As of July 1, 2025, Vietnam has restructured its administrative map, reducing the number of provinces and cities from 63 to 34 through mergers and renaming. Many of our clients at Truong Law Firm, PLLC have asked whether these changes will affect their U.S. immigration applications, including fiancé (K1), spousal (CR1/IR1), family-based, employment-based, or other visa types. We understand your concerns and are here to provide clarity and peace of mind. Below, we explain who is impacted, who is not, and when you need to update your information to ensure a smooth immigration process.

Understanding Vietnam’s Administrative Map Changes

Vietnam’s new administrative map, effective July 1, 2025, consolidates provinces and cities to streamline governance. This includes renaming regions and updating addresses on official documents like VNeID. For example, some provinces have merged, and new province names have been introduced, while others remain unchanged. These changes may affect the addresses listed on your U.S. immigration application documents, but with proper updates, the impact on your application is minimal.

Who Is Affected by the Address and Region Changes?

You may need to take action if:

• You have a pending U.S. immigration application: If you’ve submitted forms to USCIS (e.g., I-129F for K1, I-130 for CR1/IR1, I-129 for employment visas, I-485 for adjustment of status), or if your case is at the National Visa Center (NVC) or U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, you must update your address if it has changed due to Vietnam’s administrative map updates.
• You are the beneficiary living in Vietnam: USCIS requires aliens with pending applications (and some abroad) to report address changes within 10 days of moving. This applies if your province or city has been renamed or merged, affecting your official address (e.g., on VNeID).
• You are submitting new documents: If you’re preparing documents like birth certificates, police clearances, or marriage certificates (e.g., for Utah online marriages), ensure they reflect the updated province/city names or include an explanation of the change to avoid confusion during processing.
• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident sponsor living in Vietnam: If your address in Vietnam has changed due to the map updates, you must submit Form I-865 (Sponsor’s Notice of Change of Address) within 30 days of moving.

Who Is NOT Affected?

You likely do not need to worry if:

• Your province/city is unchanged: If your address is in a province or city marked as “Không thay đổi” (no change) in Vietnam’s new map, no updates are needed.
• Your application is already approved: If your visa has been issued or your adjustment of status is complete, the address change does not affect your immigration status, as long as your address was accurate during processing.
• You are not yet applying: If you haven’t started your immigration application, simply use your updated address (reflecting the new province/city names) when filing forms or preparing documents.

When and How to Update Your Address

To ensure your U.S. immigration application remains on track, follow these steps if your address has changed due to Vietnam’s administrative map updates:

1. 1. Update with USCIS:
      • Online (Recommended): Use your USCIS online account to update your address. This ensures all pending applications (e.g., I-129F, I-130, I-129, I-485) are updated automatically and meets the legal requirement to report address changes within 10 days.
      • Paper Form: If you don’t have an online account, submit Form AR-11 (Alien’s Change of Address Card) by mail. Note that paper submissions do not automatically update pending applications, so contact the USCIS Contact Center at 800-375-5283 (or +1-212-620-3418 if calling from Vietnam) to confirm updates for your specific case.
      • For Sponsors: If you’re a U.S. citizen or permanent resident sponsor who moved, submit Form I-865 within 30 days to update your address.
   2. Update with the National Visa Center (NVC):
      • If your petition has been forwarded to the NVC for consular processing (e.g., for K1, CR1, or employment visas), update your address directly with the NVC. Visit the NVC Contact Information webpage (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/national-visa-center/nvc-contact-information.html) for instructions.
      • Upload updated documents (e.g., proof of new address) to the Consular Electronic Application Center (CEAC) if required.
   3. Update with the U.S. Consulate: If your case is at the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, notify them of your new address when scheduling your interview or submitting documents. Update your USTravelDocs account (https://www.ustraveldocs.com/vn) for document delivery.
   4. Document Consistency: When submitting documents (e.g., birth certificates, police clearances), include a note explaining that your address reflects Vietnam’s new administrative map if the province/city name differs from older documents. Certified translations must also use the updated names.

Important: Updating your address with Vietnam’s postal system or the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) does not notify USCIS or the NVC. Always update directly with the relevant U.S. agencies.

Why You Don’t Need to Worry

At Truong Law Firm, PLLC, we assure you that Vietnam’s address and region changes will not disrupt your U.S. immigration application if addressed properly. USCIS, the NVC, and the U.S. Consulate in Ho Chi Minh City are experienced in handling address updates during large-scale administrative changes like Vietnam’s map restructuring. Our team will:

• Guide you through updating your address with USCIS, NVC, and the U.S. Consulate.
• Ensure all documents reflect the correct province/city names and include necessary explanations or certified translations.
• Provide personalized support to prevent delays or complications, maintaining our 99% approval rate for U.S. immigration applications.

Whether you’re applying for a fiancé visa (K1), spousal visa (CR1/IR1), family-based visa, employment-based visa, or adjusting status, we’re here to keep your application on track.