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Riding One
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 63
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 Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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| cb400 wrote: |
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What is the current visa situation, cb400?
3 months are still available? Can they be renewed without having to do a run? |
From what I understand you can extend a 3 month in country once or twice and then its time for a run. A 3 month multiple costs 260!! USD at the moment. |
That is extortion.
Is this price in Hanoi or Saigon?
A cheaper price cannot be found? |
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cb400
Joined: 27 Sep 2010
Posts: 274
Location: Vientiane, Laos
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| Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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It was Hanoi. 120 USD for a single entry 3 month.
This is the email I got last month when I inquired about the visa:
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Dear cb
Thank you so much for your email and the visa information.
The government is not issued any tourist visa up to 6 months. 3 months is the maximun length that we can get if your are in Vietnam.
Only 1 place you may get a 6 months is in Cambodia. However, it is getting more stricky there at the moment too.
Anyway, regarding your visa type, I believe you can stay up to an other 6 to 7 months. By extending your visa two times. In this case you do not have to leave the country within 7 months.
I am more than happy to catch up with you to give you some more advice on this if there anything you not sure about.
Please let me know how you go and I hope I can assist you with this.
Best regards, |
Sorry my mistake. I was quoted 240 for the 3 month multiple entry. I went for the single thankfully. Visa regulations depend on the day, weather and some superstition I think. There is an ongoing thread on the newhanoian that tried to keep up to date, but it seems like everyone myself included gets a different answer every-time. |
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ExpatLuke
Joined: 11 Feb 2012
Posts: 744
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| Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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| cb400 wrote: |
I would love to work in Danang or Hoi Am, I've never seen much work advertised in those areas. I guess you need to be on the ground there? |
Yes, work is limited here. The only places that I've seen hiring from out of the city itself are ILA, Apollo, and some local language center called Fisher's Superkids.
The better places to work in the city are ELI, ILA, SIS, and one other school whose name escapes me at the moment. Some Aussie run place.
These places are harder to get into and usually require some contacts or above average qualifications/experience. |
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
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| Posted: Fri Sep 13, 2013 5:17 pm Post subject: |
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If the petty bickering and insults continue, there will be sanctions. This means it is more than highly probable some current members will become ex-members.
Please report inappropriate behavior to the Mod Team. |
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Riding One
Joined: 25 Jul 2006
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:57 am Post subject: |
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cb400,
Thank you for the information. The prices are creeping up. They want more....and more.....and more.....
From Hanoi to PP for a 6-month visa is not really worth traveling to, if you add up the:
RT flight to Saigon and back to Hanoi
bus to PP and back to Saigon
visa fee into Cambodia
loss of work / days off from school
Visa fee for VN visa
Guesthouse fees
food
other expenses
In Hanoi they know we have to go to PP for the 6-month visa, so they can just get as much as they can. |
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vabeckele
Joined: 19 Nov 2010
Posts: 439
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 5:34 am Post subject: Struggling |
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Guys, I am really struggling in Hanoi. It could be me as I am now a lot more choosy when it comes to who I work with. The truth for me right now is that if I had to pay rent here I would not be able to feed myself.
Some of you already now of my quals and experience so that wouldn't ordinarily be the problem. I think the only change in myself is I don't bend over and smile while they are giving it to me. I will rebuke at the first hint of any foul play - Could this be the downfall of any teacher here with this attitude? Attitude may be the wrong word, could it be 'knowledge of the environment?'
I only want to teach adults or teach both content and English courses at tertiary levels. The uni stuff has always been slim pickings but now is worse; if I wanted to teach kids I think I could actually clean 3k a month, but sadly this isn't what I want to do.
I don't know about HCMC but Hanoi always seems to be dark, dark alleys, dark eateries, dark housing, well...Could the people also be described as 'dark' too?
