Vietnamese arrested for forging papers to apply for US visa

The person presented the required documents including an appointment confirmation letter and a Form I-20 on Feb. 14.

The U.S. Consulate General confirmed through technical verification that the appointment confirmation letter and the Form I-20 were falsified, and that the original information belonged to previous visa applicants, the consulate said in a statement Thursday.

The HCMC Police and the Ben Nghe Ward Police arrested the person outside the U.S. Consulate General and seized evidence and papers to conduct a further investigation.

The case has been transferred to the District 1 Police Office. No other information about the suspect has been revealed.

The U.S. Consulate said that applicants who present fraudulent documents may be permanently banned from entering the United States.

As such, the U.S. Consulate General reminds all visa applicants to be wary of unscrupulous visa agents and brokers who routinely flout U.S. and Vietnamese law.

The Institute of International Education (IIE) said last November that Vietnamese students are the fifth biggest group of international students in the United States, although the number has fallen.

An Open Doors report said that in the 2021-2022 school year, there were around 948,000 international students from over 200 countries and territories studying in the United States, a 4% increase from the previous school year.

Among them were 20,713 Vietnamese students, accounting for 2% of all international students, and contributing $721 million to the U.S. economy, putting Vietnam among the top five of all international students.