VIETNAM: US Immigration New Notices on new visa processing to streamline and medical exam fees

[siennaslammer 8]

• FYI

• IMPORTANT NOTICE: On February 22, 2014, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will introduce an exciting new service making it easier for all nonimmigrant visa applicants, as well as K1 Fiancé(e) and SB1 Returning Resident applicants, to schedule their appointments, obtain information about the visa application process, and arrange for the home delivery of their passports—all for one standard fee. These changes are part of the Department of State’s continual worldwide effort to streamline the visa application process and provide enhanced service. Please check back on this page in the coming weeks for updates regarding the transition to this new service and how it may affect you.

Attention Immigrant Visa Applicants:

Effective December 1, 2013, the medical examination fees for the US Consulate HCMC designated panel physicians, The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Cho Ray Hospital (CRH), will increase from US $130 to US$140 for each applicant aged 15 or older and from US$100 to US$110 for each applicant under the age of 15 years.

...................

juts saw this on the website = http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/immigrant-visas.html

hopefully, the new streamline will indeed be better = 1 standard fee = YEAH!!

[Daniel_Minh 0]

• FYI

• IMPORTANT NOTICE: On February 22, 2014, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City will introduce an exciting new service making it easier for all nonimmigrant visa applicants, as well as K1 Fiancé(e) and SB1 Returning Resident applicants, to schedule their appointments, obtain information about the visa application process, and arrange for the home delivery of their passports—all for one standard fee. These changes are part of the Department of State’s continual worldwide effort to streamline the visa application process and provide enhanced service. Please check back on this page in the coming weeks for updates regarding the transition to this new service and how it may affect you.

• Attention Immigrant Visa Applicants:

  Effective December 1, 2013, the medical examination fees for the US Consulate HCMC designated panel physicians, The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Cho Ray Hospital (CRH), will increase from US $130 to US$140 for each applicant aged 15 or older and from US$100 to US$110 for each applicant under the age of 15 years.

...................

juts saw this on the website = http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/immigrant-visas.html

hopefully, the new streamline will indeed be better = 1 standard fee = YEAH!!

Seems like good news. Hopefully those of us waiting for interviews the last few months can get some more information/updates.

Thanks for posting!

[Pete82 5]

Does this mean we can skip waiting for package #4 and just schedule our own darn interview and perform the medical exam and pay the app fee once the consulate receives our package 3?

hmm... If yes then this would be awesome. only 15 more days for that new exciting system.

[Pete82 5]

New updated information the process.

http://hochiminh.usconsulate.gov/new_visa_services_info.html

[frontgear 194]

It's funny that the ustraveldocs.com website is maintained by Stanley, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CGI Federal, who is behind the failed Obamacare (healthcare.gov) website.

Should we be concerned?

Edited February 13, 2014 by frontgear

[Pete82 5]

i'm sure its a different team. There is no way 1 team can develop and support both website. I know because I work for Sony and i understand what it takes from a program manager and software engineer prospective.

I'm sure there will be some kinks to work out at launch time but core features of the new service should work. There is always Quality Assurance check and User acceptance test before anything goes live and normally those catches 95% of the issues.

[jerezblack 1]

This is going to be another mess within itself. uuuuuggggghhhhh...

[Pete82 5]

ok.... here is how the new process works.

1) go here and create an account "https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/"

2) Select "New Application / Schedule Appointment

3) Select "Immigrant Visa"

4) Select "K Visa"

5) Select "K1 - Fiance or Fiancee of U.S. Citizen"

6) Fill out the passport information, address and telephone number, email (Note: for State, just put NA)

7) Add existing application (This depends on your situation)

8) Confirm the address

9) Click on "Click Here for all payment options"

10) Select "Cash" <--- This is your only option

11) Print this out. This is your payment slip

12) Go to the HSBC bank and bring your payment slip and pay for the fee here:

HSBC Metropolitan 235 Dong Khoi Street,

District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

13) Keep the receipt and then go back to the "https://cgifederal.secure.force.com/" after 1 to 2 business days after payment

14) Select "Continue" to continue your process

15) Input the Receipt number (CGIXXXXXXX)

16) Schedule the interview date (Note: Make sure you schedule it a few weeks advance so she has time to do the medical)

17) Go do the medical. Make sure to print out the interview date and bring this to the medical place

18) Go to the interview date

Hope that helps you guys. I finish everything except for the payment. The bank is open m-f from 8am to xxx. You should to pay before 11am.

Cheers!

[Lan&Jim 3]

Hi Siennaslammer and Pete82,

Thank you for your excellent posts and guidances. My fiance and I are still waiting for noa2 but I am already excited about the new service system that U.S Embassy offered, which made it much easier for applicants here in Vietnam. Before they announced this great news, I couldn't believe how long we had to wait to get to the interview date after the noa2. Now I'm very happy and relieved even we still have a long way to go .

If any of you tried the new system, could you please let me know how interview date options work? Do they have different available days that appear on the screen for us to pick or only one day available each time?

Thanks

Edited February 27, 2014 by Lan&Jim

[siennaslammer 8]

Hi Siennaslammer and Pete82,

Thank you for your excellent posts and guidances. My fiance and I are still waiting for noa2 but I am already excited about the new service system that U.S Embassy offered, which made it much easier for applicants here in Vietnam. Before they announced this great news, I couldn't believe how long we had to wait to get to the interview date after the noa2. Now I'm very happy and relieved even we still have a long way to go .

If any of you tried the new system, could you please let me know how interview date options work? Do they have different available days that appear on the screen for us to pick or only one day available each time?

Thanks

others have used the new online system as described on here => http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/482520-interview-booked-online-using-new-website/

looks pretty easy as posted by Pete82 as well.

I am at the same step as you with a week or so after...submitted by on Jan 2 to the Texas branch.

hopeful to hear something soon.

[Lan&Jim 3]

It seems like they only have one available day that appears on the screen each time but don't have a function like a calendar with all available days of months for us to pick the one that suits us best.