US Citizen VN Citizen couple, non-US travel

Why does she need a green card to travel to those places?

colinoscapee wrote:

Why does she need a green card to travel to those places?

I think as a vietnamese citizen, you will have a hard time traveling if you can't prove your asset in the bank... with a green card she's technically a US immigrant and can use that to travel easier.

[ Edit missing quote]

colinoscapee wrote:

Why does she need a green card to travel to those places?

She doesn't need a green card, but holding one certainly makes it easier for her to apply for visas. I am looking to see if people here have any experience with how being married to a US citizen may improve her ability to get approved for visas.

Clocky wrote:

I think as a vietnamese citizen, you will have a hard time traveling if you can't prove your asset in the bank... with a green card she's technically a US immigrant and can use that to travel easier.

Agreed. I hoping to get some insight into how she might still benefit by being the spouse of a US citizen despite not having a green card.

Missybon wrote:

Agreed. I hoping to get some insight into how she might still benefit by being the spouse of a US citizen despite not having a green card.

For Vietnamese, being married to a US citizen doesn't make any difference when it comes to applying for visa to other countries.

The only easy way for Vietnamese to apply for visa to Europe is to establish a good travel history to several affluent countries first.  To do so, they usually travel with tour companies (proof of assets is not required).  Most take tours to Japan, Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, and they do it within the validity of other visas.  For instance, a still-valid visa to Australia or South Korea would allow Vietnamese to enter Taiwan without visa. 

A good travel history trumps proof of assets for Vietnamese travellers.

The most important thing for obtaining a US visa is convincing them that you will return to your home country and not stay illegally. Most other countries are the same. Assets, job and family are convincing reasons they will return. The story about obtaining a travel history is put out by tour companies all over Asia to promote business.

pogiwayne wrote:

The most important thing for obtaining a US visa is convincing them that you will return to your home country and not stay illegally. Most other countries are the same. Assets, job and family are convincing reasons they will return. The story about obtaining a travel history is put out by tour companies all over Asia to promote business.

No, it's not a story.  It's what I've seen hundreds of times since moving here.  It's almost impossible for most Vietnamese to acquire visa for the first two countries they visit, no matter the circumstance.  When push comes to shove, most Vietnamese do not hesitate to leave their families for the hope of a better life -- not for themselves, but to support the families they left behind, which include their young children.  Assets such as a house doesn't mean anything because their family members will live in the house for generations (most do).  How do they convince Immigration that they'll return home when history has been showing otherwise?

BTW, the OP asked about visa to the EU or Japan, not to the US.  Not all EU countries are the same in their visa policy.  Eastern and Northern European countries are much more lenient while Central European countries are a lot more difficult.  Germany, for instance, is the worst in regards to visa for Vietnamese unless they have a good travel history AND a guarantor in Germany.

ALL countries use the same premise to control visas. You are correct that a lot of people travel under false pretenses to improve family life rather than tourism. The US citizen spouse must make it known that the VN citizen will be traveling with them which will improve chance of approval.

pogiwayne wrote:

ALL countries use the same premise to control visas. You are correct that a lot of people travel under false pretenses to improve family life rather than tourism. The US citizen spouse must make it known that the VN citizen will be traveling with them which will improve chance of approval.

US passport no longer has any sway in Europe so the US citizen cannot "make known" anything, especially when the US citizen cannot enter the interview room in Vietnam with the Vietnamese citizen, as he has no business to be there.  He doesn't need a visa and unless he speak Vietnamese fluently, he cannot served as the translator.  He's not allowed in the room, period.

Not all countries use the same scale to weigh the applicants' chance.  It's a fact that before Covid, Eastern European countries turned down very few visa applications while Central European Countries did the opposite.  Perhaps because there are fewer illegal immigrants in Eastern Europe while Central Europe has been fighting against the flood of immigrants, legal and otherwise, for 15 years now, not long after the borders were eliminated throughout the EU.

The spouse being interviewed is the one who would let it be known. Your obstinacy is well know on this site. I know these things help. Use them or not. By the way the US passport is the most sought in the world. FACT….

pogiwayne wrote:

The spouse being interviewed is the one who would let it be known. Your obstinacy is well know on this site. I know these things help. Use them or not. By the way the US passport is the most sought in the world. FACT….

My "obstinacy is well known on this site"?  Whence did you get that?  From that statement, it's evident that you don't know anything about me.  I don't post anything that isn't correct, and I always go to the official source to get the correct info.  That's my duty on these forums. 

