Job Discussion Forums

mark_in_saigon · Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 837

Rather than start a new thread, am tacking on to this old one. Seems we have not had a major discussion on work permits in a while, though it often gets touched on in various posts.

I would like to know if you guys are seeing any big changes in the situation. Where I work, we are being told that new work permits will require proof of 5 years of experience. My guess is that this would knock out 70% of our teacher population here in HCMC.

Anybody hearing this? It supposedly is in the requirements, I think it is a newer requirement, have no idea if and where it is being enforced. Here is the most detailed news I have seen on this, but it is not really about teachers.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/special-report/businesses-grumble-as-vietnams-new-foreign-labor-rules-begin-to-bite-376.html

ExpatLuke · Joined: 11 Feb 2012 Posts: 744

I've recently been applying for a new job, and work permits seem to be a much bigger deal than they were before. Almost every school has asked me if I was working legally at my previous job, and I got the feeling if I had answered "no" they would have shown me the door. Thankfully, I've had a work permit at every job I've had so far in Vietnam.

As far as the 5 years of experience goes, I've only had 1 school (probably the best school in Danang) mention it, but they said it's only for full-time work. They said the new requirements for people working 40 hours a week is a relevant degree and 5 years of verifiable experience.

mockingyou · Joined: 20 Jun 2013 Posts: 6 Location: Oxford

Not exactly a representative sample but I got my WP last week, took about a month, just like they said it would - I have everything in order (Degree, Background Check, CELTA) but nowhere near 5 years experience. I do work for a big mill though and they may have ways around tightenings that smaller places don't? Anyway, thus far no nasty surprises.

Tigerstyleone · Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Posts: 181

mark_in_saigon · Joined: 20 Sep 2009 Posts: 837

Thanks for that info. Yeah, I think that deal on the 5 years experience is written into the regulations, but somehow it must not be meaningful for teachers. If they enforced that, I am thinking 70 percent or more would not reach that bar. Even if we did, proving it would be a real pain.

Any changes on the criminal background thing? Used to be that if you were here more than 6 months, the one from your home country did not matter. Is that still the case?

I read that the authorities are confused on what to do, and in the boonies are not generating them, but not many teachers out there in the provinces. I get the feeling that we have different rules depending on what your profile is, English teachers being a very different profile than Chinese construction workers.

Big_H · Joined: 21 Dec 2013 Posts: 115

I've been adopting a 'wait and see' approach ever since I find out about this law not long after it was confirmed by Tilleke & Gibbins:
http://www.tilleke.com/resources/new-decree-foreign-workers-vietnam

BenE · Joined: 11 Oct 2008 Posts: 321

It says deep within the new law that there maybe an "exemption" for a work permit requirement for teachers in certain institutions:

d) The workers are teachers of foreign organizations that are sent to Vietnam by such organizations to teach in international schools under the management of foreign diplomatic missions or international organizations in Vietnam;

This might rescue some teachers in the larger mill schools that are jointly run. (ACET, Apollo, RMIT, British Council etc.) Not sure yet though if this will be the case.