United States of America vs Socialist Republic of Vietnam
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines United States of America and Socialist Republic of Vietnam government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- USCIS — U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - verified
- Vietnam Immigration Department
Vietnam Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security) - verified
- USCIS — H-1B Specialty Occupations
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - verified
United States of America
The US issues nonimmigrant visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, F-1, J-1) and immigrant visas (employment-based EB-1 through EB-5, family-based, diversity). Policy touchpoints span USCIS, DOS consulates, DOL (for PERM/LCA), and executive-branch proclamations that can shift overnight.
- Official portal
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
- Languages
- English (de facto)
- Currency
- United States dollar
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Vietnam's Immigration Department, under the Ministry of Public Security, issues visas and residence cards, with employment authorised separately by the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA). Headline routes are the employer work visa plus work permit, the tiered DT investor visas, the Temporary and Permanent Residence Cards, and a five-year Talent Visa launched in 2025; a proposed ten-year Golden Visa has been announced but is not yet in force.
- Official portal
- Vietnam Immigration Department (Ministry of Public Security)
- Languages
- Vietnamese
- Currency
- Vietnamese dong
How United States of America and Socialist Republic of Vietnam differ
| Dimension | United States of America | Socialist Republic of Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 14 | 8 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 5 | 4 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 6 | 5 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Arrival on H-1B (3 years) → PERM + I-140 (1-2 years) → I-485 / Green Card (current for most categories, 7-15+ years for India EB-2) → citizenship at PR+5 years. | — |
| Dominant skilled visa | H-1B Specialty Occupation | Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | US$62,000/year | — |
| Skilled visa processing time | USCIS — Case Processing Times does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route. | — |
| Skilled visa government fees | A single initial H-1B petition costs around $3,600 in USCIS filing fees for a standard employer, excluding premium processing and the separate consular visa fee. | — |
| Official languages | English (de facto) | Vietnamese |
| Currency | United States dollar | Vietnamese dong |
| Primary regulator | State bars | MoJ |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 1 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
United States of America
H-1B Specialty Occupation
- Salary minimum
- US$62,000/year
- Government fees
- A single initial H-1B petition costs around $3,600 in USCIS filing fees for a standard employer, excluding premium processing and the separate consular visa fee.
- Processing time
- USCIS — Case Processing Times does not publish one fixed, route-wide end-to-end processing time that can be stated responsibly for this application route.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- —
- Processing time
- —
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Routes unique to United States of America
Routes unique to Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Visa routes side by side
United States of America (14)
H-1B Specialty Occupation
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial 3 years; extendable to 6 years (longer with approved I-140).
L-1A Intracompany Transferee (Executive or Manager)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial 3 years (1 year for new-office L-1A); extendable to 7 years total.
L-1B Intracompany Transferee (Specialised Knowledge)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial 3 years (1 year for new-office L-1B); extendable to 5 years total.
O-1 Individuals with Extraordinary Ability or Achievement
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 3 years initially; 1-year extensions available indefinitely.
EB-1A Extraordinary Ability (Immigrant)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence (green card).
EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
EB-3 Skilled, Professional, and Other Workers
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
EB-5 Immigrant Investor Program
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Conditional 2-year residence leading to unconditional permanent residence.
E-2 Treaty Investor
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Initial up to 2 years at port of entry (5-year visa stamp for many nationalities); renewable indefinitely.
F-1 Student Visa (with OPT and STEM OPT)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration of study (D/S); OPT up to 12 months; STEM OPT extension up to 24 additional months.
J-1 Exchange Visitor
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Program-dependent: from weeks (intern) to up to 5 years (research scholar).
TN USMCA Professionals (Canada & Mexico)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 3 years; renewable indefinitely while activity continues.
K-1 Fiancé(e) of US Citizen
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Single-entry 6 months; must marry within 90 days of entry.
Spouse of US Citizen or Green Card Holder (IR1/CR1 & F2A)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence (conditional 2-year CR1 converts to 10-year card via I-751).
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (8)
Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Work permits are commonly issued for up to about two years, with the LD visa and any residence card aligned to the permit.
Investor Visa (DT1-DT4)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Validity rises with the tier - the highest tiers run for several years, while the lowest tier is shorter; residence cards align to the tier.
Temporary Residence Card (TRC)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Issued for a multi-year period aligned to the underlying status (commonly up to two or three years), renewable.
Permanent Residence Card
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Long-term permanent residence, with the card periodically renewed as an identity document.
Family / Dependent Visa (TT)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Aligned to the sponsor's status, with a temporary residence card commonly available for a multi-year period.
E-visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Issued for a limited maximum period per entry, with single or multiple-entry options.
5-year Talent Visa
No sponsor · Non-settlement · A five-year multiple-entry facility, with a capped stay per entry under the scheme terms.
Student / Intern Visa (DH)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Aligned to the study or internship programme, with a temporary residence card available for the course length.
Frequently asked questions
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, United States of America or Socialist Republic of Vietnam?+
United States of America’s H-1B Specialty Occupation requires a salary of at least US$62,000/year; Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s Work Visa (LD) and Work Permit is the dominant skilled route. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does United States of America or Socialist Republic of Vietnam have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
United States of America has more: 5 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 4 for Socialist Republic of Vietnam. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "United States of America vs Socialist Republic of Vietnam immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/us/vs/vietnam. Last verified 1 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons