Bad News for Expats wishing to Extend their Visas.

DirtyPierre wrote:

Since last Monday morning, you cannot extend a Viet visa, you have to go out of the country and buy a new one.

Welcome to the smart Viet immigration Authorities. NOT

There is some talk of new visa regulations in Indonesia, with suggestions it may be a side effect of the ASEAN agreement ......... and some paranoia.
I wonder if this is the same.

Any idea?

DirtyPierre wrote:

Since last Monday morning, you cannot extend a Viet visa, you have to go out of the country and buy a new one.

Don't complain - Thailand requires repeat visitors to stay out of the country for 90 days.

You can usually get a 10-day extension to 'arrange your affairs' and for organising tickets, currency, etc., in VietNam.

It could be worse as these German cruise ship patrons found out the hard way while docking at the new marina at Nha Trang.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/25211/sea … -visa-rule

my guests are getting trouble with visa too even type of visa are B3 but seem very hard to renew next 3 mths mutiple ...still waiting until 10jan to get news officially from immigration office

Smart Cambodians should set up an arrangement whereby border runners can stay just inside Cambodia and the agents take the passports to Phnom Penh.

And they are still talking about a blended visa area whereby Thai, Cambo, Laos and VN visas are good for all countries!

DirtyPierre wrote:

It could be worse as these German cruise ship patrons found out the hard way while docking at the new marina at Nha Trang.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/25211/sea … -visa-rule

The travel companies will simply stop bothering if the Vietnamese authorities create too many complaints.
That and tourists won't want to go.

DirtyPierre wrote:

It could be worse as these German cruise ship patrons found out the hard way while docking at the new marina at Nha Trang.
http://tuoitrenews.vn/society/25211/sea … -visa-rule

7 different stamps instead of just one! That's going to discourage people from coming to VN too many times, it will fill up a passport in no time flat and you either need to pay the fee to have more pages added or apply for a new passport when that happens. Real dumb move for sure, sound more like these guys all just want to show how important THEY are, each on stamping the passport instead of just one of the.

My bet is that it's going to hit the tourism industry the hardest because they're going to have to spend both time and money helping their clients wade through this nightmare.

Sounds like something that they'd do here in Brazil.... public servants in this country don't think they're more powerful that God, they're convinced of it. They all try and one up each other at every step of the way.... politics! Just a childish game of "mine's bigger than yours is!"

Cheers,
James          Expat-blog Experts Team

This is a foolish move for Vietnam, how much money each year expats like myself put into the Vietnam economy. I stayed here last for 15 months spending money.....now if this 3 months run out of the country is going to be the mind set of fools that get to play with rubber stamps, I'll re think if this is the place to hang out. There must be a few smart countries that welcome retired foreigners to spend their retirement money....Yes the machinery of government is a very dysfunctional organisation with petty ego friction up and down the organisation...Maybe will be in the future where AI technology will be able to be more wise way to organise systems of Governance in our future.....

Anyhow I just returned from Cambodia and now am the proud owner of the new greatly dissatisfying DL visa the name for non extendable tourist visa....3 months and away I need to go......

Anyone, any ideas, a few i thought of was a student visa which is good for a year, maybe if you officially study language or something here you can have this type of visa....any comments?
The other is a work visa which is also good for a year, anyone know anything about how i could arrange one of them?

The real rub is i like living in Nha Trang

jaya1946 wrote:

This is a foolish move for Vietnam, how much money each year expats like myself put into the Vietnam economy. I stayed here last for 15 months spending money.....now if this 3 months run out of the country is going to be the mind set of fools that get to play with rubber stamps, I'll re think if this is the place to hang out. There must be a few smart countries that welcome retired foreigners to spend their retirement money....Yes the machinery of government is a very dysfunctional organisation with petty ego friction up and down the organisation...Maybe will be in the future where AI technology will be able to be more wise way to organise systems of Governance in our future.....

