Achieve a 99% Visa Approval Rate with Experience in US Immigration Interviews

For the U.S. immigration interview, you need to prepare all the documents, have good manners, memorize the top U.S. immigration interview questions, and the visa waiting process at the U.S. Consulate.

To have the opportunity to receive a green card to open a new life in the U.S., you are required to have an immigrant visa. To receive a visa, you must undergo a U.S. immigration interview at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate General.

The United States is known as an immigrant-friendly country, but it also has a higher visa refusal rate than any other country in the world.

This is mainly because many people applying for U.S. immigration visas do not know about the requirements that must be met when filling out the visa application as well as preparing the most convincing evidence.

You need to prepare carefully mentally to have the best attitude during the U.S. visa interview. 

Below, ImmiPath will share with you details about the experience and interview questions for U.S. immigration, compiled by ImmiPath experts through many cases of customers successfully applying for a visa to the U.S. and now living in the country. See it now!

1. What Do You Need to Prepare Before Participating in the U.S. Immigration Interview?

To have a successful U.S. immigration interview, you must prepare all the paperwork according to the regulations of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Before answering the question of what documents are included in a U.S. settlement application, you must ensure that you submit both the original and a copy of the documents listed below.

All documents not in English must be translated into English with clear certification that the Translation is accurate and that the Translator is competent to translate.

Applicants must arrange documents in the order listed below and keep all original documents separate. Each applicant must have a separate set of documents.

If the applicant does not submit all required documents for the interview, the applicant’s application may be rejected or visa printing may be delayed.

Prepare complete U.S. immigration documents

Basic US immigration documents include the following documents:

• Reconcile and print the address confirmation page via forms DS-260 [for immigrant (IV) visas] or Form DS-160 [for K nonimmigrant visas]
• Visa photos must be in the correct format and applicants must write their name and date of birth behind each photo
• Citizen identification card and household registration
• Original and copy of passport
• Birth certificate
• Certificate of marital status (not required if never married)
• Original judicial record card No. 2
• Original foreign judicial record (if any)
• Criminal record (if any)
• Military records (if any)
• Invitation letter for U.S. immigration interview
• Health check results
• Financial sponsorship records
• Evidence of relationship

Pay the fees before going to the interview

It can be said that the U.S. immigration interview fee depends on each category and the documents and costs will be different.

Please refer to the detailed summary of fees for U.S. immigration categories:

Application Form	Fees	Visa Type
Form I-129F for Foreign Fiance	$535	K-1 Visa for Foreign Fiance
Form I-130 for Alien Relatives	$535	K-3 visa is for spouses of U.S. citizens The F-1 visa is for unmarried children of U.S. citizens F-2A Visa for Spouses and Minor Children of Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR) The F-2B visa is for unmarried children over the age of 21 among LPRs F-3 visa is for married children of U.S. citizens The F-4 visa is for siblings of U.S. citizens IR-1 visa is for spouses of U.S. citizens The IR-2 visa is for unmarried children under 21 years of age of U.S. citizens The IR-5 visa is for parents of U.S. citizens who are at least 21 years old
Form I-140	$700	EB-1 visas or employment visas are preferred for highly skilled professionals The EB-2 visa or second preference employment visa is for professionals with advanced degrees The EB-3 visa or third preference employment visa is for skilled and unskilled workers
Form I-360 for Amerasian Widows or Special Immigrants	$435	EB-4 visa or fourth preference employment visa for various religious/ government/ international organization workers
Form I-526 Immigrant Petition by Foreign Entrepreneur	$3,675	EB-5 visa or fifth preference employment visa for investors in the U.S.
Form I-600/ 600A Classifying Orphans as Immediate Relatives	$775	IR-3 visa for children from non-Hague countries adopted abroad by U.S. citizens IR-4 visa for children from Hague countries adopted by U.S. citizens within the U.S.

