Job Discussion Forums

[go2]

Hello, I have been researching teaching in Vietnam in the near future. I read on the Vietnam Consulate website that you can work without a work permit for up to 3 months. Does anyone know if you still have to be on a particular type of visa? Are there any limitations to this? It seems like a good way to start teaching and find a good school without committing too quickly for the sake of processing a work permit. Or just a good option to pick up hours and teach short term. It seems like most people aren't concerned with a work permit anyway but I'd like to work as legally as possible.

[Lack]

BUMP

I'm wondering about this too. Just started researching Vietnam, but it seems like there are no hard and fast rules for the country. I suppose it's still very unregulated, so the government hasn't really come out with a definite process?

In theory, being able to teach without a work permit for under three months sounds great and I'm looking for short term opportunities. But if that three months would be without a contract, it seems like it would be quite risky.

[RustyShackleford]

No one is going to hire you with the intention of you only working three months. However... They know that things happen, especially at the "beginning." I entered on a multi-reentry visa and then got it upgraded to a working permit. I frankly forget if it was tourist or business but in principle the job doesn't care. You will sign a contract and the better employers (ILA, VUS to name the two biggest) will honor their side of the bargain. I got paid on time by them when on a part-time contract and never had any real issues.

[ExpatLuke]

You're allowed to work on a Business Visa for 3 months without a work permit. Most schools will sponsor this business visa for you while they're applying for your work permit. This visa can be extended, but the price goes up (sometimes drastically) each time you extend. After extending once, it's usually cheaper to fly out of the country and have a new one issued.

However, once the work permit is ready to be issued, you will need to leave the country, as it cannot be issued on the business visa. You will then re-enter the country with a special letter that lets you get a Work Visa on arrival at the airport.

While you have this Work Visa they can legally issue you the Work Permit and resident's card, which is good for up to a year, but can be easily renewed as long as you keep the same work contract.

[bacasper]

I'd been working on business visas for a few years until the last visa run when, unbeknownst to me and for unknown reasons, the travel agent got me a tourist visa. I had no idea the new designation "DL" was not a business visa.

During those years, a few jobs were less than 3 months, another one-year job promised a contract but never came through despite my increasing insistence, while another gave me a contract but they always gave excuses why they never got the promised work permit. I guess it involves time and expense they'd rather not go through, but they wouldn't even do it if I offered to pay.

[ExpatLuke]

It's illegal to work without a contract, and illegal to work without at least being in the process of getting the WP.

You're reaping the consequences of choosing to ignore a country's labor laws. Let this be a lesson to other teachers out there doing the same. Getting caught, fined, and banned from re-entering the country can happen.

[tideout]

[tideout]

Expat Luke,
Interesting addition to the discussion. Weird isn't it, as I know people who've been here for very long periods just piecing visas together.

Sometimes it seems the schools suck at helping teachers through the process and other times it seems some people can never quite get over the WP hump specifically.

I think that's part of the problem with the WP here. People seem to have trouble hacking the process because you can't tell if it's the teacher, the bureaucracy, or the school at times.

I'm going through a process myself now where the main obstacle seems to be the school's HR person. I do it now myself and i get smiles and stamps from the government offices. I take the results back to the HR person and there's, always some "issue" from the school.

Very bizarre.

And your point is well taken on the political comment issues. I'm careful on the social media stuff - no comments really. You wouldn't want to get flagged as being a troublemaker.

[ExpatLuke]

It seems my previous post disappeared. I'm not entirely sure why that is, but some things do bear repeating.

For one, it's a good idea to be careful about what you post on social media in Vietnam. If you are posting all over the place about how you disagree with the government, especially if you have students as Facebook friends, it's a good way to get into trouble.

Many students are fiercely loyal to the party, and will report you if you say things too disrespectful on a regular basis. It would be very easy for you to get flagged to further monitoring by the government.

I've had friends in China deported and banned from the country for reasons like this.

So, while many teachers live here rather happily, piecing visas together every three months without a real contract, if you start to do things which catch the attention of the wrong people, there's a good chance you will be caught, fined, and deported.

I would say to use common sense, but common sense also dictates that you do everything possible to get your WP sorted instead of just trying to float under the radar without one.

[tideout]

Yeah I agree with your past whole heartedly.

A co-worker recently failed to pass a class demo after several tries and working for 2 months. Recently I came across a post of theirs on a social media site criticising some things about the school. Could be a coincidence but it just isn't too smart.

I also should say that I've had nothing but good dealings via the Vietnamese government offices I've dealt with. Maybe just a lucky streak but it's made me wonder how much incompetence gets blamed on the government when it's the poor business practices of others?