I applied on 27 October and provided additional information on the 28th as requested by HCM on the same day. I emailed the embassy on 4 November, and later that day the status changed from ‘pending document check’ to ‘pending approval.’ I’m still waiting for HCM’s decision. I’ve read that Hanoi processes faster too, but since accommodation costs are high there this year, I chose to stay in Da Nang, which means my application must go through HCM.