ImmiPath invites you to refer to the cost of immigrating to the U.S. when submitting your application to USCIS:

Type of Fee	For candidates living in the U.S.	For candidates living abroad
Family Petition Form (I-130)	$535	$535
Green card application (I-485) for AOS	$1,140	NA
Financial Aid Form (I-864)	$0	$120
Biometrics (Fingerprints & Photo)	$85	$0
Processing by the Department of State	NA	$325
USCIS immigration fees	NA	$220
Medical examination	Different	Different
Total	$1,760	$1,200

In addition, when opening a U.S. immigration application, the applicant also has to pay a fee to an immigration consulting center or a lawyer, ranging from 5,000 USD to 10,000 USD depending on whether the application is easy or difficult.

Time to Schedule an Interview Appointment for Immigrate in the U.S.

You must regularly check for date and time updates so as not to miss your U.S. immigration interview appointment. ImmiPath recommends that you proactively set an alarm 1-2 days in advance.

When the interview day arrives, you should arrive at least 15 minutes early to start the process and procedures. Consular officers will allow people with appointments 1-15 minutes in advance to come in for an interview.

This is a guide to scheduling a U.S. immigration interview that you must do first, to get yourself the earliest U.S. immigration interview appointment.

To register for a U.S. immigration interview, just access the link http://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn/vn-steps.asp, fill in the required information and pay the fee at the designated post office.

After paying the visa application processing fee and receiving confirmation from the post office, you continue to access the website: https://www.ustraveldocs.com, register an account, log in and schedule an appointment for a U.S. immigration interview with the Embassy.

What Outfit Should You Wear for an American Immigration Interview to Make a Good Impression?

At any time, the first impression people make is through your fashion style. Therefore, before the U.S. immigration interview day, think and plan your outfit. Depending on different classes, the interviewee should choose the most suitable outfit.

Clothes are not too different in color, not contrary to the weather. For example, when it’s hot, you wear colors that stand out like orange, red…

As a male, you should wear trousers and a shirt. For women, you should wear a skirt that is no shorter than the knee, or you can wear office clothes. Prioritize wearing simple and neat clothes.

Wear accessories including rings, earrings, necklaces… compact, not too much. Men should not wear earrings or necklaces that are too large. Every detail of your body must be simplified.

The consulate will not keep backpacks or handbags, so avoid bringing backpacks or handbags that are too large to affect your behavior during the interview.

Prepare your outfit 1 day in advance, wash it thoroughly, make sure your clothes are always clean and straight to show your best appearance and thereby receive positive feedback.

Use perfume or aromatic oils with a mild scent; do not use too strong a scent that can cause discomfort and distraction.

Prepare yourself mentally to be comfortable and confident

You must determine that in the interview round, you will receive U.S. immigration interview questions on many different topics, related to finances, plans to live in the U.S., and the relationship between the sponsor and the sponsored person that ImmiPath will continue to share with you in the following section.

Don’t be too pressured, but imagine this as a conversation and convince others of your intentions.

Prepare yourself with a strong and confident mindset!

2. Experience Sharing for Answering U.S. visa Interview Questions

With experience consulting for customers specializing in U.S. immigration and settlement, ImmiPath compiles frequently asked U.S. immigration interview questions to help you prepare well and quickly get your visa and green card to reunite with loved ones and live in America.

Top U.S. immigration interview questions for parents visiting the United States

ImmiPath summarizes for you the top U.S. immigration interview questions for parents:

• What are you going to America for? Your parents should explain exactly why they want to visit the United States, whether it’s to visit a friend or another travel purpose.
• Where are you going? For this question, ask your parents to provide detailed information such as hotel address and other relevant information.
• How long do you want to stay? Your parents need to determine how long they intend to stay in the United States, not exceeding the time allowed for the type of visa they are applying for.
• Do you have any relatives living in the United States? If so, ask your parents to provide accurate information about relatives in the U.S., including you.
• What is your son/daughter’s contact information? Parents should provide detailed information about you, including your phone number and address.
• What visa does your son/daughter have? Parents should share information about your visa or green card if you have one.
• Where does your child work or study? Ask parents to write down or clearly remember the name of the agency or school and its location.
• Who sponsored your trip? If your parents are self-funding, ask them to provide proof of finances, including bank statements.
• Who will come with you to America? If you plan to go with friends or other family members, provide details.
• What is your job in Vietnam? Parents should provide detailed information about their employment, including any relevant information.
• How much do you earn per year? Ask your parents to state their annual income and have proof of how much they earn.
• What will you do with your business while in the U.S.? Parents should explain their plans for managing their work while in the United States.
• Will you return to Vietnam after traveling to America? Parents need to confirm that they plan to return to Vietnam after their travel period and describe the specific responsibilities they will carry out upon their return.
• Do you pay income tax in Vietnam? Your parents should bring documents related to the taxes they have paid.
• Other questions may be asked, and parents should answer as honestly and in as much detail as possible.

