|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Charvo
Joined: 02 Feb 2010
Posts: 37
|
 Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:49 pm Post subject: new regulations for visas? |
 |
|
| Quote: |
Dear all,
The last month of 2011 has come and it is time for some holidays and celebrations.
Last week, the Immigration department updated the rules for visa extensions and basically said "no work permit or work contract = no visa extension". Of course all cases are different, so we can still help on a case to case basis, but do get ready for stricter regulations.
Today, we have some new updates about visas and work permits in Vietnam, please notice that the below price list is applied for HCMC based people only (for others cities, please kindly contact us for further information):
1. 1 month visa: $45 (single entry), $75 (multiple entry): For anyone who entered Vietnam maximum 90 days before this extension. Turn around time: 7 working days
2. 3 months visa: $55 (single entry), $95 (multiple entry): For anyone who entered Vietnam maximum 90 days before this extension. Turn around time: 7 working days.
3. 6 months visa: not available at this time
4. 1 year visa: from $220 - $270: single entry or multiple entry. For anyone who has a friend that has temporary residence card to be their sponsor, no need company sponsor. Turn around time: 2 weeks.
5. Work permit: from $550 - $1,600: depend on your university degree or 5 years working experiences.
6. Work permit's consultancy service: from $150 - $170/ work permit.
7. Certifying degree from overseas: available on request
8. Temporary residence card: $350/ person (that has work permit), from $1,500 - $1,700 (without work permit and with or without company sponsor, only valid for 2 years). Turn around time: 7 to 10 working days.
9. Exchange driving license without company sponsor: $110/ person. Turn around time: 2 weeks.
10. Visa exemption (for those with immediate family who is Vietnamese): $180. Turn around time: 2 weeks.
For any questions, please kindly contact us at [email protected].
Thanks & best regards,
Uyen
www.expat.vn |
|
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Mattingly
Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 249
|
| Posted: Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:03 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I cannot comment on the specific prices of the original post.
But I can say that the visa rules have tightened.
I have been told by my long term visa agent and other visa agents and other teachers and expats, that extensions are NOT being granted.
This means, visa runs every 3 months.
I will post a report on my personal experience on this next month.
The entire work permit situation is a joke. I personally believe the gov is not interested in foreigners getting a work permit. The reason, is because it is so difficult, costly, and time consuming to get. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DNK
Joined: 22 Jan 2007
Posts: 236
Location: the South
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 5:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
Guess I'm lucky my current visa runs out in the middle of Tet. Needed to visit Cambodia anyway 
Not sure "costly" means the gov't doesn't care about us getting permits (on the contrary), but the complicated/difficult, yeah. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
|
| Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 6:58 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Coolio!!!
With THESE new price increases and new bureaucratic difficulties with visas and work permits, schools now will have an even MORE difficult time getting BOTH - Backpackers AND legitimate English instructors!
Fine by me - as a Freelancer/Independent Contractor.....just means my rate goes up!!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
DNK
Joined: 22 Jan 2007
Posts: 236
Location: the South
|
| Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 3:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
| So, perhaps assigning volition to the random jerks and spasms that are VN government policy is a futile affair, but what exactly is the reasoning behind this? Just about the Chinese, or is this targeting the ESL market, or what? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mark_in_saigon
Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Posts: 837
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:50 am Post subject: what about the work contract angle? |
|
|
My contact in Ha Noi (a VN who is an administrator in a language school) says she does not know of anyone who has a work permit, and they are using work contracts, which are mentioned in this letter from Viet expat, they supposedly reference the regulations more or less verbatim. (Maybe less than more). I wonder why we never see a discussion about the work permit versus the work contract? My contact says they just print it off of a form, they do the sacred red stamp thingy, and shazaam, everyone thinks it is legal. She also says no one up there has been asking for work permits. I understand there are a million stories in the naked city, but I do think this aspect of the issue should be explored some more, in case it is an easier solution for the masses of teachers who do not have legal status.
By the way, the estimates I get from various sources is in the neighborhood of 80% or higher do not have a work permit. I wonder how accurate that is, I would bet everything I have that at least a majority of teachers do not, and think that 80% is fairly close to the mark.
How this will play out is anyone's guess. I cannot see everyone just getting happy doing visa runs til kingdom comes, but I guess that is one solution.
I do not think the current system can manage having everyone do a work permit all at once, but if they would streamline their process, it could be done.
I do not think all these teachers without legal status are going to want to just leave, but certainly some could, or many could.
If my friend in the north is right, everyone could just easily get a work contract (or more easily than a work permit).
Of course, we could play the never ending extension of the no extensions game, kinda like the non enforcement of the helmet laws in the past, or various other laws.
I love the guessing game, but over here, I know the only certainty is the uncertainty, and I rarely ever know what is truly going on with the natives, so my very wild and offhand guess (no conviction at all) is the last option. They see the turmoil begin, people start to just leave, they realize there will not be enough expat teachers, and so they relent. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mattingly
Joined: 03 Jul 2008
Posts: 249
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:50 am Post subject: Re: what about the work contract angle? |
|
|
| mark_in_saigon wrote: |
| ....over here, I know the only certainty is the uncertainty, and I rarely ever know what is truly going on with the natives, so my very wild and offhand guess (no conviction at all) is the last option. They see the turmoil begin..... |
I've been here for a few years and yes, the only certainty is uncertainty.
I personally don't care much about the Work Permits. But I do care about the visa situation.
