Working Visa

Once again there is no such thing as a working visa in Vietnam.  There is a work permit (WP) that allows one to obtain a temporary residence card (TRC) which obviates the need for a visa.  You may enter the country on either a business or a tourist visa but, in theory at least, you may not begin working for wages until you obtain the WP.  In reality many people work while holding either business or tourist visas but neither situation is legal.

This forum  really needs a sticky thread that explains these things as they come up repeatedly.  Search for "work visa" and I expect you will find hundreds of posts.

No you are wrong . There is a work visa . It is not the same as a business visa . One can be used to get a TRC  the other cant .

Please post the link where you got this information from.

Perhaps you are talking about the LD visa.  However holders of this visa must still obtain a WP and TRC.

Actually WP is the most important document one MUST have if one wants to work in VN for more than 3 months.

Once WP is issued, in theory, there are two options available:
      1. Get out of the country to apply for an LD visa (max. validity 24 months).
      2. Apply for a TRC (usually within the country) which is valid for the duration of one's labour  contract (2 - 3 yrs).

In most cases (for multiple reasons), the WP is issued while the applicant is already in VN, either on a tourist visa or a business visa.
Hence TRC is the most convenient option for those (most) expats.

LD is ok only when one's WP is issued prior to one's arrival in VN.
I reckon such cases are extremely rare ... may happen only at high-level corporate hires.
Even then, most will opt to apply for a TRC once they are in Vietnam.

Main Vietnam Visa Categories - 2015 onward

Twolibrans wrote:

Apparently this working visa must be collected from a Vietnam embassy outside the country . -with a letter from immigration applied for by your company in vietnam .
.

That letter doesn't seem to override the following core requirement/s:
    - work permit of the foreigner
OR
    - document of the competent state agency defining the exemptions of the work permit.

Ref:
- Worker's Pass (translated)
- LD visa (Vietnamese)

Ok. I got this information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok. Quote

Business visa means you come to work with Vietnamese businesses. Work visa means you come to Viet Nam to work in general.

You can try to ask staff of the TSN Airport, but you still need to have approval from Immigration Department of Viet Nam for you to enter Viet Nam to work to get a work visa.
Unquote
So with a work permit you cant transfer a tourist visa to a TRC you need to go out and get this work visa with the letter from immigration . But you cant get it until you have your work permit and you cant get the letter from immigration while you are in vietnam either . Must be outside the country for that . I guess this all just gets convoluted with the various generals and lawmakers shuffling papers and documents around for days on end .

****In most cases (for multiple reasons), the WP is issued while the applicant is already in VN, either on a tourist visa or a business visa. ***
Last time i got it like that but it seems now new rules apply .

Twolibrans wrote:

****In most cases (for multiple reasons), the WP is issued while the applicant is already in VN, either on a tourist visa or a business visa. ***
Last time i got it like that but it seems now new rules apply .

No, it's still the same.
Most Eng. teachers still get their WPs while in Vietnam on business visa.
They may not allow one on a tourist visa to apply for WP but if your VN employer invites you on a sponsored DN (business) visa (usually a 3 month one), s/he can (and MUST) apply for your WP within the first three months of your stay in VN. No problem there.

It also depends on the nature of your job and your employer's profile.
For most non-teaching jobs Govt. needs a detailed clarification from the employer on why the company wants to hire a foreigner instead of a local. They are now quite strict on that part.
In other words, it's up to the employer to prove that you are an expert in your field and that your expertise is not available in the local market. 
In such a case it's mandatory to get Govt's approval (read WP / exemption of WP) before inviting a foreign national to come to Vietnam for employment.
Hence the LD visa.

As I said, much depends on your employer's profile and a few other factors.
I know many companies in IT and other sectors still hire foreigners (with WP) after inviting them on 3-month DN visas.

If you are looking for information on LD visa, only your employer can tell you how long it'll take for them to get the Govt. approval.
Each case is different and an application for approval may have to go through multiple layers of scrutiny by various Govt. agencies before getting the nod.
I got my WP (while in VN) in just 14 days ..... I know people who had to wait nearly two months to get theirs.

Sure . You can get your WP on any visa but to get a TRC you will need to get an invitation letter and the special work visa outside the country  as i have detailed before . Cheers

Twolibrans wrote:

Sure . You can get your WP on any visa but to get a TRC you will need to get an invitation letter and the special work visa outside the country  as i have detailed before . Cheers

Not sure who is giving you this information. Maybe best you contact an agent within Viet Nam.

http://www.antlawyers.vn/library/proced … etnam.html

Twolibrans wrote:

Sure . You can get your WP on any visa but to get a TRC you will need to get an invitation letter and the special work visa outside the country  as i have detailed before . Cheers

Honestly, that's news to me.
If they allow you to work legally in Vietnam for a year or more (i.e. Work Permit), there's no reason why they won't grant a TRC to you for the same period. Minimum validity of a TRC is 1 yr. Best is 2 - 3 years or more (related to business/investment etc.). Less than 1 year, they will not give you a TRC.

I can't  find any mention of LD visa in the following link.
Please check the "Required documents" section.
TRC - Vietnam

So thats what both the Vietnam Embassy in Bangkok and the immigration officers at TSN told me directly . I fly back in a few days so will see first hand .

Just so as i detailed earlier . Dont believe the agents here in vietnam . They are out to ripp you off .

So what happened?

You tried telling us things could be done a certain way and it hasn't worked out for you.

It's great entertainment to watch people ask questions, and then, when those who have knowledge to share provide assistance, the OP then proceeds to answer their own question and declare that no one (or no agency) knows what they are talking about. (Go ahead and delete my post ADMIN: I'm just being snarky...)

Ok here is the latest via an agent. Firstly all the prices (US$) have just gone up (someones birthday i guess) They fluctuate all the time. Tourist extension best for moment to get 1 month for $40 until price drops, probably next month. (you can get 3 of these before you need to leave country) 3 months is $120 ($50 if you go to Cambodia but its $50 to get in there) 12 month biz is all up including letter $450. (should be under $320) 2 year TRC is $800. (should come down to $700 within month or so) The whole thing is........ what you cant talk about.

SpudsGreen wrote:

Ok here is the latest via an agent. Firstly all the prices (US$) have just gone up (someones birthday i guess) They fluctuate all the time. Tourist extension best for moment to get 1 month for $40 until price drops, probably next month. (you can get 3 of these before you need to leave country) 3 months is $120 ($50 if you go to Cambodia but its $50 to get in there) 12 month biz is all up including letter $450. (should be under $320) 2 year TRC is $800. (should come down to $700 within month or so) The whole thing is........ what you cant talk about.

Are you saying it's $50 to get into Cambodia?

Yes it is US$50 for a Visa to get into Scambodia.

Also don't use Phillipines for a border run. Free 30 day visa to get in but US$120 for 3 month VN visa coming back.

Also check Visa cost from Thailand and Malaysia they also could be high.

My information is spot on 100% correct as of this minute.

SpudsGreen wrote:

Yes it is US$50 for a Visa to get into Scambodia.

Not sure where you got that price, but its $30 usd for a 1 month visa.