Top U.S. immigration interview questions for spouses

Below ImmiPath summarizes some common questions for spouses sponsoring and participating in interviews to immigrate to the U.S. at the U.S. Consulate in Vietnam.

Note that from start to finish, you only have less than 15 minutes to complete the procedures and answer questions. Normally, the consular officer will ask you 3-5 questions, and in some cases you will be asked more.

1. How did you two know each other? Anyone recommend? Full name, age, and place of residence of the recommender? What is the relationship like between the two of you? If you know each other online, provide your chat nick, E-Mail address and Server to get to know each other.
2. When did you two start communicating? By what means? When did you first meet each other? Where? How many times do we meet? Where to go? What do you two often talk about when talking on the phone?
3. When did you confess your love to each other? Who confessed first?
4. When did you propose and who proposed? Where to propose and by what means (in person or by phone or letter)? Specify specific time and location. Does your wife agree immediately or ask for time to think? When do you agree?
5. When will the engagement/marriage ceremony be held? Where? How many people attend? Is there anyone from the husband/wife’s family attending? When to Register Marriage? Where are you going for your honeymoon?
6. Have you two lived together yet? When? Where do you live? When was the last time you two met and lived together?
7. Does your husband/wife have Citizenship yet? How many times has your husband/wife returned to Vietnam to visit you, and clearly state the dates of departure and return? Where did you two go to hang out in Vietnam? Who to go with? Are there any pictures or evidence? Where is your husband/wife in Vietnam?
8. Full name of husband/wife, Vietnamese name, English name? Date of birth? Place of birth? Domicile? What year did you go to America? Which way to go? Who to go with? If you cross the border, which island will you go to, which refugee camp will you stay at, and how long will you stay there before arriving in the U.S.? Is there anyone sponsoring to come to the U.S.? Full name and age of the sponsor. Where did you live before going to America?
9. Clearly describe the residence process from the time you came to the U.S. until now, who you live with, the names of the people living with you, what your relationship is like, and what you do? Address and phone number of Husband/Wife. Is your current residence a separate house or apartment? Rented house or private house. How many Rooms are there? What is the landlord’s name? How much does it cost to rent a house per month?
10. How many Brothers and Sisters are there in the family? List your name, marital status, where do you currently live? What about going to school or going to work? What grade, what major, what school? What to do, where? What is the second child of you in the family?
11. Parents’ full names, year of birth, place of birth, occupation, residential address, are they alive or dead, if they died, what year did they die, and why did they die?
12. Marital status, has the husband/wife been married or living together as husband and wife with anyone before? Full name of previous spouse. How did you two know each other? Where to get married? When? How long did you live together, what year did you separate, when did you divorce, and why did you divorce? Does the ex-wife/husband now have a new family and where is he?
13. Job: What is the husband/wife currently doing, name of job, address, detailed job description, how long have they worked there? How much income per month/week/year? Do it for yourself or for someone? Name of Husband/Wife’s boss/manager? How many people do it? Names of some colleagues you work with? What did you do before this job? Declare your work from the time you came to the U.S. until now. What is your current job like now?
14. When did your husband/wife graduate from high school? Where? Did you attend any University/Vocational School? Name of school, what major, and when? What to do after graduating?
15. Hobbies: Free time What does your husband/wife like to do?

