By Thomas Maresca, USA TODAY
SAI GON, Vietnam
Vietnamese citizens line up outside the walls of the U.S. Consulate in downtown Sai Gon. (Photo: Thomas Maresca for USA TODAY)
Despite a struggling economy, the United States is still seen as a promised land for many in Vietnam. Phuong, who is hoping to study at the University of Alabama, has been rejected for a visa four times, but his parents insist he keep trying.
“The traditional thinking is that the U.S. is No. 1,” he said.
That belief is prevalent in many countries, and it has given rise to bribery schemes that are difficult to detect because U.S. officials who decide on visas are rarely questioned about their decisions, say experts familiar with the process.
“The way that the State Department is wired makes it easy for these types of things to happen,” said Peter Van Buren, an author and 24-year veteran of the Foreign Service.
Read the full story by Thomas Maresca of Usa Today.