The US passport is no longer the most sought after in the world. For 7 years now, it has been ranked below Japan, Singapore, Germany, South Korea, Finland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Austria, Denmark, France, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden.

Fact and assumption are two different things.  In the case of US passport, fact has become assumption for a number of years, but people who cling to the past usually do not care to acknowledge the change.

The countries you listed will not accept most to immigrate and obtain a passport. People from 94 countries have recently entered America in search of citizenship and a passport. USA is always accepting new people unlike most other countries. I was stating the fact that people around the world are coming to USA with the ultimate goal of citizenship and then a passport.
I have traveled to and lived on 6 continents. I have NEVER had problems entering any country with my  Official or Regular US passport. Actually the ease of travel using any travel documents is decided by government negotiations and deals way above us.
As far as only being on this site for 2 month doesn’t mean squat as far as knowledge concerning travel and countries. I also use experts to get my information…. Take it or leave it as I said before.
You have been called out before on this site about your attitude, I was just stating facts.
Back to the original question, travel to Japan or the EU right now is darn near impossible due to Covid. They should be planning on traveling next year and deal with getting a visa then.

Ciambella wrote:

For Vietnamese, being married to a US citizen doesn't make any difference when it comes to applying for visa to other countries.

The only easy way for Vietnamese to apply for visa to Europe is to establish a good travel history to several affluent countries first.  To do so, they usually travel with tour companies (proof of assets is not required).  Most take tours to Japan, Australia, Dubai, Hong Kong, South Korea, and Taiwan, and they do it within the validity of other visas.  For instance, a still-valid visa to Australia or South Korea would allow Vietnamese to enter Taiwan without visa. 

A good travel history trumps proof of assets for Vietnamese travellers.

Thank you very much. Your comments are always informative, helpful, and spot on.
I was very interested to see that Australian and South Korean visas can allow access to Taiwan- as an extended layover perhaps?

We look forward to establishing a good travel history- in every sense fo the word- as soon as conditions allow.

Thanks again for your insight to this and every other post.

pogiwayne wrote:

The countries you listed will not accept most to immigrate and obtain a passport. People from 94 countries have recently entered America in search of citizenship and a passport. USA is always accepting new people unlike most other countries. I was stating the fact that people around the world are coming to USA with the ultimate goal of citizenship and then a passport.
I have traveled to and lived on 6 continents. I have NEVER had problems entering any country with my  Official or Regular US passport. Actually the ease of travel using any travel documents is decided by government negotiations and deals way above us.
As far as only being on this site for 2 month doesn’t mean squat as far as knowledge concerning travel and countries. I also use experts to get my information…. Take it or leave it as I said before.
You have been called out before on this site about your attitude, I was just stating facts.
Back to the original question, travel to Japan or the EU right now is darn near impossible due to Covid. They should be planning on traveling next year and deal with getting a visa then.

Someone sounds a bit full of himself.

Got a feeling one of our unwanted trolls has returned to enlighten us with their arrogant views.

pogiwayne wrote:

The countries you listed will not accept most to immigrate and obtain a passport. People from 94 countries have recently entered America in search of citizenship and a passport. USA is always accepting new people unlike most other countries. I was stating the fact that people around the world are coming to USA with the ultimate goal of citizenship and then a passport.

That's due to American politic, and I don't enter into political discussion here.  The endless flood of immigrants coming to America has nothing to do with the value of American passport.  Passport is for the ease of travel, and passports from the countries at the top of the list allow the easiest way to travel. 

pogiwayne wrote:

I have traveled to and lived on 6 continents. I have NEVER had problems entering any country with my  Official or Regular US passport.

I'm behind you on the number of continents where I've lived, because unlike you, my husband I have never been in the military.  As civilians, we've travelled to 68 countries and lived in 4 continents.  And as *regular* American passport holders, we encountered difficulties entering and exiting at least two countries:  Israel in 1979 and Czechoslovakia in 1986.  Just because you didn't have problems doesn't mean problems didn't exist at certain points in history.

pogiwayne wrote:

As far as only being on this site for 2 month doesn’t mean squat as far as knowledge concerning travel and countries. I also use experts to get my information

No, it doesn't mean squat about travel, but it does mean you should not judge me and insult me when you have not been here long enough to know who I am, what I do, and what I've done for the members of these forums.

I'm on these forums to help everybody with problems and questions.  I don't just go to the experts to get the info if experts are people who write books on subjects about which they know little.  If I cannot provide the answers from my extensive knowledge of the country, custom, and *real life* practice,  I go to the official sources to get what I need.  In this country, government agencies don't need to be experts; they're the people who determine results. 

