The U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City has implemented the Business Visa Facilitation Pilot Program (BVFPP). The program is designed to facilitate American companies who want to send Vietnamese employees to the U.S. for business purposes. The program allows those companies to register with the U.S. Consulate in advance for its employees who will be applying for a B-1/B-2 visitor visa for business.
Eligible companies are those that have a significant company presence in the United States. This can include American companies who are headquartered in the U.S., or foreign companies that may be headquartered outside the United States (for example, Europe, Japan, etc.) but have a company in the United States. During this Pilot Program, American companies operating in Vietnam and sending 10 more employees annually to the U.S. can apply to join the BVFPP.
Companies that want to participate should obtain and complete an application form and send to HCMCBusinessVisas@state.gov. Then provide any information that may be requested. When a registered company employee applies for a visa, he or she should complete the visa application, schedule the visa interview and Traveling Employee Form about 2 weeks prior to the visa interview.
Additional benefits of the BVFPP include:
- Group appointments for 5 or more applicants;
- Targeted Outreach and guidance for participating companies;
- Appointment blocks reserved for business travelers;
- Dedicated inbox for participating companies to send visa questions and inquiries;
This is a voluntary program. Some companies may decide they do not need to participate, for example if their employees have obtained past visa application approvals.
Participation in BVFPP does not guarantee that the applicant will be issued a visa. Applicants must still meet the requirements to qualify for a nonimmigrant visa.
If you have questions about U.S. visas and immigration, contact us at info@enterimmi.com