U.S. Visa Renewal Program

Here is the English translation of the provided text regarding U.S. visa renewal procedures and eligibility:

The U.S. Embassy reserves the right to require personal interviews and request any necessary additional information if there is doubt regarding the applicant’s eligibility for a non-immigrant visa before issuing any visa.
The company designated to handle document collection and delivery for the Embassy is EMS, which has offices in all provinces and cities nationwide.

To avoid unexpected delays, applicants should submit their applications at least three weeks before their intended departure date.

Who is eligible for this program?

• Applicants must have a planned departure to the U.S. at least three weeks after submitting their application to EMS. Although we can usually process visa renewal applications faster, we cannot guarantee that this will be the case for all applicants.
• Short-term visitors, students on leave, exchange visitors, temporary workers, and intra-company transferees, along with their dependent family members (who currently or previously held B, F, M, J, H, and L visas), and are Vietnamese nationals.
• Applicants must be present in Vietnam at the time of application and wish to apply for the same type of visa as their previous non-immigrant visa (same visa type and applicant category – for example, principal applicant and/or dependents). The previous visa must have been a multiple-entry visa valid for 12 months.
• Applicants with expired visas (no more than 12 months past expiration). (Since visa renewal processing may take 2 to 3 weeks, applicants with less than 10 business days remaining before the 12-month expiration should schedule a visa interview as usual.)
• Students who have left the U.S. for no longer than 5 months unless their activities outside the U.S. are related to their course of study. If the study interruption exceeds 5 months, applicants must include a letter explaining how the interruption relates to their studies.

Applicants can complete the attached questionnaire (PDF, 103KB) to determine their eligibility (PDF, 149KB) for visa renewal by mail.

What documents must applicants submit?

• A passport valid for at least six months beyond the applicant's intended departure date from Vietnam. If the previous visa is in an old passport, the applicant must submit both the old and new passports.
• A completed and submitted DS-160 visa application form online at https://ceac.state.gov/genniv/. Click here for more information about the form.
• Both copies (pink and yellow) of the Citibank fee receipt for the visa application fee. This fee can be paid directly at Citibank.

In addition, students and exchange visitors (holding F, M, and J visas) must submit:

• The original I-20 or DS-2019 form. The I-20 form must be endorsed by the school official within the last 12 months.
• Academic transcripts.

Temporary workers and intra-company transferees (holding H and L visas) must submit:

• A copy of Form I-129 (Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker) or Form I-797 (Notice of Action).

Applicants can use the attached checklist (PDF, 105KB) to prepare their complete application.

Who to contact at the Embassy regarding mail-in services?
Applicants must contact EMS at local post offices in their respective provinces/cities.