Work Permit Guide
Getting a Work Permit in Vietnam can very difficult. If you are not associated with a big company, or if you don’t have connections, you will have to do most of the work yourself. Even though I am teaching for a rather large company, I have been having some troubles. Basically they have had my papers for 2 months now, and no word has been given about the status of the permit. However it took me 4-6 months to get my papers from America, mostly due to the lack of documentation online and elsewhere. So here is my unofficial, don’t blame me if it doesn’t work, guide.
Things you need:
Before we begin, this might be the most important thing to remember. Always ALWAYS always have your name the same. On every single piece of paper the name must be the same. If your diploma is I.P. Freely, then that is how every piece of paper must be. Please note this and remember this and tattoo it on your forehead or something.
First get your transcripts from your University, make sure they are notarized or come with a official letter that states they are authentic and have that letter notarized. The transcripts should remained sealed if that is the way they were sent to you. Next go to the Sheriff’s department and get a police clearance certificate (police check). Again make sure the names on the police check and the diploma are the same. Do not go to the county court house, they will not help you, and they will charge you money. The sheriff’s department will just give it to you for free. Oh, and get it notarized. Ditto on the diploma or official statement of graduation. Remember Notarize everything. Vietnamese people love stamps.
Next get the address of your Secretary of State, and find out what the policy is on Apostille & Authentication Certificate Ordering, it will differ from state to state. Basically you fill out a form, send in all the papers, and they will certify that the notary publics that you used are officially recognized by the state. You get more stamps! (yay!). It costs roughly $20.
When those return to you, send them off to the Vietnamese Embassy (either one will work). At the embassy you will have to walk over burning coals, eat glass, pierce your body with dull nails, and then they might, just might pick up the telephone to answer your question. I don’t actually know the correct procedure for the embassy, but this is what I did. I sent them all the papers with an additional letter stating what I needed. They translated and certified that the stamp from the secretary of state was authentic. The most difficult part was the cost. As it is not posted anywhere and no one could tell me how much it was, with the fact that I couldn’t bring myself to pierce myself with dull nails (see above), I asked them to send me a bill. They didn’t. They claimed there was no way to contact me, and returned my package, and my family just called the embassy until we got someone to pick up (it took almost a week of calling 10 times per day). The cost was about $150USD. After that was cleared up it only took them another month to finish it and send it back to me.
That is all there is to the US side of things. The papers are then ready to arrive in Vietnam.
Good Luck
Comments desired, criticism accepted. Cookies would be good too.
12 Comments so far
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so basically, get all this stuff done before you go to vietnam right? or did you have all of this done while in vietnam by you or your parents at home?
To make it easy (well, as easy as possible), do it before you come.
Hi,
wonder if you can help me out, i have been offered a job in vietnam as a teacher which i have accepted. 1 problem though regarding the work permit. I was convicted of a minor public order offence (UK) about 19yrs ago, will this affect my chances of obtaining a WP for Vietnam?
Any assistance much appreciated
Richie
Am curious - I am married to a Vietnamese woman and we married in Vietnam with a Vietnamese marriage certificate. Does this give me many residency/working advantages? In most other countries, it would. How about Vietnam?
Thanks for any info.
Hey,
Me and my boyfriend are hoping to move to Vietnam in September to do a TEFL course. My boyfriend does not have a degree qualification - would he still be able to get a working visa?
Thank you!
Emma x
Hi dude. I work for a TESOL training school in HCMC and also run a teacher recruitment and management company here. Anybody, with or without a degree looking for a job of tefl training in town should feel free to contact me - my tefl course is cheaper than ILA’s and i pay my teachers better too! Also once my website is back up (about a week) perhaps we could talk about a link?
Hi Andy, would love to see that website when it’s up. I’m currently in Australia, about to take a TESOL course. My partner and I are hoping to live and teach in HCMC as of 2009. I’m panicking because neither of us have a degree, but we’ve both studied grammar and writing as a diploma. We’ve spent time in Vietnam before and loved it.
Anyhoo, I’ll pop back in a week’s time and check for a link.
Andy - I’d be interested in seeing your website and I’ll link you after we talk.
Bec- Anyone can teach. If you don’t have a 4 year Uni degree your pay will just be lower. Also without a 4 year degree you can’t get a work permit, but that hasn’t stopped many teachers. A TEFL or TESOL (they are different) only will help you get a better job.
If you:
A) have no degrees at all — very low pay, bad schools
B) have a 4 year degree — low pay, bad schools
C) have a 4 year degree and TESOL/TEFL — Normal pay and normal school
D) have a 4 year degree in teaching or English and a CELTA — Excellent pay and School (can teach at top level international schools)
That’s how I see it.
Hii, I have a BA in Journalism and a TEFL and TESL certificate and 4 yrs teaching experience in Japan and 1 yr in china, but my university is not recognised by the government there…can I still get a wrok permit?
Tina — Only if the Government in Vietnam recognizes the university….
hi. website should be back up in a day or two - all red and yellow now - very patriotic!
a grown up TESOL - trinity or similar is the equal of a celta, but trains for teaching high school age primarily rather than than the Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (celta)both are equally accepted the world over and most importantly here by the vn govt. the key is that it is a 120+hr internationally accredited course with at least 6 hrs of practicum. degrees, i agree are less important - ila and apollo may require them but as they are two of the worst paying schools in town who survive on recruiting people before they even set foot in vn. i wouldn’t let that bother you!
This may or may not help some of you looking to work in Veitnam - I found on a webiste “pwcservices.com” that since April 2008, there is an excemption for work permits if you are working for LESS than 3 months in Vietnam… there are also other excemptions however they generally do not apply for teaching jobs.
Hope that might help someone out there!