I have just come back from Qatar and not once did I get cheated, I actually found it strange that no one tried. Think of that, I now live in a world where I think honesty is strange. |
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bobpen
Joined: 04 Mar 2011
Posts: 89
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:05 am Post subject: Re: Struggling |
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| vabeckele wrote: |
| ... I don't bend over and smile while they are giving it to me. I will rebuke at the first hint of any foul play - Could this be the downfall of any teacher here with this attitude? Attitude may be the wrong word, could it be 'knowledge of the environment?'.... |
I don't have all the answers but can say you make some very good points with these comments. This is particularly true for us expats who came here to Vietnam anytime middle of the last decade (2005 for me) -- we knew our sh*t, and when stuff got messed up we were free to stand our ground and could still keep 'good face' afterwards. In my experience, these days "managers" expect smiles and abiding... I'm out of Vietnam pretty soon myself. |
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cb400
Joined: 27 Sep 2010
Posts: 274
Location: Vientiane, Laos
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 6:50 am Post subject: Re: Struggling |
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| vabeckele wrote: |
Guys, I am really struggling in Hanoi. It could be me as I am now a lot more choosy when it comes to who I work with. The truth for me right now is that if I had to pay rent here I would not be able to feed myself.
Some of you already now of my quals and experience so that wouldn't ordinarily be the problem. I think the only change in myself is I don't bend over and smile while they are giving it to me. I will rebuke at the first hint of any foul play - Could this be the downfall of any teacher here with this attitude? Attitude may be the wrong word, could it be 'knowledge of the environment?'
I only want to teach adults or teach both content and English courses at tertiary levels. The uni stuff has always been slim pickings but now is worse; if I wanted to teach kids I think I could actually clean 3k a month, but sadly this isn't what I want to do.
I don't know about HCMC but Hanoi always seems to be dark, dark alleys, dark eateries, dark housing, well...Could the people also be described as 'dark' too?
I have just come back from Qatar and not once did I get cheated, I actually found it strange that no one tried. Think of that, I now live in a world where I think honesty is strange. |
I think you need a more mercenary approach. If you can line up 2 or 3 jobs then you have the security of play them off against one and another. For example schools like to add all sorts of little extras you have to do without pay of course, you can say your busy with another job  Also don't 'fight' the Vietnamese way and stand your ground even if your right. Just smile and say yes yes and do what you want anyway, everything will go smother. I am not saying get screwed but say what you have to say with a smile and do what you want anyway. Head to head confrontation doesn't work, smile, lie and go around the issue is the Vietnamese way, my school is constanley trying to get me to work events or do things that I am not contracted for, I always say with a big smile 'let me think about it' and after a while they don't bother asking (because I refuse to do unpaid work).
Yes the people in Hanoi are dark and are constantly lying to each other to prevent getting ripped off even when there is no threat. It is a very selfish culture and you need to in part become more like that to survive.
It sounds like you might have to teacher some kids classes? Better to have at least the rent covered and who knows you might actually like it
Good luck |
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cb400
Joined: 27 Sep 2010
Posts: 274
Location: Vientiane, Laos
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:05 am Post subject: |
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| Riding One wrote: |
cb400,
Thank you for the information. The prices are creeping up. They want more....and more.....and more.....
From Hanoi to PP for a 6-month visa is not really worth traveling to, if you add up the:
RT flight to Saigon and back to Hanoi
bus to PP and back to Saigon
visa fee into Cambodia
loss of work / days off from school
Visa fee for VN visa
Guesthouse fees
food
other expenses
In Hanoi they know we have to go to PP for the 6-month visa, so they can just get as much as they can. |
You are right, it is not worth it. And my school said a work permit would cost over 1000USD and it is good for 3 years. 2 weeks and I am out, no more worrying about this stuff anymore. |
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mark_in_saigon
Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Posts: 837
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 8:33 am Post subject: |
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I know a lady in HN who hires for quite a few schools. If you commonly seek employment up there, you will encounter her ads and organization. Right now she is seeking people for about half a dozen places. The pay ranges from $15 to $22 an hour. The jobs are all an hour or two here or there. A couple of them are more like 6 or 8 hours a week. She said this to me in response to one of our emails back and forth:
You are right to say that some teachers are lower level. We still are looking for serious teachers but in fact, we do not have enough hours and finally they leave us. I know it is the common situation in Vietnam.
| Quote: |
| I don't bend over and smile while they are giving it to me. I will rebuke at the first hint of any foul play - Could this be the downfall of any teacher here with this attitude? Attitude may be the wrong word, could it be 'knowledge of the environment?' |
I know some of the VN delight in cheating us. To them, it is like a business strategy. Like telling us the pay is a certain figure, but then finally revealing a very crazy exchange rate dropping the pay down by 5% or so. To us, this seems like cheating or insulting. To them, they may be thinking we get paid so much, this is a way of getting a little back, and also a way of showing themselves (or their superiors) how clever they are. It may be getting worse instead of better, and it seems like a real front line of culture clash. For the new guy, it must be pretty disconcerting. For guys who have been here a while, it may be cause to stand up to them. If all the westerners would stand up to this nonsense, it would be effective, but the new guys will always be gullible and can always be abused for a while. This may be one of the reasons so many of these jobs just seem to endlessly cycle in and out these less than serious employees. I have always thought this was a chicken and egg question. If the jobs were serious, we would get and keep some serious teachers too. I think most of the best folks move on due to these issues.