This is where it becomes stressfull. The cost, the runs, the uncertainty, the 3 month visas. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
inhanoi
Joined: 22 Oct 2011
Posts: 165
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:46 am Post subject: |
|
|
| No disrespect, but it has to be said that the teachers who care about Work Permits don't have to worry about visas. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
sigmoid
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
Posts: 1276
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 8:34 am Post subject: |
|
|
Look, it is really very very very simple....
Make the work permit easy to get and then people will get them.
| Quote: |
5. Work permit: from $550 - $1,600: depend on your university degree or 5 years working experiences.
6. Work permit's consultancy service: from $150 - $170/ work permit. |
Sorry Viet Nam, but you've FAILED the test!  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
mark_in_saigon
Joined: 20 Sep 2009
Posts: 837
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:09 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| No disrespect, but it has to be said that the teachers who care about Work Permits don't have to worry about visas. |
Not to disrespect your comment, but it has to be said that most teachers would LOVE to have a work permit. The cooperation they get makes it very tedious, in many cases, unobtainable. A Vietnamese school administrator told me that the work permit was a legend, they had all heard of it, but no one had ever actually seen one. Is it not the case that teachers care more about doing a good job than the VN people that employ them? Is it not the case that our biggest impediments to doing good work are not our own cares, but the constant institutionalized problems we face from the VN system? Not sure of your location, but everywhere I have been, the problem is not that teachers do not care about getting a work permit, but it is the VN system does not care about doing things professionally, including giving us a reasonable process for obtaining the legendary work permit. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Oh My God
Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 273
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 3:43 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| mark_in_saigon wrote: |
| Not to disrespect your comment, but it has to be said that most teachers would LOVE to have a work permit. The cooperation they get makes it very tedious, in many cases, unobtainable. A Vietnamese school administrator told me that the work permit was a legend, they had all heard of it, but no one had ever actually seen one. Is it not the case that teachers care more about doing a good job than the VN people that employ them? Is it not the case that our biggest impediments to doing good work are not our own cares, but the constant institutionalized problems we face from the VN system? Not sure of your location, but everywhere I have been, the problem is not that teachers do not care about getting a work permit, but it is the VN system does not care about doing things professionally, including giving us a reasonable process for obtaining the legendary work permit. |
The reasonable process IS reasonable by VN standards. I'll admit that this seems unreasonable by "Western Standards" and cost me a great deal of anxiety in the beginning but this is just run-of-the-mill now.
Here it seems it's about WHO you know not what you know or who you pay. Which makes it very difficult for the newbie AND puts the main responsibility on the employer by design. I don't quite know what you're talking about by calling it a "legend" but for myself and others I know, it's not that difficult.
Establish relationships with people that have the "power" and invest into learning the language, protocol, and social manners of the VN.
Good luck and network, network, network...
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
inhanoi
Joined: 22 Oct 2011
Posts: 165
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 4:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Or just get a job with a reputable school and they will do ALL of the legwork for you. And pay ALL the expenses. Of course, you have to have the required documents. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
just noel
Joined: 17 Jul 2006
Posts: 168
|
| Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:36 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| inhanoi wrote: |
| Or just get a job with a reputable school and they will do ALL of the legwork for you. And pay ALL the expenses. Of course, you have to have the required documents. |
With all due respect, this is an old adage.
There are many reputable and honest schools who will not do the legwork and they won't pay the costs.
Honestly, they are cheap, or think that spending the time and money to get a WP for a teacher will be a waste because the teacher will leave in a couple months (which is very common).
The only schools that get the work permit are the BIG chains. I won't name them, but there are 4 big chain schools that will do it for you.
Not everyone wants to work there, for many reasons.
And not every *can* work there. There are not enough spaces available. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
inhanoi
Joined: 22 Oct 2011
Posts: 165
|
| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:03 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Fair enough! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
kurtz
Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 518
Location: Phaic Tan
|
| Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2011 2:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
| just noel wrote: |
| inhanoi wrote: |
| Or just get a job with a reputable school and they will do ALL of the legwork for you. And pay ALL the expenses. Of course, you have to have the required documents. |
With all due respect, this is an old adage.
There are many reputable and honest schools who will not do the legwork and they won't pay the costs.
Honestly, they are cheap, or think that spending the time and money to get a WP for a teacher will be a waste because the teacher will leave in a couple months (which is very common).
The only schools that get the work permit are the BIG chains. I won't name them, but there are 4 big chain schools that will do it for you.
Not everyone wants to work there, for many reasons.
And not every *can* work there. There are not enough spaces available. |
With all due respect, I'll disagree with you on a couple of things.
How can you call a school honest if they won't obtain a WP and a year-long visa so you don't have to re-new your visa every 3 months which is an expensive and annoying thing to do?
Furthermore, the "big chains" which have been mentioned, like Apollo and LLV, who fairly recently got slagged off for a "high turnover" of teachers, yet you claim there's no room for you! Just keep your eyes open, I'm sure you could get a job in a big chain quite easily if you have a degree and a TEFL certificate such as CELTA.
It seems in Vietnam most schools are not legit, no WP, no year long multiple entry visa means they are NOT legit. If they're making you leave the country to get a new visa, I really wouldn't bother working for them. If you have no other options, well suck it up, enjoy your little trips over the border just for a sticker in your passport.
People can ramble on about greasy palms and paying bribes, a lack of transparency etc., but it all boils down to weather your school organizes all of the paperwork which results in your working life being 100% legit. If your school doesn't do this, well, maybe they aren't such a good school after all. If you're a freelancer and the system is not clear, well maybe freelancing isn't such a good idea. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
