Job Discussion Forums

[yogurtpooh]

Hi, I'm planning to do my Celta in June, but my university degree won't be mailed to me until August or later- (and add about two weeks for it to be mailed over to Vietnam after that) what should I do concerning immigration and applying to the schools? In terms of a background check, how exactly would I make sure that is it notarized and who would I need to submit it to?
thanks

[toiyeuthitmeo]

You can get away with working without your work permit for a couple of months, even indefinitely in some schools, so I'd go ahead and apply and perhaps not even mention you don't have the document yet. By the time your school (if you're lucky and they handle if for you) wants to get your work permit arranged, you should have it. If needed, you could also just mention that the document is en route.

An alternative, and a good thing to have just in case anyways, is to get a sealed, signed, official transcript from your uni, that clearly states somewhere the date and nature of the degree earned. It may suffice for the work permit, and at the very least, will convince any potential employers that you are indeed degreed.

[yogurtpooh]

Okay, so before I leave to take the CELTA course, i should have my background check and the transcript. When the degree is finally mailed home, I can just have someone mail it to me in Vietnam? Then hopefully my future employers will gather everything up and do the work permit for me while I stay in Vietnam on a 3 month tourist visa? Does this sound good?

another question that i have is, when do schools usually begin their courses? If I complete my CELTA in the middle of July, would it be realistic to say that I can start in August- or would I have to live here without any money means?

Also, if I'm doing my CELTA in Saigon, but would rather live in say, Da Nang or in the deeper Mekong Delta regions, would the best route to just fly there and visit all the schools and apply in person? Or would it be best to call them a head of time?

[ajc19810]

Sounds like a good plan. It is not unrealistic to think you could be working by August. Remember however, most places pay you after a full months work so that extends your time without cash. Also, there are still schools that are not that fussed about work permits and will not be bothered by the fact you cant produce your certificates. It will only concern you when it comes time for visa extension a few months down the track. There are some good posts about cost of living in Vietnam on this site which may give you an idea of how much you'll need.

You may as well show up and check it out for yourself and have a holiday at the same time. If you are concerned, call when you are in Vietnam. There are some posts on here about schools in Danang. Check them out. Personally, I would love to live in Danang. Great place, beautiful people, tasty food and wonderful beaches. Mekong Delta would be a cool place to live, but i only remember patches of my time there due to some big nights on the rice wine.

[yogurtpooh]

Hey thanks a lot, I was actually just on "vacation" to Vietnam a few months ago during the summer and I want more of it. I did stay only a day and night in Da Nang and I definitely want more. The people there were the most friendliest and honest. They were more than patient with me and a lot of locals speak English due to the American influence in this region.

Now in terms of getting everything notorized, if the school is unable to do this for me, do I then have to mail my credentials back to the states and then have them mail everything back to me again?? This is kind of scary because I've sent letters and stuff to Vietnam before and they have gotten lost a couple of times.

[toiyeuthitmeo]

You're right to fear the postal system-- even if your mail is not tampered with or "misdirected," it still takes a long time. If you absolutely must send and receive important documents internationally, consider using a private courier such as DHL, and consider having mail sent to the school where you are in your CELTA or where you find a job, rather than a residential address.

Most of the larger schools should handle getting your work permit and degrees sufficiently notarized for VN work permit purposes, however it can't hurt to have done this yourself, and will possibly open more employment options. However as you look at these posts, you'll see it seems to be a time consuming a hassle-filled process.

[AmanJivan]

Most university will supply you with a letter stating you have fulfilled all the requirements for the degree, which is accepted by the immigration authorities in most countries, I used a letter from my university to do just that and supplied the original document when it became available to Vietnamese authorities

[yogurtpooh]

I'll be going there with a 3 month Visa, my diploma will not be sent until 2.5 months later. Then following all the authentication... it might not reach my hands until well past my 3 month visa. Will the authentication from my university be enough for the work permit? Would I have to get that authenticated?

[toiyeuthitmeo]

You'll be ok. Work permits take forever to get, and all of the previous advice (not mentioning your lack of the document, having transcripts or a letter from your uni) can tide you over until the degree comes. Don't worry about the visa. If it runs out, you can just get another, for a price of course (not too bad though).

It can't hurt to cozy up with your Uni's registrar office and explain the time sensitive nature of things. You might be surprised at how quickly you can get documents with a little polite urgency. I got my degree copy and my background check in under two weeks by letting the relevant authorities and offices know how important my situation was.

[yogurtpooh]

Thanks a lot, btw when is the staring peak for summer school? My plans were to be in Vietnam by the second week of June, but ideally I would like to land work before the start of summer schools.

And I think my first choice now will be Vung Tau. The proximity to Saigon and Bien Hoa is ultimately what sold it for me... aside being a more calm place with ocean winds. I've been to Long Hai a few years back, but never Vung Tau for whatever reasons...

[yogurtpooh]

I just got my TESL certificate in the mail, should I send it to my state department to get it authenticated now or should I just wait and perhaps my future employer might not even require a real work permit?

[yogurtpooh]

my certificate does not say 120 hours on it, but a separate transcript does. Do i have to get the transcript certified and authenticated too? If not I could really save the money (especially at the viet consulate step)
thanks