The Consulate General of the US in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, has been reportedly issuing an unprecedented amount of US immigrant marriage visa denials (US K3 visas) and possibly US fiancé/fiancée K1 visa denials as well. Complaints against the Consulate are growing but no official inquiries have been made.
Further, couples are having their hopes dashed during the final interview at the Ho Chi Minh Consulate, where officials are stopping the interview, in some cases after only 30 seconds, to declare that the couple’s relationship is not substantiated.
At the US Embassy in Bangkok, officials haven’t been quite so terse, yet interviews for fiancée /fiancé visas and marriage visas are increasingly being conducted in English only. This trend has left many Thais either uncomfortable during the interview or simply unable to adequately answer the questions addressed to them.
In general, attorneys assisting with US visa interviews at the US Embassy should assist by preparing their clients for the treatment they can anticipate at the US Embassy. Obviously, the stakes are raised when the visa applied for is for a husband, wife or child and requiring proficiency in English could make the interview even more stressful.
