Vietnam wants US to ensure smooth student visa process amid interview freeze

"This question is currently attracting attention from parents and students alike," spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang said at a press meet on Thursday, upon an inquiry regarding the Trump administration’s suspension of new visa interview schedules for international students to study in the U.S.

Spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang at a press meet in Hanoi, Vietnam, May 29, 2025. Photo by VnExpress/Giang Huy

Hang said students from many countries, including Vietnam, are focusing on seeking visas to study in the U.S., either with or without scholarships, and that Vietnam’s foreign ministry and other representative units in the U.S. are working with local authorities to look into the matter.

"We hope that the interview and application of student visas for Vietnamese students will continue to go smoothly so that education can maintain itself as a pillar of cooperation in the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries," she added.

Students at the University of California, Los Angeles. Photo courtesy of UCLA Fanpage

On the Trump administration’s decisions regarding the right to admit international students of Harvard University, Hang said Vietnam wishes that the U.S. continue to provide opportunities for Vietnamese students, lecturers, scholars and experts to participate in training and education programs in the U.S., including those at prestigious and high-quality universities, that are appropriate for the two countries’ bilateral relations.

A spokesperson for the U.S. diplomatic mission in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday said those seeking visas to enter the U.S. may continue to file their applications, adding that the U.S. Department of State is applying a "flexible" policy to schedule interviews for non-immigrant visas.