Vietnam has recently amended the Law on Foreigner’s entry and exit into and from the country (Vietnam Immigration Law Update 2020). The law also covers those transiting and residing in Vietnam.
The New Labor Code and the Amended Law on the Immigration of Foreigners In Vietnam have been passed recently. This New Amended Law On Immigration is due to take effect on July 1st, 2020 while the New Labor Code will start on January 1st, 2021. These new changes will affect those foreigners who are entitled to a work permit exemption. It also covers the ability for foreign workers to renew work permits. Furthermore, the amendments will also affect the residence terms, changing visa type, and other immigration-related concerns.
There has been an increasing number of foreign workers in Vietnam over the past few years. And this is expected to increase considerably in the coming years. In order to enforce the proper management of foreign workers in the country, several changes have been introduced to amend the New Labor Code. These changes will give Vietnam’s labor authorities more control over foreign workers. This will also allow them more authority to review the status of the foreign employees employed by Vietnamese companies.
Meanwhile, the Amended Law on Immigration will help foreign workers easily and conveniently applying for a work permit. The amended law also aims to help foreign visitors easily applying for residence permits while in Vietnam.
Employers should be fully aware of these changes. That way, they would be able to update and review the current status of their foreign employees. This will allow them to issue proper work permits while adhering to the proper immigration procedures.
The following conditions are exempted from obtaining a work permit:
Generally, work permits are valid for up to two years. Under the new regulations, the permit can only be renewed once. Upon renewal, the permit will remain valid for two more years.
Aside from the amendment on Labor Laws, there will also be changes to the Immigration Laws of Vietnam.
First is the changing of visa. Currently, in order for a change of visa to be possible, the foreign visitor must first leave Vietnam. Then they can re-enter using the new visa. Thankfully, the new policy has relaxed the rules concerning the changing of visa. In fact, foreigners who intend to change visas no longer need to get out of the country under the following situations:
For foreigners who came from countries where Vietnam has a unilateral agreement and grants them visa-free entry, it’s no longer necessary that their re-entry date is at least 30 days prior to the last exit date in Vietnam.
The Amended Law on Immigration has recommended a maximum residence term of up to 30 days for foreign visitors. This used to be 90 days under their tourist visa. But foreign visitors will now be given an option to extend the term of their residency when necessary. In line with this, the immigration authority must first re-assess the immigration purpose to decide whether the extension request will be granted or not.
These changes on Vietnam’s Immigration Laws were made in order to allow for more efficient management of foreign tourists living in Vietnam. The Vietnam authorities are fully aware that there are a few foreigners who have breached the country’s immigration laws. Others are working without the proper permit. Some foreigners will enter the country on a tourist visa and will take up jobs in the country. This will have a major impact on the country’s labor situation. By amending the laws on immigration and labor, the government hopes to address these problems.
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Vietnam has recently amended the Law on Foreigner’s entry and exit into and from the country (Vietnam Immigration Law Update 2020). The law also covers those transiting and residing in Vietnam.
Vietnam’s National Assembly has recently passed a law that amends the existing laws of Vietnam Immigration (Vietnam Immigration Law 2020) when it comes to issuing visas to foreign visitors. The new laws apply to the entry, exit, transit, and residence visas in Vietnam.
Thousands of foreign tourists are now stranded in Vietnam after the government imposed several travel restrictions. The country’s Prime Minister has declared Covid 19 as a nationwide epidemic and has put the country on lockdown.
Getting a visa to Vietnam these days is so easy. Aside from offering free visa entry to certain nationalities under the visa waiver program, Vietnam also offers an electronic visa and visa on arrival to most foreign visitors.
It seems that the COVID-19 is not showing signs of slowing down. The pandemic still continues to unfold in a worrying manner leaving world leaders grappling with solutions to address this very complex catastrophe.
Last Monday 09 Mar 2020, the government of Vietnam has announced that they are temporarily suspending visa-free travel from eight European countries. This is amid the growing concerns over the spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
