Job Discussion Forums

dghjarrett · Joined: 11 Oct 2010 Posts: 47

Hi all,

i am thinking of choosing Vietnam as my next teaching destination. What is the situation with regards to someone being able to work on a dependent visa?? Are there problems or is it pretty clear-cut??

thanks

daniel

snollygoster · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 478

Dependent vis?
Do you mean you are the dependant of a Viet? Or of someone else? Is a Viet YOUR dependant? oR is your dependant also a "Tay"?

In Vietnam, basically anyone can work, and I'v enever heard of a dependent visa in Vietnam.

dghjarrett · Joined: 11 Oct 2010 Posts: 47

What I mean is that I would be on a Work Visa from the school and my wife would come in on that and in other countries it is called a Dependent's Visa. In some countries a dependent cannot work, is that not the case in Vietnam??

snollygoster · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 478

Your wife will need her own visa, whether she is a dependant or not (unless she is Vietnamese, in which case she does not need a visa).
Unless your wife is from an ASEAN country she needs a visa to enter Vietnam, and if she IS from an ASEAN country, she has right of entry for only 30 days.
She will NOT be entitled to entry on your visa-she has to have her own.
Work? She will enter on a "tourist" visa (as you probably will) and may have to renew it regularly- (Times, fees etc change according to how bright the moon is and other relevant things).
IF she gains employment, her employer is SUPPOSED to apply for a work Permit, BUT she still needs to renew visas regularly.
How regularly? (Unofficially but practically)-As frequently as the officials can squeeze fees out of you.
Good luck.

dghjarrett · Joined: 11 Oct 2010 Posts: 47

I received a message from a school saying that if they employed me on a Business visa, my wife would be able to enter with me on a dependent visa and then find work as normal. They didn't say she needed a tourist visa that's for sure?

snollygoster · Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 478

Things change quickly in Vietnam. I havent had anything to do with Immigration Vietnam for a few weeks now, so it could have changed, but thats how it was just a few weeks ago and had been so for years.

May I ask (you can pm me to keep it private) who the employer is? I can give you a good run down of their honesty etc, but with a long experience in Vietnam myself, I would never risk bringing any of my dependants without a visa. That being said, it IS possible to get a visa at the air port- BUT it needs to have been pre-arranged, and no doubt it can be done without pre-arrangement, but I would imagine it would be a harrowing experience.

ColinOKeefe · Joined: 26 Nov 2008 Posts: 4

I lived in Vietnam for three years an have just left the country about a month ago. I found it difficult to obtain a work visa and I had a lot of trouble trying. I am not saying that you will but the paperwork wasn't easy and I never felt worried about it
I would enter on a Business visa (3 month) and I could easily get one or two 3 month extensions after that. When working I paid taxes still but never had any problems with the visa.
Im not saying that this is the right thing to do just that it was always very easy and never made a problem for me.
Also in my opinion the Visa on arrival letter that you can easily set up through many travel agencies was by far easier than having to visit or send away to embassys.
Good luck