1. Do you like to watch movies? What kind of movies do you like the most, which movies do you like the most, which actors do you like the most?
2. Does your husband/wife like to watch music? What kind of music does he like best, what song does he like best, what singer does he like best?
3. Does your husband/wife play sports, what sports do you like, where do you play, and what time do you usually play?
4. Do you like watching football, which team is your favorite, which player is your favorite?
5. Does your husband/wife like to cook? What are your Husband/Wife’s favorite dishes?
6. What brand of clothes does your husband/wife like to wear? What color? What size?

1. Does your spouse have close friends? List your name, occupation, place of residence, marital status, how you have known each other, and how long?
2. Does the city where husband/wife lives in the U.S. have any special features (beaches, parks, or entertainment areas)? How many seasons does that City have? What is the season? What’s the climate like there? Are there any tourist areas there?
3. What do you plan to do when you come to America?
4. Do you have relatives in the U.S.? Name, address, when did you go to America, under what category?
5. Does anyone co-sponsor your profile? Full name, age, occupation, income, how are you related to you?
6. Has your husband/wife ever sponsored anyone before? Name of person being guaranteed? What type of guarantee? What year?
7. Have you ever been sponsored by anyone? Have you ever applied for a visa to go to the U.S.?
8. Do you have children?
9. Does the spouse have children? Private, general… list

Top frequently asked interview questions about immigrating to the U.S. under EB-3

ImmiPath invites you to refer to the top EB-3 U.S. immigration interview questions:

• Why did you choose this company to apply to? How to submit an application?
• When you come to America, what job will you do? Which factory? Where? What to produce? What job did they give you?
• How much will you be paid per hour?
• Who is your manager? What’s your name? How old? Where?
• Personal information about you and your dependents such as date of birth, occupation, age, current job
• What is the name of your EB-3 immigration attorney? How do you know that lawyer?
• When you come to America, where will you live and how will you live?
• Why do you want to go to America?
• Why is your current job so good that you still want to go to America to work?
• You are in Vietnam, why do you know the employer is in the U.S. and apply for a job there?
• How do you apply for a job at this company/employer?
• Was your application to the company approved? Who interviews and approves your job application?
• When do you open your application?
• Have you seen your work permit (LC) yet? Did you sign your work permit?
• Who is responsible for filing the EB-3 U.S. immigration application for you?

Top U.S. immigration interview questions for EB5 investment

Some interview questions for U.S. immigration EB5 investment:

• • Can I see your passport and the passports of your family members?
  • Have you traveled to the U.S. before? If yes, please share about the specific trip, including when it took place and what was the main purpose of that trip? Have you ever applied to immigrate to the U.S. before? If so, please explain clearly.
  • During the processing of your immigration application, what steps did you take in accordance with the natural standards? What is the reason you want to leave your homeland?
  • Do you know any relatives, friends or relatives living in the U.S.? If so, please state their identity and occupation. Can I also see your Marriage Certificate?
  • How many times have you been married? If yes, can you list details and provide relevant Divorce Certificates?
  • If you have children, you can describe them individually, including age, educational status, and other information.
  • If your accompanying children are over 21 years old, are they full-time students?
  • Do you clearly understand the conditions of the Investor settlement project that you are participating in? Please describe what conditions it covers.
  • How much knowledge do you have about the U.S. Immigration program, especially the EB-5 program that you are participating in? Does the project you are investing in meet the program’s conditions?
  • Has the project created at least 10 jobs? Which project did you invest in and why did you decide to choose that project? Can you share basic information about the project you are investing in?
  • Is your project on the list of at-risk economic establishments or businesses? Is your investment considered a risky investment? Please describe your upcoming business or work plans in the U.S. (if any)? What do you plan to do in the U.S.?
  • Do you own any property? If yes, please provide detailed information about this property, including how you acquired it, the value of the property at the time of purchase, and whether you have mortgaged the property with any bank and How much money? In what form did the bank disburse funds?
  • Once you have transferred your investment funds to your Escrow account, what date does this happen? How many transfers have you made and from whose account and where?
  • Have you been in contact with someone with a serious infectious disease? Have you ever been refused entry to the United States at a port of entry?
  • Have you ever experienced physical or mental health problems, or engaged in behavior related to these problems, that could seriously affect the property, safety, or welfare of yourself or others? Not yet?
  • Please provide medical records of all family members

3. U.S. Immigration Interview Process

A U.S. immigration interview lasts about 3 minutes or longer depending on the requirements. Because time happens very quickly, you must answer concisely and decisively.

