1 Yr DN Business visa for US entrepreneur

Wavehunter wrote:

FYI, I have a licensed S-Corp in the USA and will be in Vietnam to explore opportunities of finding manufacturers to build products for my online sales business in the US.  I have been working with Chinese manufacturers but want to shift to Vietnam for sourcing now, as I think the opportunities are better.

You are the right candidate for a DN visa. If you don't know any manufacturers here at all then come here on a tourist visa, even one month visa.  Look around and find a company that you think can supply the products you need.  Ask them for an invitation letter.  Take that letter and get the DN visa.  You can find a boiler plate letter template on the internet.  Just have them type it up on their letterhead and sign and chop it.

When I got my first DN visa  back when I was considering shifting my manufacturing from China to Vietnam I was lucky and had already been talking online with one company who had supplied some quotes.  They happily gave me an invitation letter.  Once you have the letter and DN you can pursue other manufacturers.

Thanks @SteinNebraska for your concise and helpful advice; most appreciated.

Can you suggest best option for applying for a tourist visa.  When I google for information, all I get is agent listings that sound shady (as though they are trying to pass themselves off as official government agencies (i.e.: vietnamvisa.govt.vn).

If it is a VOA agent I should be seeking, can you suggest a few legit ones (by DM)?

I don't have an agent so I can't suggest one.  Someone else may be able to recommend one.  Sorry.

That's OK; another highly credible member on here provided me with one.  I really appreciate your advice on approaching potential suppliers for a letter.  I have, in fact, been in discussions with several so that is an excellent idea.  I thank you for that idea

Kind regards.

East to do VOA. All you need to do is before you fly apply for visa approval letter... Takes a couple of days.

I got my multiple one from the UK in four days.. cost 35USD.

Print it out and completenthe visa in arrival form at the airport, hand over with the letter and two photos.

Maybe 20  mins later they call your name and you pay the 50usd stamping fee.

Done and away you go
Agents will do the above for you at a price.

From memory I used Vietnam evisa to get the tourist approval letter for three months.

Jlgarbutt wrote:

East to do VOA. All you need to do is before you fly apply for visa approval letter... Takes a couple of days.

I got my multiple one from the UK in four days.. cost 35USD.

Print it out and completenthe visa in arrival form at the airport, hand over with the letter and two photos.

Maybe 20  mins later they call your name and you pay the 50usd stamping fee.

Done and away you go
Agents will do the above for you at a price.

The thread topic and the subject of the OP:

1 Yr DN Business visa for US entrepreneur

Wavehunter wrote:

HI folks,
I'm new on this forum.  I have a question regarding 1 Yr DN Business visa for US entrepreneur.  I am planning to move to Vietnam (Da Nang) from Thailand in the next 3 months, and want to get a Business visa.  I'm not sure how to go about this since I am a self-employed entrepreneur (i.e.: not sponsored).

FYI, I have a licensed S-Corp in the USA and will be in Vietnam to explore opportunities of finding manufacturers to build products for my online sales business in the US.  I have been working with Chinese manufacturers but want to shift to Vietnam for sourcing now, as I think the opportunities are better.  Just mentioning all of this as a way of saying I think I have a legitimate reason for seeking this type of visa.

I see nothing but agents listed when I google for information, and many sound a bit suspect since their web addresses seem to infer that they are somehow connected with the government, when in fact they are not.  So, I don't even know where to turn for trustworthy advice.

I also know there are plenty of agents that work in less than honest ways and I'm not interested in finding any of them at all

I'd really appreciate it if some knowledgeable forum members might be able to steer me in the right direction.  I know posting specific referrals on the forum are not cool, so if you could DM me the name(s) of trusted agents, or just offer some sound advice, I'd be most appreciative.

Thanks in advance.

For anyone reading this while actually in The USA, you can apply for the 1 Yr Category DN Business Visa for US Citizens through this online link:

vietnamconsulate-sf. org/en/2019/05/09/apply-online-receive-loose-leaf-visa-delivered-by-fedex/

The loose leaf visa must be deliverable to you in The USA.

Worth noting: When I pull up the full interface on that webpage, it doesn't say anything about providing a sponsor letter.

Perhaps after you submit the online application, they might follow up and ask you for a sponsor letter, however, from their promise of quick turnaround time, that doesn't seem to be likely "to me".

Those who--such as the OP--are out of the USA and planning to travel to Vietnam without returning to the states first MUST use a VOA agent to secure the unique 1 Year Category DN Business Visa for US Citizens.

Sorry I should have mentioned the response was to the point made in another post about using s tourist visa to come here first before he find local suppliers.

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Sorry I should have mentioned the response was to the point made in another post about using s tourist visa to come here first before he find local suppliers.

That's a great point for a lot of people.

Sometimes people post on here about great plans and want the longest term Visa or residency permit possible.

Often the best advice is your advice: check things out on a tourist visa first.

Cheers!

My visa agent informed me that presently Immigration is not accepting requests for any visas, including visa-on-arrival, and the 1 Yr Category DN Business Visa for US Citizens due to Coronavirus situation.  This temporary ban is through at least 15 April.

I had heard that VOA's would not be issued, but thought the temp. ban only applied to it, and not all visas.     

I suppose it actually makes sense given the unusually strong proactive measures VN seems to be taking with Covid-19, but I was still surprised, given I had not heard of this before my agent informed me today.

Though I trust this agent to be well-informed, If I may have interpreted this what she told me, please give me a heads-up because this was the first I had heard of this.
Thanks

Wavehunter wrote:

My visa agent informed me that presently Immigration is not accepting requests for any visas, including visa-on-arrival, and the 1 Yr Category DN Business Visa for US Citizens due to Coronavirus situation.  This temporary ban is through at least 15 April.

I had heard that VOA's would not be issued, but thought the temp. ban only applied to it, and not all visas.     

I suppose it actually makes sense given the unusually strong proactive measures VN seems to be taking with Covid-19, but I was still  Wow he's too early surprised, given I had not heard of this before my agent informed me today.

Though I trust this agent to be well-informed, If I may have interpreted this what she told me, please give me a heads-up because this was the first I had heard of this.
Thanks

I think the easy rule right now is that it can't be done through a visa on arrival letter and even if a person has a visa on arrival letter, it's invalid.

The only option available seems to be through an Embassy of Vietnam in your home nation.

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Wavehunter wrote:

My visa agent informed me that presently Immigration is not accepting requests for any visas, including visa-on-arrival, and the 1 Yr Category DN Business Visa for US Citizens due to Coronavirus situation.  This temporary ban is through at least 15 April.

I had heard that VOA's would not be issued, but thought the temp. ban only applied to it, and not all visas.     

I suppose it actually makes sense given the unusually strong proactive measures VN seems to be taking with Covid-19, but I was still  Wow he's too early surprised, given I had not heard of this before my agent informed me today.

Though I trust this agent to be well-informed, If I may have interpreted this what she told me, please give me a heads-up because this was the first I had heard of this.
Thanks

I think the easy rule right now is that it can't be done through a visa on arrival letter and even if a person has a visa on arrival letter, it's invalid.

The only option available seems to be through an Embassy of Vietnam in your home nation.

===
Keeping in mind that my goal is a DN Visa, not a VOA, my agent advised me to just wait until the temporary ban is lifted, at which time she would then be able to help me with the DN visa. 

She seemed to be saying that no visas were being honored at all (not just VOA), so I'm not sure how applying for the visa from my home country's embassy would change that.  Do you disagree?

Perhaps I misunderstand the process; is a VOA a necessary prerequisite to getting a DN VIsa?