How Foreigners Could Apply for Residence Permits to Stay in Vietnam from 2022? | ANT Lawyers

 In the current process of industrialization and international integration, it is common for foreigners to reside and work in Vietnam permanently or temporarily. In order to legally reside in Vietnam, a foreigner must be eligible to be granted a permanent residence card or a temporary residence card in accordance with Vietnam immigration law.

Temporary residence card is a document issued by an immigration management agency or a competent agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to a foreigner who is allowed to reside in Vietnam for a definite time and has a valid temporary residence card visa replacement. Subjects granted temporary residence cards in Vietnam include: (i) Foreigners who are members of diplomatic missions, consular offices, representative offices of international organizations of the United Nations, inter-governmental organizations the government in Vietnam and their spouses, children under 18 years of age, and domestic servants who accompany them for their respective terms; (ii) Foreigners enter with visas with symbols LV1, LV2, LS, DT1, DT2, DT3, NN1, NN2, DH, PV1, LD1, LD2, TT. Depending on each person who is granted a temporary residence card in Vietnam, the duration of the temporary residence card is different.

Foreigners who are eligible to be granted temporary residence cards in Vietnam according to the two subjects mentioned above must be sponsored and applied for residence card in Vietnam by the agencies, organizations, individuals at the Immigration Department or the Immigration Department Police Department of the province, centrally run city where the agency or organization sponsoring is headquartered or where the sponsored party resides.

It is very challenging to apply for the permanent residence card in Vietnam. The permanent residence is issued by the immigration authority to foreigners who are allowed to reside indefinitely in Vietnam and is valid in lieu of a visa. Foreigners who are considered for permanent residence in Vietnam include: (i) Foreigners who have made meritorious, contributions to the cause of construction and defense of the Vietnamese fatherland are awarded medals or titles by the Vietnamese government state honor; (ii) Foreigners who are scientists, experts temporarily residing in Vietnam; (iii) The foreigner is guaranteed by father, mother, wife, husband, child who are Vietnamese citizens who are permanently residing in Vietnam; (iv) Stateless people who have temporarily resided continuously in Vietnam from 2000 or earlier. At the same time, the following conditions must be met: (i) Having a lawful place of residence and a stable income to ensure life in Vietnam; (ii) If a scientist, expert is temporarily residing in Vietnam, must be requested by a Minister, Deputy Minister of a ministerial-level agency, a government-attached agency in charge of state management in that professional field, (iii) If sponsored by father, mother, wife, husband, child who is a Vietnamese citizens who are permanently residing in Vietnam, the duration of temporary residence in Vietnam for a foreigner applying for permanent residence shall be determined as follows: Foreigners who have temporarily resided in Vietnam for 03 consecutive years or more are determined on the basis of the entry verification stamp, the exit verification stamp issued at the border gate with a total temporary stay in Vietnam from 03 years or more in the last 4 years from the date of applying for permanent residence.

To save time and hassles, it is suggested to consult with lawyers in Hanoi, or Da Nang or Ho Chi Minh City on immigration matters.

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How to Invest, Do Business and Reside in Vietnam in 2022? | ANT Lawyers

With economic opening policies, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam is an attractive destination for foreign investors. Accordingly, the number of foreign investors in Vietnam is constantly increasing. In order to create favorable conditions for individual investors with direct capital investment or representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam to live, work, Vietnam has policies, suitable for each type of investor in being granted temporary residence cards in Vietnam.

Investors using visas, temporary residence cards under the investment category sponsored by foreign investment companies and with the temporary residence card symbol DT, are divided into three types of temporary residence cards as follows: (i) DT1 – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with a contributed capital of VND 100 billion (USD 4.5 mil) or more or investing in industries, professions eligible for investment incentives, geographical areas with investment incentives decided by the Government; (ii) DT2 – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with a contributed capital of between VND 50 billion (USD 2.3 mil) and under VND 100 billion or investing in industries, trades to encourage development investment decided by the Government; (iii) DT3 – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with capital contribution from VND 03 billion (USD 136k) to less than VND 50 billion. Temporary residence cards with a specific term for investors and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam are as follows: Temporary residence cards with symbol DT1 have a term of not more than 10 years; Temporary residence card with symbol DT2 is valid for no more than 05 years; Temporary residence card with symbol DT3 is valid for no more than 03 years. In case foreign investors and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam with a contributed capital of less than VND 03 billion, they will not be granted a temporary residence card, instead they will apply for a signed visa DT4 which is valid for no more than 12 months.