I do not pretend to be an expert on the scene up there. I have another contact who tells me that almost any native speaker of English can find some work up there, and even westerners who are not native speakers, but look like they are. But I am of the opinion that the time when we could do a lot better financially up there is over. However, for those who are already established or well connected, that may not be the case. Also folks who are highly qualified AND can make a good presentation for the hiring manager may still be well rewarded. For the casual drop in teachers, I suspect they are better off staying in HCMC. Not just the pay either, there are the "attitude" reasons people discuss here plus the traffic, the weather, the food and housing. For the true intrepid, who can put up with all the difficulties, some of them may find it more rewarding in other ways.
Gotta say, PNL is FLOODED with foreigners. I guess they are all just coming and going, but if a good number of those are out looking for work, they should pretty well cover the low end of the market AND THEN SOME. Still do not see many of our guys outside of 1 and 3, though it is upticking a bit. |
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Mattingly
Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 249
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 4:34 pm Post subject: Re: Struggling |
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| vabeckele wrote: |
Guys, I am really struggling in Hanoi. It could be me as I am now a lot more choosy when it comes to who I work with. The truth for me right now is that if I had to pay rent here I would not be able to feed myself.
Some of you already now of my quals and experience so that wouldn't ordinarily be the problem. |
Work is slow now in Hanoi, for adults?
Any info would be appreciated vabeckele.
I like kids, but I don't teach them anymore. Tet is not that far away and start on January 31, this year.
Is Hanoi slow for adults? IELTS? |
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vabeckele
Joined: 19 Nov 2010
Posts: 439
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 7:19 pm Post subject: Re: Struggling |
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| Mattingly wrote: |
| vabeckele wrote: |
Guys, I am really struggling in Hanoi. It could be me as I am now a lot more choosy when it comes to who I work with. The truth for me right now is that if I had to pay rent here I would not be able to feed myself.
Some of you already now of my quals and experience so that wouldn't ordinarily be the problem. |
Work is slow now in Hanoi, for adults?
Any info would be appreciated vabeckele.
I like kids, but I don't teach them anymore. Tet is not that far away and start on January 31, this year.
Is Hanoi slow for adults? IELTS? |
I have had issues with so many places I have put limitations on myself as to where I can work. Anyone with good quals should be able to get quite good results. But, whereas I used to be able to push the bar up to 30-35 dollars an hour (for English), today, at least for me, this is no longer the case. I am now settling for a max of 25. This isn't bad but it isn''t what it used to be either. Some places are starting at 15 dollars an hour now. I hope I am not the only one but I feel it is harder to get hours at one or two places, and, because I'm lazy I won't run around three or four centres anymore.
This is hurting me quite a bit. I am also a bit baffled as to how I now have more experience to better instruct Vietnamese students, the less work I am getting, and whether perceived as personal or not, I am actually being shut out. You have probably read in other posts though of the strong initiative to push teachers into the public school system and what results are showing from that.
The New Hanoian does have loads of centres posting but all they offer is a couple hours a week where before centres were begging teachers to work until they drop.
Send me a pm and I'll shout you a few places for the kind of work you want. Minimum start 20 and walk in and walk out gigs and enough hours. These are places that I have burnt bridges at but are ok. Just minor issues in the grander scheme of things today.
Vab |
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Mattingly
Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 249
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| Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2013 10:17 pm Post subject: Re: Struggling |
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[quote="vabeckele"]
| Mattingly wrote: |
| vabeckele wrote: |
Guys, I am really struggling in Hanoi. It could be me as I am now a lot more choosy when it comes to who I work with. The truth for me right now is that if I had to pay rent here I would not be able to feed myself.
Some of you already now of my quals and experience so that wouldn't ordinarily be the problem. |
Work is slow now in Hanoi, for adults?
