USCIS Ho Chi Minh City Field Office Vietnam
Director
Mary Ann Russell, Field Office Director
Service Area
The Ho Chi Minh City Field Office has jurisdiction over immigration benefits for the country of Vietnam.
Office Location
USCIS Ho Chi Minh City offices are located in the Diamond Plaza office building in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, two blocks from the U.S. Consulate General down Le Duan Street.
Street Address
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Consulate General
34 Le Duan, District 1
Diamond Plaza, 8th Floor
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Hours of Operation
The office is open to the public Monday through Friday from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The office is closed on both Vietnamese and American holidays.
Visiting the office in person
Walk-ins are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Paying Fees
Fees are payable in cash only, at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi or the American Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. Personal checks, traveler's checks, or money orders are not accepted. Receipts should be retained to show at the USCIS office.
Services at the USCIS Ho Chi Minh City Field Office
Form I-130
Petitions for Alien Relatives (For Spouses, known as CR-1 or IR-1 cases)
U.S. citizens that reside in Vietnam can file an Immediate Relative Immigration Petition (Form I-130) by mail or by coming to the office in person. For spouses, these types of cases are also often referred to as CR-1 or IR-1 visa cases.
Additional information about Petitions for Alien Relatives may be reviewed by visiting the following pages on our website:
- U.S. Family Immigration [link]
- CR-1 spouse visas [link]
- Additional information on Overseas filing of Petitions for Alien Relatives, sometimes mistakenly referred to as “Direct Consular Filing” or “DCF”, may be viewed by clicking here [link to article on overseas filing].
NOTE: Overseas USCIS offices do not accept or adjudicate I-129F petitions for Fiancées.
If you have questions regarding filing of Immediate Relative Petitions with USCIS Ho Chi Minh City, please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Form I-601
I-601 Waiver Applications should be submitted to the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City. The Consulate will forward the application to the Ho Chi Minh City USCIS office for adjudication and the office will notify the applicant with the results. Please note that while USCIS HCMC does adjudicate some waivers, it is quite common for I-601 waiver applications to be forwarded to USCIS Bangkok for adjudication. The processing time may vary depending on the cause for denial and the waiver requirements.
Additional information about legal grounds of inadmissibility (reasons for visa denials) may be reviewed by visiting our page on I-601 waiver applications [link] or by reading our article on legal grounds of inadmissibility and I-601 waiver applications [link to article]
If you have been denied a visa or if you have questions regarding filing of I-601 Waiver Applications in Vietnam, please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Form I-407
Relinquishment of Legal Permanent Resident Status (Giving up your green card)
The abandonment of lawful permanent resident status is irrevocable. If an individual who relinquishes their lawful permanent resident status (their “green card”) wishes to obtain lawful permanent resident status again in the future, they must qualify again for such status by filing a new petition in a category in which they qualify. One should give careful thought to abandoning lawful permanent resident status.
That being said, there are perfectly sound reasons for relinquishing one’s green card. If a legal permanent resident has been out of the United States for a prolonged period of time, without a Re-Entry Permit, they may have already lost their legal permanent resident status, essentially by operation of law. In such instances and, where the green card holder wishes only to visit the U.S. infrequently and for brief periods of time, it is often advisable to relinquish the green card with an I-407 filing preparatory to filing an application for a B1/B2 visitor visa.
We again caution you that your green card should not be relinquished without very careful consideration and, if you are at all in doubt about your status or intentions, you should obtain a legal opinion to inform your decision making. . If you are considering giving up your green card and wish a legal opinion on your status and options, please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Forms I-600 & I-600A
The bilateral adoption agreement, required by Vietnamese law to authorize adoptions between the United States and Vietnam, expired on September 1, 2008. Prospective adoptive parents who were matched with a child (received a formal referral) by September 1 will be allowed to process their adoption to conclusion.
On October 15, 2008, the U.S. and Vietnam issued a Joint Statement wherein they agreed that all further adoptions would be suspended until both countries sign a new agreement or join the Hague Convention. No exceptions – including exceptions for relative adoptions – were made. According to the Ministry of Justice, under whose authority DIA falls, the Government of Vietnam will not process any cases for adoption that did not receive a formal referral by September 1, 2008.
The Department of State has an extremely helpful and well organized information resource relating to intercountry adoptions which can be viewed at: http://adoption.state.gov/
Form N-400 (Naturalization Applications)
U.S. immigration offices overseas do not accept or process Naturalization applications from U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPRs).
EXCEPTION: Certain Active Duty Military members, Spouses of Active Duty Military, and Children of Active Duty Military can be naturalized overseas. However, the applications should be filed with the Nebraska Service Center. For additional information about Naturalization rules applicable to Active Duty Military members, Spouses of Active Duty Military, and Children of Active Duty Military please forward your inquiry to one of our U.S. licensed Immigration attorneys at wfwlaw@aol.com
Form I-131 Parole
The Ho Chi Minh City Field Office does not issue Humanitarian Parole. Individuals must apply for Humanitarian parole by submitting their applications to:
Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Attn: Chief, International Operations Division
(Humanitarian Parole)
20 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 3300
Washington, DC 20529-2100Form I-131 Re-entry
The Ho Chi Minh City Field Office does not issue or extend Re-entry Permits.
Refugee Travel Document (Form I-131)
The Field Office in Ho Chi Minh City does not issue or extend Refugee Travel Documents. Applications from individuals, that are already living overseas, can be sent to the USCIS District Office in Bangkok, Thailand.
NOTE: You will have to demonstrate compelling circumstances explaining why you were not able to apply for either advance parole or a refugee travel document prior to departing the United States.
Form I-590
USCIS Ho Chi Minh City is unable to directly receive refugee resettlement applications. These forms should be filed at the Refugee Resettlement Section (RRS) of the U.S. Embassy in Ho Chi Minh City. They are also unable to check the status of any pending refugee resettlement application. You may check the status of your application by contacting the RRS. Inquiries on previously rejected refugee applications should be addressed to the USCIS District Office in Bangkok, Thailand.
Transportation Boarding Letters
You must go to the Ho Chi Minh City Office of Immigration and Custom Emforcement (ICE) located at 65 Le Loi Boulevard in person to apply for a transportation or boarding letter. These letters are generally issued to a lawful permanent resident (LPR) who has lost or had their Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551) stolen.
The following documents will be required:
1. Proper Identification, including immigration documents or any type of ID that was issued by a U.S. State or Federal Agency. You should have your Alien Registration number available.
2. Police Report regarding the loss or theft
3. Proof of Residence in the United States within the last year
4. Passport size photographs (2)
5. Copy of your return airline tickets, with departure date booking, if applicable. Processing may take between 2-7 days. If the Form I-551 has been lost or stolen, the applicant must pay the replacement fee.