The application file for applying for a temporary residence card to a foreign investor must be documents proving the status of the sponsoring agency, organization, individual; documents proving the relationship between the investor and the sponsoring agency, organization or individual; information of the sponsored investor; relevant document information to determine the type of temporary residence card issued to investors; and declarations in accordance with the law.

If foreign investors and representatives of foreign organizations investing in Vietnam wishing to stay in Vietnam, they need to apply for a temporary residence card according to the conditions, documents, procedures of Vietnamese law. It is important to consult with immigration law firm in Ho Chi Minh City, or in Hanoi, Da nang for effective solutions.

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Temporary Residence Card in Vietnam | ANT Lawyers

 

If a foreigner have been sponsored work permit in Vietnam to work or he/she decides to set up a company in Vietnam, he/she could be granted temporary residence card to live in Vietnam instead of applying and re-newing business or travel visas every three months.

We detail here some procedures which help foreigners to prepare for before applying for temporary residence card.

I. Subjects to be granted temporary residence card:

• Members of foreign representative agencies and their accompanying relatives (father, mother, wife, husband, children under 18 years old).
• Foreigners who work with the Institute of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, the Supreme People’s Court, the ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies attached to the Government and People’s Committees of provinces and cities directly under the Central Government and the Central offices of mass organizations, mass organizations.
• Foreigners who work in projects already approved by competent state agencies licensed in Vietnam.
• Foreigners who work with businesses in Vietnam has the work permit valued more than 01 year.
• Persons on the payroll of foreign representative offices and branches of economic organization, culture and other professional organizations of foreign non-governmental organizations based in Vietnam.
• Foreigners staying in Vietnam for other purposes.

II. Conditions for implementation

+ Time to stay in Vietnam more than 01 year;

+ Valid passport more than 01 year;

III. The composition, the number of records:

1) The composition profile, including:

• A written request of agencies, organizations and individuals offering, guarantee and propose for temporary residence card;
• 01 declaration of information of foreigners who apply for temporary residence, with photos and sealed by the agency or organization: A written request for temporary residence card (Form N7A); a declaration about Foreigners applying for temporary resident card (Form N7B)
• 02 3 x4 cm size photographs;
• 01 copies of passport, valid visa, immigration cards (bring original for comparison);
• 01 copies or photo (bring the original for comparison) proof of purpose to stay in Vietnam.

As the case may file appropriate documents: investment licenses, permits the establishment of enterprises, work permit in Vietnam, certificate of board members and permits the establishment of representative offices, marriage/birth registration.

2) The number of records: 01 (one).

IV. Implementing agencies administrative procedures:

Immigration management Department, Police provinces and cities directly under the Central Government.

V. Implementation time: 05 to 07 days;

VI. Subjects performed:  by organizations and individuals;

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Renew expired visas for foreigners during the Covid-19 period | ANT Lawyers

Visa is a certificate issued by a competent Vietnamese state agency, allowing foreigners to enter Vietnam for immigration for a certain period of time depending on specific case. To be granted a visa, a foreigner must meet the conditions specified in the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam 2014, such as: having a passport or valid international travel document, being invited or sponsored by agencies, organizations and individuals in Vietnam unless otherwise provided for by law and not in the cases where entry is not allowed. In some special cases, to be granted a visa, foreigners will have to present documents proving the purpose of entry. When the visa is about to expire, foreigners can apply for a new visa for immigration into Vietnam.

In order to be issued a new visa, the foreigners need to prepare the following documents: application form for visa issuance; papers on the foreigners need to fully guarantee (if any); valid passport, other necessary proofs related to the purpose of entry and residence. After fully preparing the above documents, the foreigner shall submit the application at working offices of the Immigration Department – the Ministry of Public Security. The immigration officer receiving the dossier will check the dossier. If it is complete and valid, then he or she will receive the application and hand over the receipt, schedule a date to return the results. If the dossier is not valid, the dossier-receiving officer shall guide the submitter to supplement the dossier for completeness.

The result would be available within 05 days from the date of receipt of complete dossiers. The person who comes to receive the result shall present the receipt, identity card or passport to the officer to check and compare, pay the fee and sign for receipt.

However, during the period of complicated developments of the Covid-19 epidemic, the Prime Minister and leaders of the Ministry of Public Security issued instructions on the implementation of “automatic extension of temporary residence” for foreigners affected by the Covid-19 epidemic. Accordingly, foreigners entering under the visa exemption category, entering with an electronic visa or a tourist visa from March 1, 2020 until now, will continue to have their temporary residence extended until the end of August 31, 2021 and can leave the country within the above time limit without having to carry out procedures for extension of temporary residence.

