Job Discussion Forums

NYCLizzie

Hey there to all the Americans!

If you traveled from the US to Viet Nam without a job: do you recommend the cheaper one month purchase or the more expensive three month? (I plan to be job searching in HCMC.)

My credentials: currently teach (as a volunteer) Vietnamese students; BA with honors, TEFL.

Thanks!

Lizzie

ChuckECheese · Joined: 28 Jul 2006 Posts: 216

It's much better to get one month visa from the U.S. And if you need to, you can always extend your visa to 3 months or 6 months very easily and much cheaper here than from the U.S.

I recommend that you just get one month visa.

However, if you're going to look for work teaching here in Vietnam, you need to prepare and bring lots of documents to get yourself a work permit. You can find those information in this forum. Just do a search and get that information.

Good luck.

lizarddoctor · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 141 Location: HCMC, Vietnam

A one month tourist Visa is easy enough to get and get here, a 3 month business visa is easy enough too if you want to pay the extra money for the B-3 business class visa (Don't need a sponsor as per the website, just call the embassy and ask how much it costs to just give you one).

Both allow you to be in Vietnam and can easily be renewed without having to leave the county. Neither are really set up to allow you to work; but if you sign a contract for less than 3 months, no one cares about what kind of Visa you do have. As far as the paperwork for the work permit since it was mentioned above, you don't really need that either if your contract is more than 3 months or you have long term plans and want to get into a good school.

sethness · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 209 Location: Hiroshima, Japan

LizardDoctor,

You said "if you sign a contract for less than 3 months...".
Are you referring to trial periods, while the employer and employee are feeling each other out to see if it's worth signing a year-long contract, or do some VN English schools make contracts that're not expected to go longer?

I've heard that some VN English teaching jobs are basically for clean backpackers who want to refill their wallets...is that what you're talking about?

I've heard a lot of talk about what a small percent of English teachers in VN have bothered to get a true work permit... so what do the rest of the teachers have? Do they renew a tourist visa every 1~3 months, and hope that La Migra doesn't mind? Does that strategy work for long-timers?

lizarddoctor · Joined: 11 Aug 2004 Posts: 141 Location: HCMC, Vietnam

The first thing you need to consider is that Vietnam doesn't conduct business like other places in regards to giving you full time work. The paperwork and time involved is so extensive to get a work permit and the requirements are so ignorant that you are not assured to get one even if your paperwork checks out. Just a plain and simple fact.

What Vietnam does have is a system that was put into place to allow transitional workers the ability to come to Vietnam without getting all the extra crap done. Not originally designed for teachers, but doesn't exclude us either. I have all of my paperwork in check, went to the Ministry of Labor myself, tried to get some sort of green card (doesn't exist), and their answer was 'why are you doing all this anyway? Just make sure your contracts are signed for less than 3 months and forget worrying about it.' Needless to say, I am working now to apply my paperwork towards a business license instead.

It doesn't matter what kind of Visa you have, just don't get sucked into a school trying to make you jump hoops to sign a year long 'leash' with them when it just isn't necessary.

sethness · Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Posts: 209 Location: Hiroshima, Japan

Thanks for the explanation, LizardDoc. Smile

The "no-leash" situation is something teachers in Japan might envy. We make much, much better money and enjoy better schedules when we can work for ourselves.

So, I take it that the English schools in Vietnam don't mind having teachers on a short-term contract?

If teachers take advantage of that to upgrade their jobs frequently, it must play havoc with the classroom continuity. ..?

kparsons · Joined: 30 Jun 2005 Posts: 63 Location: Hanoi, Vietnam

If you choose to go w/the one-month visa, you can renew it at any travel agency. However, do know that an extended visa is more difficult to eventually change into a business visa, which you'll need to work here. Not many places will do it for you, and you may have to leave the country. If you don't already have a job lined up, it may be better to get the three month visa.