US Student Visa Update for FY2022: That’s a Wrap!

11:58 04/11/2022

This is a continuation of a post from 8 August 2022 that includes information for the entire fiscal year, i.e., from 10-1-21 to 9-30-22. The good news is that the Vietnam market for US-bound students is making a strong recovery in the new normal era. Student visa issuances are inching up to pre-pandemic levels. This statistical information backs up ample anecdotal evidence. The breakdown is by post: the US Consulate in HCMC and the US Embassy in Hanoi. 61.34% of the visas were issued in HCMC, which reflects market size and demand.

October 2021: 178 (HCMC); 60 (Hanoi)

November 2021: 388 (HCMC); 121 (Hanoi)

December 2021: 249 (HCMC); 231 (Hanoi

January 2022: 168 (HCMC); 87 (Hanoi)

February 2022: 87 (HCMC); 28 (Hanoi)

March 2022: 115 (HCMC); 47 (Hanoi

April 2022: 132 (HCMC); 98 (Hanoi)

May 2022: 362 (HCMC) 409 (Hanoi)

June 2022: 2432 (HCMC); 1412 (Hanoi)

July 2022: 2303 (HCMC); 1615 (Hanoi)

August 2022: 881 (HCMC); 536 (Hanoi)

September 2022: 196 (HCMC); 78 (Hanoi)

TOTAL: 12,213 student visas were issued in FY2022 vs. 6,836 in FY2021, a YOY increase of 77%. (Source: Visa Statistics, US State Department)

Read this companion post to see where Vietnamese students are studying in terms of type of institution and location, as of September 2022. Some of the stats may surprise you. They are a reflection of the old adage that “The only constant in life is change.” (Heraclitus) I include takeaways about the changes, some of which may represent trends. Time will tell.

Postscript: Here’s an overview of F-1 issuances for Vietnamese students from 2018-21:

2018: 16,309

2019: 16,829

2020: 5,880

2021: 6,836

The 2022 total was 73% of the 2019 figure, an impressive comeback. So far, so good!

Mark A. Ashwill, Managing Director and Co-Founder.