In case a foreigner who entered the country before March 1, 2020 if he/she can prove that he is trapped due to Covid-19, being certified by the diplomatic mission or has a written confirmation from the competent authority of Vietnam about the isolation and treatment of Covid-19 or other force majeure reasons, is also considered to apply “automatic extension of temporary residence” until the end of August 31, 2021.

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How Foreigners Can Extend Visa in Vietnam During Covid-19? | ANT Lawyers

Since the beginning of 2020, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, many foreign nationals entering Vietnam on a visa-free basis, entering with an e-visa or a tourist visa have been “stuck” in Viet Nam. In addition, Vietnam is restricting the issuance of new visas to foreign citizens to focus on the prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic, hence many foreign citizens in Vietnam cannot apply for a new visa, even though their visas have expired. Many foreigners have been concerning whether they can extend visa in Vietnam and seek help from immigration lawyers in Vietnam for such queries.

To ensure the legal residence of these foreign citizens during the time when the world is facing the Covid-19 epidemic, Vietnam has “automatically extended temporary residence” status for foreign citizens in the above categories from March 01st, 2020 to the end of December 31, 2021. Foreign nationals who are automatically extended temporary residence do not need to apply for a new visa, however, they will renew their temporary residence every month to legally reside in Vietnam.

The automatic extension of temporary residence is also applied to cases of entry before March 01st, 2020 if they can be proven to be stranded due to the Covid-19 epidemic, certification of the Diplomatic missions by Diplomatic note (with Vietnamese translation) or a written certification from a Vietnamese competent authority about being isolated, treated for Covid-19 or other force majeure reasons.

In addition, to be automatically extended temporary residence, foreign citizens eligible for automatic extension of temporary residence must make temporary residence declaration and medical declaration according to regulations. In addition, foreign citizens need to comply with and not violate the law in Vietnam.

Automatic extension of temporary residence will help foreign citizens save time, cost, and travel restrictions during the outbreak of the pandemic as complex as it is today. However, the extended period of temporary residence is normally 30 days, hence the foreigners need to carry out the procedure to extend their temporary residence every month according to the notice of the Immigration Department.

In cases of extension of temporary residence, foreign citizens are allowed to temporarily reside in Vietnam for the permitted period and exit without declaration. After exiting the country, if they wish to return to Vietnam, foreign citizens must apply for a new visa in accordance with the law.

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How Foreigners Can Extend Visa in Vietnam During Covid-19 | ANT Lawyers

Since the beginning of 2020, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, many foreign nationals entering Vietnam on a visa-free basis, entering with an e-visa or a tourist visa have been “stuck” in Viet Nam. In addition, Vietnam is restricting the issuance of new visas to foreign citizens to focus on the prevention of the Covid-19 epidemic, hence many foreign citizens in Vietnam cannot apply for a new visa, even though their visas have expired. Many foreigners have been concerning whether they can extend visa in Vietnam and seek help from immigration lawyers in Vietnam for such queries.

To ensure the legal residence of these foreign citizens during the time when the world is facing the Covid-19 epidemic, Vietnam has “automatically extended temporary residence” status for foreign citizens in the above categories from March 01st, 2020 to the end of December 31, 2021. Foreign nationals who are automatically extended temporary residence do not need to apply for a new visa, however, they will renew their temporary residence every month to legally reside in Vietnam.

The automatic extension of temporary residence is also applied to cases of entry before March 01st, 2020 if they can be proven to be stranded due to the Covid-19 epidemic, certification of the Diplomatic missions by Diplomatic note (with Vietnamese translation) or a written certification from a Vietnamese competent authority about being isolated, treated for Covid-19 or other force majeure reasons.

In addition, to be automatically extended temporary residence, foreign citizens eligible for automatic extension of temporary residence must make temporary residence declaration and medical declaration according to regulations. In addition, foreign citizens need to comply with and not violate the law in Vietnam.

Automatic extension of temporary residence will help foreign citizens save time, cost, and travel restrictions during the outbreak of the pandemic as complex as it is today. However, the extended period of temporary residence is normally 30 days, hence the foreigners need to carry out the procedure to extend their temporary residence every month according to the notice of the Immigration Department.