Immigration people, for instance, do not follow the universal checklist to determine the qualification of a visa (to travel) applicant.  I've known people who were denied a visa after being asked only one question: "Why do you want to go to XYZ country?"  I've also known a woman who overstayed in the US twice, had her visa applications to the US and EU rejected 4 times during the 2 years after the forced departure, then all of a sudden, being granted visa to the US this past April even though she had no money in the bank, no job, no properties (she didn't even own a motorbike), no guarantor in the US, and her daughter is a green card (not citizen) recipient of Federal and State aids. 

Vietnam is not comparable to other countries because it has its own rules, and the rules do not stay the same for everyone.  Therefore, when you or some others said the rules in the US and EU are the same as in VN, I must say you're incorrect.  And I'll continue to prove that fact so other people reading this thread in the future will not receive wrong information. 

pogiwayne wrote:

You have been called out before on this site about your attitude, I was just stating facts.

Since I became part of the Team here, there have been a few people who took issues with my replies because the replies don't jive with their ideas.  I don't know anyone who "called me out" about my "attitude" (you have a habit of calling things "fact" when they're not at all factual).  OTOH, I do know several trolls who were banned because they became disruptive when they didn't like the correct information I presented.  The majority of members appreciate my work and that's the reason I haven't walked out of this unpaid position.

Missybon wrote:

I was very interested to see that Australian and South Korean visas can allow access to Taiwan- as an extended layover perhaps?

Not exactly.  Let me clarify that by giving you an example: 

Let's say Covid will be over by the end of this year and your wife wants to start her travel history with a trip to Australia on January 10.  The easiest way is to go with an all inclusive tour (expensive to Vietnamese but affordable to expats and easy on the nerves for first time travellers).  Visa is included in the package so she doesn't have to apply for it.  If it's a multiple entry 3-month visa, it'll be valid until April 9.  After returning from Australia, she can either take a tour or go with you to Taiwan in Feb or March.  Because her Australian visa is still valid, she's qualified for visa exemption to Taiwan, as long as she doesn't stay past April 9. 

That's what they mean by visa-free if qualified.

  Disagree Pogi-san, our Generous Fountain of Knowledge is never obstinate. You are confusing confident contradiction based on experience. My guess is possession of assets, first-world travel history, and a spouse from the first world ALL contribute to the inscrutable formulas for successful visa approval.

This thread got a little more turbulent than usual. You know we like a gentle forum, an anger-free safe zone, without head-banging, kevlar and helmets like you need in twitter/reddit/youtube/facebook.   

Missybon wrote:

Hello all,

I am a US citizen living in Vietnam, my spouse is a citizen of Vietnam. She does not have a green card.  Are there other documents we can use to help in applying for visas to travel to places like Japan or the EU?

Thank you for your help.

Our experience FWIW.
1. Four years ago my Viet wife, who had never travelled, and I went to Thailand 2 times. That visa was easy bc ASEAN.
2. Then we went to Australia. The visa was an online form, no interview. The fact that I have relatives there may have contributed.
3. Then to the US. She had a job and house, me, and travel history. I accompanied her to the US Consulate, they allowed me into the outdoor waiting area. The interviewer also called me up to the window to look me over. Dude had an attitude too. She passed, but we saw many rejections, even a girl with college acceptance in the US, not a happy place.

gobot wrote:

3. Then to the US. She had a job and house, me, and travel history. I accompanied her to the US Consulate, they allowed me into the outdoor waiting area. The interviewer also called me up to the window to look me over. Dude had an attitude too. She passed, but we saw many rejections, even a girl with college acceptance in the US, not a happy place.

A very important qualification: your wife is a physician.  Her profession by itself is a guarantee of her return home.  In addition, you live in Vietnam, so she must return with you even if she's crazy about the US.  IOW, she's an ideal applicant.

pogiwayne wrote:

The countries you listed will not accept most to immigrate and obtain a passport. People from 94 countries have recently entered America in search of citizenship and a passport. USA is always accepting new people unlike most other countries. I was stating the fact that people around the world are coming to USA with the ultimate goal of citizenship and then a passport.
I have traveled to and lived on 6 continents. I have NEVER had problems entering any country with my  Official or Regular US passport. Actually the ease of travel using any travel documents is decided by government negotiations and deals way above us.
As far as only being on this site for 2 month doesn’t mean squat as far as knowledge concerning travel and countries. I also use experts to get my information…. Take it or leave it as I said before.
You have been called out before on this site about your attitude, I was just stating facts.
Back to the original question, travel to Japan or the EU right now is darn near impossible due to Covid. They should be planning on traveling next year and deal with getting a visa then.

You are being deliberately offensive, and you're also wrong about your claims, which are not "facts" just because you claim they are.  The US passport is not the most sought-after passport and the US, while having the most total immigrants, is a large country -- a proper comparison would be by percentage of population, and the US is only 65th, with 14.3% of the population foreign born.  Australia is tops, with 27.7% foreign born.

really? kidding, right?

gobot wrote:

Our experience FWIW.
1. Four years ago my Viet wife, who had never travelled, and I went to Thailand 2 times. That visa was easy bc ASEAN.
2. Then we went to Australia. The visa was an online form, no interview. The fact that I have relatives there may have contributed.
3. Then to the US. She had a job and house, me, and travel history. I accompanied her to the US Consulate, they allowed me into the outdoor waiting area. The interviewer also called me up to the window to look me over. Dude had an attitude too. She passed, but we saw many rejections, even a girl with college acceptance in the US, not a happy place.

Thanks, very helpful. Glad to hear your experiences have been positive overall.

paulmsn wrote:

pogiwayne wrote:

The countries you listed will not accept most to immigrate and obtain a passport. People from 94 countries have recently entered America in search of citizenship and a passport. USA is always accepting new people unlike most other countries. I was stating the fact that people around the world are coming to USA with the ultimate goal of citizenship and then a passport.
I have travelled to and lived on 6 continents. I have NEVER had problems entering any country with my  Official or Regular US passport. Actually the ease of travel using any travel documents is decided by government negotiations and deals way above us.
As far as only being on this site for 2 month doesn’t mean squat as far as knowledge concerning travel and countries. I also use experts to get my information…. Take it or leave it as I said before.
You have been called out before on this site about your attitude, I was just stating facts.
Back to the original question, travel to Japan or the EU right now is darn near impossible due to Covid. They should be planning on travelling next year and deal with getting a visa then.

You are being deliberately offensive, and you're also wrong about your claims, which are not "facts" just because you claim they are.  The US passport is not the most sought-after passport and the US, while having the most total immigrants, is a large country -- a proper comparison would be by percentage of population, and the US is only 65th, with 14.3% of the population foreign born.  Australia is tops, with 27.7% foreign born.

@cb interesting figures. i hv never checked those particular stats, although i always knew/believed that AU one of the most 'cosmopolitan' of all counties   ... something that was good until the rot set in about 20 years ago (Tampa), and constantly exacerbated since, and not that there isn't racism, except not usually so virulent or nasty as seems to be happening (but a long way to catch w US, although w our Govt constant dog whistling and much more explicit overt talk & actions, we can catch up (as we do)). BUT disclaimer, we DID hv an explicit 'White Australia policy for some time. (Calwell's (showing my age) infamous, but funny, aphorism "two Wongs don't make a white". but he was tossed out shortly after).

basically the last bunch to arrive suffers some racism, and then it passes, starting with Chinese in 1800s, much later English (Pommie whingers), Greeks, Italians (dirty wogs),  (see not always Asian), Chinese again, now African, espec Sudan - direct brought about by the Govt racist talk, yet of course white South Africans get special clearance by this Govt.

on a side note, due to last several LNP Govts (looking at Morrison and douche bag Dutton), it is now virtually impossible to get a Permanent visa (only (not) for Asians?). despite which, the fee they get upfront is now astronomical - about $A8000++ when i last looked, up from about $A178 and two years 10 years ago). the 'Temp' visa you get which is/was until you get a Permanent visa was for about 18-24 depending on your case (which was quite a reasonable and logical policy - because of probable and actual scams) - now sometime never. theoretically 5 yrs, maybe 10 years. Temp visas are the new Perm visa. At least you can work and get Health benefits. Not like more bloody refugees.

as far as i know, there was very broad acceptance of the Viet influx after the American war - back when AU was still like AU (despite our constant puppy dog act to US (and prev UK))  - they might hv actually been an exception!

The LNP Australian Govts we have had in past 20 years have quite deliberately and explicitly changed - for the much worse - what Australian people now think and believe and behave. and this is not just migration and racism, i more particular speak to the now rampant and blatant corruption and dishonesty in Govt and corporates and multinationals (btw, before, almost all corruption was at local Govt (zoning), now it is rampant at all levels, but espec Federal).

sorry to hang all that off this.