The U.S. immigration visa interview process starts from the moment you arrive at the U.S. Embassy/Consulate gate until the interview is completed. This procedure is divided into 3 stages:

• When going through the security gate
• In the interview waiting room
• In the interview room

Stage 1: When going through the security door

If you conduct your U.S. visa interview at the Hanoi Embassy, ​​the process will begin with submitting your ID card or photo ID at the security room.

The security guard will keep this document until you leave the building. You will then receive a visitor card and must wear it in a visible location throughout your stay in the Embassy. Next, you will go up to the waiting room on the 2nd floor.

If you have a visa interview in Ho Chi Minh City, you will go to the security room, present your passport and interview appointment letter. Security guards will not keep any documents, but will only keep electronic devices (cell phones, laptops, PDAs…) and metal objects (lighter boxes, keys…).

You will then be given a plastic card with a serial number. You must keep this card until the end of the interview, leave the door and exchange the card to get your personal items back. After receiving your card, you will go to the waiting room on the left, behind the security door.

Stage 2: In the waiting room

At the U.S. Embassy/Consulate, there are 2 systems (system number 1 for application submission and fingerprinting, system number 2 for interview). Both of these systems use a number system to call numbers, so applicants need to listen to the speaker or look at the number display board. Each family only takes 1 number and displays it at the window at the same time.

When you get to the interview waiting room, you will take the following steps:

1. Get a number at machine number 1 to submit documents and take fingerprints. Note: Remember to get 2 copies for the same number. And this number is only used for submitting applications and taking fingerprints, not for interviews. You will need to get another number for the interview.
2. Wait for the number to be called to submit your application. You must ensure your application has all of the following documents:

• Passport (need to sign page 3 and remove cover)
• The confirmation page of the DS-160 visa application, has a photo pasted in the lower left corner
• Interview appointment confirmation sheet and Citibank invoice (both pink and yellow copies)
• Note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam (if using official or diplomatic passport)
• Original I-20 or DS-2019 form if applying for a student/exchange visitor visa (remember to sign at the bottom of the page) & SEVIS invoice.
• Supporting documents (if any)
• For mandatory items, you must be fully prepared, otherwise you will have to leave the application window to prepare again, and line up to get the number again from the beginning.
• Wait to hear the call back to take fingerprints and receive all documents back
• While waiting, you need to watch the fingerprinting instructions shown on TV and clean 10 fingertips to prepare for fingerprinting.

1. Take the number at machine number 2 and wait to hear the number called for the interview. Consular officers call numbers according to the complexity of each case.
2. If you are called for an interview, you will go into the interview room to answer questions directly.

Stage 3: At the interview round

The calling process during the interview round at the U.S. Embassy and Consulate is conducted according to the complexity of each case, not in numerical order. Therefore, visa applicants need to pay attention to the number announcement while waiting.

When your number is called for an interview, you will enter the interview room to face the consular officer directly. American consular officers will speak Vietnamese through an interpreter and may request a fingerprint check on any of your fingers.

In case your U.S. visa application is accepted, the consular officer will collect your passport and provide a receipt. Then, you will bring the receipt to the EMS counter in the waiting room, fill in the declaration of passport and visa return address and pay the fee of 30,000 VND. Within 2 days at the earliest, EMS will deliver your passport and visa to the address you requested.

In case the visa application is rejected, the American officer will directly return the passport along with the necessary documents immediately after the interview.