In cases of extension of temporary residence, foreign citizens are allowed to temporarily reside in Vietnam for the permitted period and exit without declaration. After exiting the country, if they wish to return to Vietnam, foreign citizens must apply for a new visa in accordance with the law.

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Visa and Immigration Matters in Vietnam | ANT Lawyers

 

Foreigners entering Vietnam  for  different  purposes  will  need proper  visas  issued,  failing  which  would lead  to  the  revocation,  invalidation  of  entry/exit/residence  permits issued  by  Vietnamese  competent authorities.  The length of stay  in  Vietnam for foreigners  depend  on the  visa type and the time  duration specified  on  the  visa  itself.    For  some  visas,  especially  work  related  visas,  the  foreigners  need  to  be sponsored by Vietnam enterprises  for working purpose.  The proper works  visa must be obtained before work permit in Vietnam would be issued and the foreigners could apply for temporary residence card to stay in Vietnam for a longer period.

Below lists down all visa symbol for references.

1.     NG1 –  Issued to  members  of  delegations  invited  by  the  Secretary  General  of  Vietnam’s  Communist Party of, the President of Vietnam, the President of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister.

2.     NG2 –  issued  to  members  of  delegations  invited  by  standing  members  of  the  Secretariat  of  the Vietnam’s Communist Party, Deputy President of Vietnam, Deputy President of the National Assembly, Deputy  Prime  Minister,  President  of  Vietnamese  Fatherland  Front,  Executive  Judge  of  The  Supreme Court, Chief Procurator of the Supreme Procuracy, State Auditor General; members of delegations at the same  levels  of  Ministers,  Secretary  Generals  of  Provincial Communist  Authorities,  President  of  the People’s Committees of provinces.

3.     NG3 –   Issued   to   members   of   diplomatic   missions,  consular   offices,   representative   offices   of international organizations affiliated to the UN, representative offices of intergovernmental organizations and their spouses, children under 18 years of age, and housemaids during their term of office.

4.     NG4- Issued  to  people  who  come  to  work  with  diplomatic missions,  consular  offices,  representative offices  of  international  organizations  affiliated  to  the  UN,  representative  offices  of  intergovernmental organizations,  visitors  of  members  of  diplomatic  missions,  consular  offices,  representative  offices  of international   organizations   affiliated   to   the   UN,   and   representative   offices   of   intergovernmental organizations.

5.     LV1 –  Issued  to  people  who  come  to  work  with  units  affiliated  to  Vietnam’s  Communist  Party;  the National  Assembly,  the  government,  Central  Committee  of  Vietnamese  Fatherland  Front,  the  People’s Supreme  Court,  the  People’s  Supreme  Procuracy,  State  Audit  Agency,  Ministries,  ministerial  agencies, Governmental agencies, the People’s Councils, the People’s Committees of provinces.

6.     LV2 –  Issued  to  people  who  come  to  work  with  socio-political  organizations,  social  organizations, Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

7.     ĐT – Issued to foreign investors in Vietnam and foreign lawyers practicing in Vietnam.

8.     DN – Issued to people who come to work with companies in Vietnam.

9.     NN1 –  Issued  to  Managers  of  representative  offices  or  projects  of  international  organizations  and foreign non-governmental organizations in Vietnam.

10. NN2 – Issued to heads of representative offices, branches of foreign traders, representative offices of other foreign economic, cultural, professional organizations in Vietnam.

11. NN3 –   Issued   to   people   who   come   to   work   with   foreign   non-governmental   organizations, representative offices, branches of  foreign  traders,  representative  offices  of  other  foreign  economic, cultural, professional organizations in Vietnam.

12. DH – Issued to people who come to study or serve internship.

13. HN – Issued to people who come to attend conventions or conferences.

14. PV1 – Issued to journalists who have permanent residences in Vietnam.

15. PV2 – Issued to journalists who come to work for a short period of time in Vietnam.

16. LĐ – Issued to people who come to work.

17. DL – Issued to tourists.

18. TT –  Issued to foreigners that are  parents,  spouse,  children under  18  years  of  age  of  the  foreigners issued  with  LV1,  LV2, ĐT,  NN1,  NN2,  UNIVERSITY,  PV1,  LĐ  visas,  or  foreigners  that  are  parents, spouse, children of Vietnamese citizens.

19. VR – Issued to people who come to visit their relatives or for have other purposes.

20. SQ – Issued to people at an overseas visa-issuing authority of Vietnam

It is  important that the immigration lawyers  in Vietnam to be retained for advice in regard to visa, work permit, temporary residence card or other immigration matters.

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