Why is it so hard to get a Visa for a friend from Vietnam to come Visit the USA?

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MojaveDan

My wife and I spent a year and a half waiting to obtain her K-3 immigration visa to come to the United States legally. My wifeâ€™s visa process dictated when we got married, how we got married and where we got married. It also made us to live apart for months. We had to prove that our relationship was legitimate and not concocted to get around the immigration system. By the way, our marriage certificate was not enough proof to legitimize our relationship. During that time and what we had to go through, we asked the same question as you did many times.

Most of the answers you received so far are well meaning but are wrong. Most Americans donâ€™t realize how screwed up our immigration system is and take it for granted because they never have to deal with INS first hand (after all, they are already Americans). I was also among those who were ignorant to INS problems until I had to deal with INS myself. What I learned would scare the $#!* out of other Americans as it has me and likely change their opinion about INS and the immigration problems we have.

The short answer is the United States immigration system is the most screwed up system of itâ€™s kind in the world. It is a badly broken system plagued with problems, corruption and overload. Those who are trying to fix the system, which are the politicians, are the ones who continue to screw it up even more. The end result is good people are punished and the bad people are awarded by the system. The long answer will require some latitude to explain and understand.

The United States is the most sought after country in the world to live in. There are people in EVERY country in the world that would rather live here than in their home country. Immigrants created our country, and, in principal, our country welcomes immigrants from everywhere in the world. These are honors that no other country can claim. However, this also causes our immigration system to be the most burdened in the world.

Another issue that most Americans donâ€™t realize is non-Americans are not protected by our constitution. Therefore, our government can and does discriminate against a proposed immigrant or potential visitor to our country. Racial and economic profiling is used to determine who gets in and who doesnâ€™t get into this country. In other words, any foreigner can apply for a visitor visa, but not every application will be approved.

Why all this affects your friend in just trying to visit the United States is because your friend is an immigration threat. According to INS, your friend being Vietnamese is more likely to immigrate than an Australian, English, French, German or the liking. Once legally on U.S. soil, your friend can marry an American, automatically apply for a change of visa status to immigrant and legally stay here indefinitely. Ironically, the INS is trying to prevent that from happening by not approving your friendâ€™s visitor visa.

Is it fair? No. Does it make sense? No. Is there anything you can do to change this? Probably not.

Until congress pulls their head out of their butts and approve badly needed common sense changes instead of playing partisan politics with our immigration system, the immigration system will continue to be badly broken and those who would normally be law abiding citizens will resort to illegal but much easier means for entering into this country.

zahko2012

because we lost a war to them when we shouldn't have been there in the first place. politicians don't like to acknowledge that, hence, your problems.

Not only from Vietnam. Other countries also have hard time to apply a Visa to US.

Ron

Thank you for the sensible answer from the guy who had to wait so long to get his K-3 visa for his wife. I am just starting the process, but going the K-1 Fiance' visa. My fiance' is also VN. I am strongly considering hiring an immigration lawyer for it. Possibly my K-3 friend could tell me if that is a good way to go.
From what I have heard and also read from various sites, including the INS website on a tourist visa for Vietnamese, the visitor must prove beyond doubt that there is compelling enough reason to return to their country. Things such as a husband or wife (of course, maybe that isn't enough for some ;)) or family back there; financial holdings and properties, etc etc. Financial status also plays a part, as those who really can't afford to come over via their own financial strength are highly likely to be turned down.
I am applying for tourist visa to Vietnam for an April-May trip to see my fiance'. She would like to fly back with me on my return flight to stay for a few weeks to get to know where she will live and also to visit a Vietnamese friend she has here. Though she is well off, and has a couple of properties in Saigon, I think she still has significant chance of getting denied a tourist visa because of the system being so messed up and complex. For the person that asked the question to begin with, there is really nothing you can do to help except encourage your friend to dot every i and cross every t...and maybe he will make it through the gauntlet. It just shouldn't be this way, but there is a lot of abuse of the system, and people from many countries, Asia, Mexico, etc, continue to get in here illegally in droves and this makes the path harder for those of us who choose to do it legally.

Mr. small eyes

he could be viet cong

SIMEON S

Let me guess: there are more Vietnamese in San Jose, California than in any other city in the world. Orange county, California has a lot also. I'll bet everyone in south Vietnam has a near or distant relative in norther or southern California.
Has America a problem with aliens getting into the US and Never leaving? Is there a Home Depot near you with men standing looking for work? What are the chances this person once in the US will stay, one way or another?

Rayha

Because of the terrorist problems and immigration is so backed up they cannot handle the work load they have now this is my guess from watching the news and reading the papers

are you cereal?

Payback for the Vietnam War.

Albert S

They think that you're still quite angry at them because of that little war back in the 60s that killed your country's people. Rightfully angry too!

RCrumb

Because there are 80 million others who might like to follow in his footsteps should it be so easy.

Dana

the war?

because there are already too many people trying to live here.
We need to be kicking people out .......not letting them in!!!!

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