household Registration Book (if any): Copy and original.

• Passport(s):  Copy and original.  The passport(s) should be valid for at least 60 days beyond the validity of the visa.  One (1) copy of the passport biodata page for each applicant, including children listed in their parents’ passport.

• Birth Certificates: Copy and original birth certificates of the petitioner, each person listed on the application, and all children of the principal applicant (even if he or she is not accompanying).  In case you do not have the petitioner’s birth certificate, the officer will review the case and provide guidance at the interview.  If you or any children were adopted, you must submit an official adoption decree.

• Medical examination results: Please submit medical examination results or the Information Sheet provided by the panel physician as proof of medical examination completion. If the physician gives you these results in a sealed envelope, PLEASE DO NOT OPEN THIS ENVELOPE.  Instead, bring it to your visa interview.

If you are older than 16 years of age: Original Vietnam’s JusticeRecord Check #2 and original police certificate from any foreign country in which you resided as instructed here: https://bit.ly/civildoc (see Police Certificates).  Information on obtaining these documents is available at: https://nvc.state.gov/find. 

If you are married: Your original marriage certificate and a photocopy.

If you were previously married: Your original divorce or spouse’s death certificate and a photocopy.

If you have ever been convicted of a crime: Court and criminal records and a photocopy.

If you have served in any country’s military: Military records and a photocopy.

Applicants who fall into any category listed in italics below should bring these additional documents:

For family-based visa applications:

• The appropriate Form I-864 Affidavit of Support for each financial sponsor along with a photocopy of the sponsor’s IRS transcript or most recent U.S. federal income tax return, and any relevant W-2s.
• Proof of your U.S. petitioner’s status and domicile in the United States (photocopy of a U.S. passport, naturalization certificate, or lawful permanent resident card).
• Evidence of your relationship with the petitioner and your derivative family members (if any) (such as photographs, letters, or emails).
• If you are the petitioner's stepchild: The original marriage certificate of the petitioner and your biological parent and a photocopy along with divorce records for any previous marriages of either parent.

For employment-based visa applications:

• Letter from your U.S. employer dated less than one month ago.

back to top

Interview Guidelines

Rescheduling or cancelling your interview

If you are unable to attend your appointment, you may reschedule a new interview appointment at Reschedule My Immigrant Visa Appointment. There may be a significant wait before the next available appointment, so please attempt to attend the date already assigned. For some family-based and employment preference visa categories, a visa became available within the month you have been scheduled by NVC. DV applicants should be aware that visas are numerically limited and must be issued by September 30 of the program year. There is no guarantee that a visa will still be available on the date of your rescheduled interview. Please carefully consult the Visa Bulletin before you decide to reschedule your interview.

Security screening and Fingerprinting procedures

All visitors to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City must follow certain security procedures. Any visitor who declines to be screened by U.S. Consulate security personnel will be unable to enter the consulate. You may not bring battery-operated or electronic devices, large bags or luggage, or food and liquid into the consulate. To avoid delaying your entry and that of those in line behind you, please bring only what is required for your interview. Please click here for more information regarding which items you are prohibited from bringing into the consulate.

You will also need to have your fingerprints taken before the interview.  Please read the Fingerprinting Instructions.

Accompanying persons

The following persons may accompany a visa applicant to their interview:

• Applicants may bring ONE interpreter if they do not speak English or Vietnamese well enough to participate inan interview.
• Applicants may bring ONE person to help if they are elderly, disabled, or a minor child.

Immigrant visa processing fees

If you have not paid all required fees to either the National Visa Center or via the appointment website, please be prepared to pay these fees on the day of your interview.

All fees may be paid in either U.S. dollars or the Vietnam Dong equivalent. We accept cash and credit cards only. Please note that if you are found ineligible to receive a visa, the application fee cannot be refunded. A complete list of fees can be found here.

Do not make travel plans outside of Vietnam

If your visa is approved, we will keep your passport at the consulate while we prepare your immigration packet and print a visa for your passport. We will return your passport to you later via courier services only. If you have to travel within Vietnam while your passport is still with us, please make sure you have a valid picture ID other than your passport.

A consular officer can make a decision on a visa application only after reviewing the formal application and interviewing the applicant. There is no guarantee that you will receive a visa. Do not sell your house, car, or property, resign from your job or make non-refundable flight or other travel arrangements until you have received your immigrant visa.

back to top

After the Interview

If case is refused

Sometimes a consular officer refuses a visa application to review additional documents or for administrative processing. When additional documents are requested, the consular officer will give you a refusal letter that asks you to submit additional documents. The letter will include instructions on how to submit those documents to the consulate. When your visa application is refused for administrative processing, the administrative processing takes additional time after the interview. The length of this administrative processing varies based on the circumstances of each case. Before inquiring about the status of administrative processing, please wait at least 60 days after your interview.

What happens after visa approval?

Passport, Visa, and Sealed Immigrant Packet – We will place your immigrant visa on a page in your passport. Please review your visa to make sure there are no spelling errors. We will also give you a sealed envelope containing documents that you must give to U.S. immigration authorities when you arrive in the United States for the first time. Do not open this envelope. You must carry it with you; do not put it in your checked luggage. Please carry all vaccination records with you to the United States. 

USCIS Immigrant Fee – All individuals who are issued immigrant visas overseas must pay an Immigrant Fee to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) prior to traveling to the United States by following the instructions at: https://my.uscis.gov/uscis-immigrant-fee. This fee is for processing your residency status and printing your Permanent Resident Card. The only people exempt from paying this fee are: children entering the United States under the Hague Process, returning residents, and people traveling on a K visa.

When You Should Travel – You must enter the United States before the expiration date on your visa, which is usually six (6) months from the date of printing. Your visa cannot be extended, and all fees are nonrefundable. The principal applicant must enter before or at the same time as other family members with visas. Unless they are eligible for benefits under the Child Status Protection Act, children who are issued a visa before turning 21 years of age must enter the United States before their 21st birthday to avoid losing their immigrant status.

Getting a Green Card – Your Form I-551 Permanent Resident Card, also known as a green card, will be automatically mailed to the address in the United States that you write in your visa application form. This is a very important document that proves you have permission to reside in the United States. If you plan to travel outside the U.S. before your green card arrives: Please consult USCIS’s and CBP’s websites for rules about what documents you need to re-enter the country. We also recommend you check with the airline to ensure you are in compliance with their rules. Once your card is issued, you should not stay outside of the United States for more than one year. If you do, you will lose your status as a Lawful Permanent Resident.

Children’s Issues – In the United States, children are required to have certain vaccinations before they can enroll in school. We recommend that you bring your child’s complete vaccination records with you to the United States. If your child is adopted, you have full custody as a result of a divorce, or you share custody with another parent, you should bring a copy of all applicable adoption or custodial papers from the authoritative court in your home country. You will need these papers (translated into English) for issues such as school enrollment, medical care, and eventual citizenship.

Information for New Immigrants – Please visit the USCIS web page for helpful information on moving to the United States. You can read their publication online at www.uscis.gov/newimmigrants. 

back to top