4. Reasons for Failing the U.S. Immigration Interview

According to the experience of many people interviewing for a U.S. immigrant visa, the common reasons why you are denied a U.S. immigrant visa include:

• Errors in document preparation
• White passport
• The purpose of the trip is unclear
• Having trouble proving finances
• Too few constraints in Vietnam
• Fake information
• Lack of confidence during the interview process, answers different from the information in the profile
• The evidence is not convincing
• Do not bring documents
• Arriving late or missing an appointment

However, you need to remember that if you fail the first visa interview, the door is not completely closed. You still have a chance at the second U.S. immigration visa interview. There are cases where Party members are not allowed to settle in the U.S. and will lose their visa if they are not expelled from the Party.

5. What Should You Do if Failing the U.S. Immigration Interview Visa?

Finally, if you unfortunately fail the U.S. immigration interview and want to re-interview, you must pay the interview fee again and schedule the U.S. immigration interview from the beginning.

You should reflect on the details in the previous interview to find the shortcomings that made you unsuccessful and learn from them.

If you need additional proof or supporting documents from the school, you should quickly prepare them fully.

Or you choose to contact an immigration consulting center to support you with procedures as well as more thorough preparation for your next interview.

6. Frequently Asked Questions about U.S. Immigration Interviews

1. What happens if I am late for my U.S. immigration visa interview?

In the event that you have minor delays and do not experience queue problems, your interview may be canceled. The consular officer will provide instructions and reschedule the interview appointment if possible.

2. What happens if I do not come to the U.S. immigration interview?

If you cannot attend the scheduled interview, contact the Embassy or Consulate immediately to inform them of your status and reasons for your inability to attend. This process is important to avoid case termination and to ensure refund of fees paid.

3. What should I do if I need to change the address on my U.S. immigration visa appointment?

To change your address after you have scheduled your U.S. visa appointment, you will need to access the online service you used to make the appointment. Select the “update my profile” option and follow the instructions to make changes. You have time until 11:59 p.m. the day of the interview to make the change of address.

4. Can I cancel my U.S. immigration interview appointment?

Canceling an appointment to apply for a U.S. immigrant visa is quite difficult after going through many visa application steps. However, if circumstances change and you do not wish to continue with the visa application process, contact VAC to cancel your appointment. In the case of a U.S. immigrant visa, contact NVC to inform them of your decision.

Note that canceling an appointment is not recommended, as the visa application process is elaborate and should determine whether you are eligible for a visa or not.

5. How to make an appointment to apply for a U.S. immigration visa?

During the U.S. immigrant visa application process, the fingerprinting and interview scheduling process is organized by the National Visa Center (NVC). After USCIS processes the visa application, NVC will assign a case identification number and fee identification number to you.

Appointments will be scheduled depending on whether the visa has an annual limit or not. If there is no limit, you will be scheduled immediately. If there is a limit, you will wait until it is your turn, and the schedule will be scheduled according to your turn time.

For immigrant visas, the appointment process is not proactive on the part of the applicant, but is instead managed by the National Visa Center (NVC). Visa applicants do not have the ability to choose the time frame for their U.S. visa appointment. Instead, NVC will automatically schedule an appointment during any available time at your U.S. Embassy.

This requires advance planning and commitment to fully attend interview appointments and the fingerprinting process. Visa applicants need to arrange their time and plan to avoid other commitments, such as taking time off work, to ensure timely presence at the Embassy and comply with the scheduled interview process.

7. How to Have the Most Successful U.S. Immigration Visa Interview?

As ImmiPath stated above, U.S. immigration interviews for all categories and waiting times for each type of visa are not the same.

Therefore, in order for all paperwork to go smoothly, fully pay the prescribed fees as well as have a successful interview with the consular officer, we recommend that you find a reputable, quality U.S. immigration consulting service.

With a team of experienced consultants, with both offices in the U.S. and Vietnam, ImmiPath is proud to be a unit specializing in consulting on U.S. immigration, supporting the processing of spousal, relative, and tourist sponsorship applications. schedules, especially immigrating to the U.S. under the EB3 employment and EB5 investment categories quickly, advising on how to prepare evidence, instructions for answering interviews with the consulate, helping you and your family quickly receive visa as well as green card to soon reunite with loved ones and start a new life in “The Land of Stars and Stripes”.