Procedure for a foreign worker who already has work permit is as follows: sponsoring the foreigner for the entry visa (official letter for entry or visa approval letter), visa extension or temporary resident card. In the background of tightened entry regulation and subject of entry, foreign technicians and managers are accorded priority for entry permit.
Procedure to sponsor foreigners for entry permit
With exploding expansion of the COVID-19 virus, procedure for sponsoring an entry permit for foreigner is more complicated.
In order to sponsor, filing a visa approval letter (VAL) or entry documents for technicians or investors who already have work permit, the inviting and sponsoring party send their request directly to the provincial or city’s labor committee office asking for approval. This phase of procedure is difficult in explaining the necessary need for the worker’s entry permit.
After getting the pre-approved letter of consent (PLOC) from the Provincial, City’s People Committee, the sponsoring business entity continues to file for visa approval letter / entry permit from the immigration office. Here, again, the sponsoring party must explain their plan, working schedule in accordance with the regulation.
The next step would be transportation, air ticket and hotel registrations. The last step is to provide the health department plan of quarantine that is comforms to the COVID-19 Prevention Committee.
In case where the technician/ manager is to work in southern provinces but the entry and quarantine point is in the HCM City, after getting the pre-approved letter of consent (PLOC) from the city, he should proceed to file for the visa approval letter for entering and being quarantined at the city before filing for the entry permit at the immigration bureau.
Procedure to have visa extended
Visa approval letter or letter of entry is to be regarded as a “temporary visa.” As entering into the country, technicians and managers should already possess work permits. They would file an approval letter for a three-month single-entry visa. After that duration, in order to stay further, they have to extend their visas.
Documents required for visa extension for technicians and managers possessing a work permit include:
- Original passport
- Current visa
- Application for visa issuance or stay extension
- Corporation documents: business operation license; legal official stamp certificate.
- Letter of introduction for the Vietnamese paper’s handler (if there is one).
- Work permit or document stating the foreign worker is excluded by the work permit category.
Note: in case where the work permit certifies that the foreign worker is excluded from work permit category, and that the permit is valid for more than 13 months, and the passport is valid for more than two years, the worker should apply for the temporary resident card instead of having to renew the visa extension frequently and costly.
Application for temporary resident card includes:
- Form NA6, NA8 as per Directive 04/2015/TT-BCA
- Work permit or document excludes the worker from work permit category.
- Business operating license; investment license; business branch license or representative office … as per situation dictates.
- Passport and visa list the entry purpose accordingly.
- two 2cmx3cm photos.
- Local police’s certification of the temporary residency.
Technicians, managers who are granted work permit category 1 (LĐ1) or category 2 (LĐ2) depends on individual situation. The duration for work permit category 1 and category 2 is not more than 24 months.
Note for foreign workers in Vietnam
- Application for sponsoring entry visa (filing for letter of entry or visa approval letter) for foreigner who has work permit would be easier if the worker/manager has vaccination passport, or paper certifies the holder has had the required two-shot vaccination.
Vaccination passport or two-shot vaccination paper (with diplomatic introduction letter) will only require seven days of quarantine. Other situation will be dealt per current regulation. - Depends on circumstance, realistic situation, the foreigner can proceed to apply for visa extension or temporary resident card.
It might be harder to get the visa approval letter, but it might be easier to apply for the temporary resident card, or visa extension during this time of COVID-19 impact. To save time and expenses, please call PNVT hotline at 0977 97 99 96 for all advices on procedures and documentations.
