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The Fat Rabbit · Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Posts: 61 Location: Vietnam

from expat.vn:

I just checked with my agency, they confirmed that the Gov will not accept any visa extension or visa on arrival as Tet is coming Sad

But the Gov also said that they will get back to work and allow for 3 months visa without leaving the country.

I am sorry for any inconvenience it might cause, I still can get 3 months visa on arrival for my client yesterday but not 3 months extension but now they changed again

How about you travel to Cambodia or Thailand and get a 3 months visa at Vietnamese embassy in those country? The Vietnamese embassy in other country still allow for 3 months visa to Vietnam.

The Fat Rabbit · Joined: 19 Jan 2010 Posts: 61 Location: Vietnam

from expat.vn

I can not confirm anything with you right now. They said next Monday will be able to apply for a visa without leaving country.

interesting

jb0072009 · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: Saigon

I hope they are right. One thing about Vietnam is that you are never really sure what they are up to (the government). The Viets at my school who are attornies do not even know and get many different answers regarding visas, residence permits

Euell · Joined: 01 Nov 2009 Posts: 4

Reading the preceeding two pages of comments about the current visa situation makes me ask the simple question, why? Why, as in, why would anyone want to put up with this BS! Is Vietnam some kind of ESL paradise? Are the salaries extraordinary? Do the streets run with gold? I spent two weeks in the Ho Chi Minh area two Christmases ago for a vacation. It was nice, but, that was all. What keeps teachers in Vietnam when they have to jump through (ever changing) hoops and enter/exit the country every 30 days, two months, what have you when they could simply relocate to China, Thailand, Japan, Korea, anyplace where they don't have to go through this nonsense!

inky · Joined: 05 Jan 2009 Posts: 283 Location: Hanoi

They only have to jump through hoops for a visa if they do not have a Work Permit. You get one-year multiple-entry visas with a Work Permit (which itself is good for three years), and the visas are renewable in Vietnam. Yes, it can be a hassle to get the WP if you do not follow the procedures precisely, and the applications are now being scrutinized much more rigidly. Remember, few people log on here to announce that they got a WP, it is natural and understandable that most of these visa posts are from people having problems.

Tanker · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Posts: 72

jb0072009 · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: Saigon

It is true what they are saying about schools yanking employee's chain about work permit. I know first hand but can not say much in case someone recognizes me. They do not want to get you permit because it costs school time and money (especially money).

blateson · Joined: 12 Mar 2006 Posts: 144

PattyFlipper · Joined: 14 Nov 2007 Posts: 572

Andy123 · Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Posts: 206

I have been here for several years and love this country. Some days are good and some days are not so good.

That being said, I only know only one person who has been able to get a WP in the last 6 months. I know plenty of others who have all their docs and can not get their WP. Now getting a visa is difficult too.

What is going on is anyone's guess. I don't see things changeing anytime soon.

Some of the people here post that if you have all your docs there is no problem getting a WP. What a bunch of crap.

jb0072009 · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: Saigon

BenE · Joined: 11 Oct 2008 Posts: 321

Your firm also needs to be legal and registered in order to give you that stamped letter. Many are not

+2 as well for me and my collegue also managed to get a WP as well quite recently. It IS possible to get one som don't just listen to the doom and gloomers telling you that the Vietnamese hate everyone and want us all out.

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

Just to clear a little of this up in here as some of it is just a bad read and bad information concerning the WPs (which is also found on numerous other threads)...

A work permit (after you have jumped through the miles and miles of paperwork hoops) has to be applied for and processed by a school or an employment body. You cannot get one for yourself even if you have all the paperwork ready as I have tried for myself years ago. The school (which by law) is required to get your paperwork processed and a work permit which is supposed to be limited to your field of expertise (if you have a chemistry degree.... some sort of chemistry related job, education degree... some sort of teaching job, ESL cert of some kind... a piece of paper smoke screen which makes you a teacher in VN), but doesn't really limit a foreigner the way the process is set up for working at the language mills.

Once this work permit is issued by the authorities in your name, IT IS YOURS AND NOT THE SCHOOLS PROPERTY (so anyone/any school that says the school owns it is really blowing smoke out the wrong pipe). A work permit is issued on a passport looking folding booklet (at least it was up to a few years ago) which is yours to present as a form of ID when you need to work with other offices around town and/or present yourself for work at other businesses so you don't have to hoop hop again and again with fresh docs. It is fairly easy for a new school to register you with your old work permit once your contract with the initial business is up. The initial business to get your WP for you does not own it and is actually breaking the law by hijacking it from you. If they say they have it and are keeping it from you then there are a few possibilities.... they never got it and are just pocketing your taxes thinking you actually have got a WP, they have your paperwork but cannot get one for you due to a bogus business license or not enough grease lubing the wheel, or they have it and breaking the law.

Once you have the WP, getting a visa is actually your responsibility and not the schools believe it or not. With the WP though it can be done with proof of contract and other paperwork to show that you are gainfully employed for a certain term (1 year or more) and your work permit. Work permits cannot be issued by a school not offering a signed 1 year or longer term full time contract so if you happen to have a contract for less time or part time, the school can never get you one anyway and you have to make the visa runs no matter what they tell you.

Not really sure what to say about all the current riga ma roll about the visa denials since I don't have to deal with it myself. I know plenty who have just left and a few which are riding it out to see if it happens to get better after Tet.

just noel · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 168

jb0072009 · Joined: 26 Feb 2009 Posts: 127 Location: Saigon

Well think about it. If a school does all that work and gets you a WP then they have to pay health insurance tax (yes even for foreigner effective 1-1-10), fill out those tax withholding forms for you every month etc. Time, money and accountability (a real evil in Asia). As long as the government does not actively enforce the law on the employer they really have no incentive to get a WP for their employees, especially smaller schools. Also as previously mentioned some schools operate illegally and can not get you a permit in any case. This is a fact.