This petition urges the United States Embassy to work with the Vietnamese government to restore the short-term, single-entry visa program for American tourists.

The Republic of Vietnam recently changed its visa policy for U.S. citizens; the country added a one-year, multiple-entry option, and simultaneously ended options for single-entry visas that were valid for 30 or 90 days.

The one-year option was beneficial to those who regularly travel to Vietnam over extended periods of time, most notably the American businesses community. 

However, the elimination of the lower priced, short-term visa options has created an unintended consequence. The cost of casual travel has increased significantly, since the new multi-entry, one year visa is roughly double the cost of the former single-entry, 30 day visa. As such, casual travelers are less likely to spend time in Vietnam when the terms of the tourist visa have become significantly less suited for infrequent, short-term visits, particularly when the fee must be applied to multiple people traveling on a single budget.

In effect, the new visa policy has incentivized those visiting the Southeast Asia region to consider neighboring countries where short-term, single-entry visas are cost-free or a fraction of the new Vietnamese fee.

American travelers spend nearly 250 billion dollars per year in the Asia-Pacific region, more than any other nation. A restoration of low-cost, short-term, single-entry visas for American tourists will help to avert a situation in which Vietnam experiences a unexpected economic drawback as a result of a seemingly harmless policy change.