Any info would be appreciated vabeckele.
I like kids, but I don't teach them anymore. Tet is not that far away and start on January 31, this year.
Is Hanoi slow for adults? IELTS? |
| Quote: |
Some places are starting at 15 dollars an hour now. I hope I am not the only one but I feel it is harder to get hours at one or two places, and, because I'm lazy I won't run around three or four centres anymore.
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Yes, we are seeing downward pressure on wages.
| Quote: |
| This is hurting me quite a bit. I am also a bit baffled as to how I now have more experience to better instruct Vietnamese students, the less work I am getting, and whether perceived as personal or not, I am actually being shut out. You have probably read in other posts though of the strong initiative to push teachers into the public school system and what results are showing from that. |
Putting NESs in public schools for low pay, ceiling fan, 45 students. I see turnover being high.
| Quote: |
| The New Hanoian does have loads of centres posting but all they offer is a couple hours a week where before centres were begging teachers to work until they drop. |
Every day there are new adds on the New Hanoian from unknown schools (too risky), known dodgy schools that have not paid teachers, and yeah, they only offer a couple of hours per week.
I think this is going to be a very slow Tet and a very slow Winter, and last year was terrible. |
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sigmoid
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276
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| Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:01 am Post subject: |
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Collateral damage feared as Vietnam gov't cracks down on illegal foreign workers
Last Updated: Monday, September 16, 2013
A new decree might be targeted at the construction sector, which many feel is overwhelmed by foreign workers, but everyone is set to feel the pinch
http://www.thanhniennews.com/index/pages/20130913-collateral-damage-feared-as-government-cracks-down-on-illegal-foreign-workers.aspx
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...the new rules will also bring with them more formalities for parties to complete to obtain a work permit and in the long run could inflict collateral damage on those who are not targeted by the decree, experts warn.
Now employers will have to get approval from the chairman of provincial people’s committees to hire foreign workers in the respective localities.
They then have to complete all the formalities required by the labor ministry and other agencies just as before.
“Clearly, investors and businesses that are looking to hire skilled workers are facing a major administrative hurdle with this requirement,” Le Thanh Kinh, who runs Le Nguyen law office in HCMC, told Vietweek.
One of the most bizarre provisions in the decree is that on the one hand it enlarges the category of foreign workers exempt from obtaining a work permit, but on the other requires them to apply for a certificate saying they do not have to obtain one.
“This policy is completely against our judicial reforms and very backward,” Kinh said.
Those added to the category are teachers at foreign institutions sent to work in international schools in Vietnam managed by foreign agencies, volunteers, those with master’s degrees and advising, teaching, or researching at Vietnamese tertiary or vocational institutions for a maximum of one month, and foreign workers who come here under international agreements to which state agencies are a signatory.
Earlier the exemption had only applied to members or owners of limited liability companies, service promoters and lawyers registered with the Ministry of Justice, those dispatched by foreign companies to work in their offices in Vietnam (in 11 designated sectors), heads of foreign representative offices, and project managers and individuals authorized by non-governmental organizations to work in Vietnam.
Most recent figures released by the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs show a third of all foreign workers in Vietnam lack permits.
As of July 2012 there were 77,087 foreign workers, 24,455 of them without work permits. They were from more than 60 countries, 58 percent of them being Asians, 28.5 percent Europeans, and the rest from other places.
Experts warn if in the long run the authorities only focus on tightening the screws on foreign labor without follow-up inspections, it will be a double whammy.
“Not only will our foreign labor management be ineffective,” Kinh said, “but it would become much more of a nuisance to skilled foreign workers and their employers, particularly investors and multinationals.”
As Vietnam has continued to tighten regulations on foreign labor, fears of collateral damage appear to be well-founded.
“I don't see why the government does not limit the new procedures and paperwork to targeted sectors like construction rather than make educational organizations go through even more paperwork,” Khalid Muhmood, co-founder and director of the British University Vietnam, said.
“Why make the education sector have to go through more bureaucracy if the target is actually the construction sector?” |
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spycatcher reincarnated
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 236
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| Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2013 3:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Quite a few years ago now, lawyers lobbied to be exempt from work permits. They got what they wished for, but the documentation they had to supply to prove that they were exempt from a work permit was more onerous than getting the work permit, so my lawyer friends tell me. |
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