Integrity Legal

The administration of this blog routinely posts the holiday closing schedules of various United States Missions in Asia in an effort to share this information with those Americans or foreign nationals traveling outside of the United States who need to obtain services which can only be provided by an American Post abroad. The following is the holiday closing schedule of the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam as quoted from the US Embassy’s official website:

The following list of official holidays for 2011 has been approved consistent with the provisions of 3 FAM 2336 (American holidays) and the revised Article 73 of the Vietnamese Labor Code. The U.S. Embassy will be closed on these days.

V = Vietnamese Holidays
A – American Holidays

Those seeking services such as issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, US Passport, or addition of visa pages to an already issued US Passport are well advised to contact the American Citizen Services Section of the nearest US Embassy, US Consulate, American Institute, or US Mission with appropriate Consular jurisdiction.

Those seeking the homepage of the official website of the US Embassy in Hanoi, Vietnam should click HERE.

Those seeking information regarding matters pertaining to United States Immigration are well-advised to contact a licensed American lawyer in order to receive advice and counsel regarding the practical implications of the application of relevant American Immigration law.

Those seeking Non-immigrant visas such as the B-2 visa for tourists, the B-1 visa for business travelers, the J-1 visa for cultural exchange visitors, or the F-1 visa for students are likely to have their visa application processed through the Non-immigrant Visa Unit of the nearest American Mission.

Generally, those seeking US family based visas are required to process their application through an Immigrant Visa Unit of a US Mission abroad. For purposes of visa application processing the non-immigrant US fiance visa (the K-1 visa category) is treated in essentially the same manner as the Immigrant spouse visas such as the CR1 Visa or the IR1 Visa.

Those seeking business and/or investment based visas such as the EB-5 visa or the L-1 visa are generally required to process an Immigration petition at the Department of Homeland Security‘s United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) prior to Consular Processing of the visa application.

For related information please see: US Visa Vietnam or K-1 Visa Vietnam.

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Posted in CR1 Visa, EB5 Visa, IR1 Visa, J1 visa, K1 Visa, K2 Visa, K3 Visa, L1 Visa, US Consulate HCMC, US Embassy Hanoi, US Embassy Vietnam, US State Department, US Tourist Visa, US Visa, US Visa and Immigration, USCIS | No Comments »

Those who are regular readers of this blog will no doubt be aware that the issue of 221(g) denials promulgated in relation to visa applications brought before at US Missions, Embassies, and Consulates outside of the United States can be very concerning for those seeking American Immigration benefits for a foreign loved one. In the case of the US Embassy in Vietnam, most US family visa cases are processed out the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. It would seem that the American Consulate in HCMC is considered by State Department officials to be a “high volume” Post as a significant number of visa applications are adjudicated in that jurisdiction each year. Meanwhile, as is the case for any US Mission abroad, the officers at the US Consulate in HCMC take visa fraud seriously and therefore heavy scrutiny is placed upon pending visa applications in an effort to ensure that those receiving visa benefits are legally entitled to such benefits. Furthermore, Consular Officers also review US family visa applications very carefully in order to ascertain whether or not a prospective foreign beneficiary has the requisite subjective intent. Subjective intent is often of great concern in K1 visa applications as the applicant must have a genuine intention to marry their American fiance within 90 days of entering the USA.

The culmination of the US visa process is usually the visa interview which is generally conducted at the US Mission with Consular jurisdiction to adjudicate the visa application. However, in some cases, a Consular Officer may feel that further documentation is necessary in order to complete the adjudication. The American State Department refers to the 221(g), which is a reference to section 221(g) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act, as a refusal although for purposes of the Department of Homeland Security the 221g is considered a denial. This can be an important distinction for foreign nationals holding the passport of a country which participates in the US Visa Waiver Program as the United States Customs and Border Protection Service (USCBP) considers 221g refusals to be denials which must be disclosed by travelers through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). It should noted that Vietnam is not currently a participant in the Visa Waiver Pilot Program.

In some cases, 221g denials are highly complex and may cause frustration to the applicant and/or their American counterpart. Some find that attorney assistance can be beneficial. An American Immigration attorney can provide insight into the overall process and also assist in making a follow-up with the US Consulate regarding a 221g denial. Furthermore, American Immigration attorneys based in South East Asia can deal with such matters before the Consulate in real time. This can be especially beneficial if the 221g evolves into a situation in which the visa application is denied due to a legal finding of inadmissibility. This can sometimes occur and in such an event the finding of inadmissibility may only be overcome through use of an I-601 waiver. In some cases, there may be no remedy if the applicant is found inadmissible for reasons that cannot be waived. Those thinking about filing for immigration benefits should always be aware that putting on the best case at the outset is the most efficient way of attempting to ensure visa issuance.

For related information please see: US Visa Vietnam or US fiance visa.

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Posted in CR1 Visa, Department of Homeland Security, I-601 Waiver, IR1 Visa, K1 Visa, K2 Visa, K3 Visa, US Consulate HCMC, US Embassy Hanoi, US Embassy Vietnam, US State Department, US Visa, US Visa and Immigration, USCBP, USCIS, Visa Waiver | No Comments »

Virtually every United States Embassy or Consulate will close in recognition of United States Federal Holidays. Most will also close in recognition of local holidays or customs. The United States Embassy in Vietnam is no different. Below, please find the 2010 holiday closing schedule for the US Embassy located in Hanoi:

The above notation of “A” and “V” denotes the type of holiday. “A” stands for American, while “V” stands for Vietnamese.

In Vietnam, the bulk of United States visa and immigration matters are handled at the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. This situation is the opposite of the internal mechanics of the posts in Thailand as the US Embassy in Bangkok handles nearly all Immigrant visa petitions while the US Consulate in Chiang Mai deals with Non-Immigrant visa applications for visas such as the US Tourist Visa, the J1 visa, and the F1 visa.  That being said, the holiday closing schedule of the US Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) is identical to the schedule of the US Embassy in Hanoi. Therefore, those interested in that post’s closing schedule should look to the information above.

For those in a legitimate emergency, it may be possible to contact the Embassy during a holiday. That being said, this is contacting Embassy staff may be difficult as most Embassy and Consulate personnel use holidays to take much needed time off. Therefore, those with an impending issue would be wise to take care of it before a holiday as it is unlikely that the Embassy will make special accommodations.

For those who need passports, notary services, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, or visa pages it would be wise to contact the American Citizen Services Section of the local US Embassy or US Consulate.

For those interested in learning more about the US Embassy in Hanoi please click here. For those who wish to learn maore about the US Consulate in HCMC please click here. Finally, for those interested in US visas from Southeast Asia please see K-1 visa, CR-1 visa, or K-3 visa.

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Posted in K1 Visa, K3 Visa, US Consulate HCMC, US Embassy Hanoi, US Embassy Vietnam, US Tourist Visa, US Visa and Immigration | 29 Comments »