Anyhow I just returned from Cambodia and now am the proud owner of the new greatly dissatisfying DL visa the name for non extendable tourist visa....3 months and away I need to go......

Anyone, any ideas, a few i thought of was a student visa which is good for a year, maybe if you officially study language or something here you can have this type of visa....any comments?
The other is a work visa which is also good for a year, anyone know anything about how i could arrange one of them?

The real rub is i like living in Nha Trang

You have chosen yourself, to break the rules of residency. On a visa, you can't be legally employed or run a business (this is a fact since over 7 years) and therefore, you likely not have paid any taxes. Officially you are a tourist, no more, no less.

The new rule now makes it even more challenging. You will need a residency card in connection with a work permit.
You can try Alien Consulting in #10 Ngyuen Thien Thuat, check out if and what they can do in your case.
Without any advise or assistance of experienced people, you likely can't fix it.

jaya1946 wrote:

Anyone, any ideas, a few i thought of was a student visa which is good for a year, maybe if you officially study language or something here you can have this type of visa....any comments?

Student visa validity is tied to actually studying at the school. I know someone who goes to an oil industry uni course in Vung Tau and he was told that they report his attendance to the Cong An/Immigration.

Part of the orientation class for foreigners included, he said, very good data about immigration procedures. If he switches from one uni to another he has to change his status with Immigration.

Have not seen the new rules. Does anyone know if this affects VEC?

Vagabondone wrote:

Have not seen the new rules. Does anyone know if this affects VEC?

Yes it does. Check out the other posts on the blog for more information.

What is the difference between leaving the country and just doing what we do and pay the Government via a broker !?!?!?

bluecheer wrote:

What is the difference between leaving the country and just doing what we do and pay the Government via a broker !?!?!?

you named it already

Cheers.

and see how hard it is for a vietnamese person to get a visa  australia .good on yer abbott
dont whinge .
happy australia day

I was just offered a 1 or 3 month extension...
talk to someone who knows instead of believing what is written here

Then again I suppose if we dont like the rules and regulations of another country the other choice is to go home!!!!
for me,,, if it looks like a scam or a hassle I would....
or find $15 to take a return trip to Phnom Penh.

fredaussie wrote:

... or find $15 to take a return trip to Phnom Penh.

Bus trip PLUS USD$25 Cambo visa PLUS PP hotel PLUS incidentals (food, etc).

Oh well,,,,
the other option.....go home.
last time I checked had to eat food regardless of where I am????
And visa into Cambo has never been $25..
Maybe you can save up from all the cheap beer and smokes and food you save on a daily basis!!!
$15 bus trip +$30 visa =$45   90 day extension
I think thats about 50 cents a day?????
shouldnt break the bank!!!
for me its well worth trip to PP to save $50 a packet on tobaco compared to
AUS.might even be a money makeing exercise.

Unfortunately no one can reliably accept any report as every transaction can be different: different circumstances, different Immigration officers, different contacts, different amounts of money, different home countries, etc.

VietNam can be corrupting - even a previous US Visa officer in HCM, Michael Todd Sestak, was charging to USD$50,000-70,000 plus personal favours, per visa. Sestak received several million dollars in bribes for approving the visas. Sestak faces 19-24 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines.

The thing that a Foreigner in VietNam must understand is that the Vietnamese system of government, and even the concept of government officialdom behaviour, differs greatly from the concept and administration of government in other countries. 

Not even government officials understand the rules, assuming that they were ever promulgated in the first place, and the five super-cities have the authority to vary some rules for their particular needs.

If you figure that the average tourist kicks in at least USD$45/visa and there were over 9,000,000 tourists in 2014 for over USD$405,000,000 income you would expect the government to have some interest in protecting this income. VNAT (Tourism board) has been pushing for relaxation for years but this whole business has turned into an ego match / p*ssing contest between ministries and ministers and we are 'reaping' the fallout.

This has happened before and, after a period of months, common sense prevails, and things ease up. Remember a major force behind this whole business was tax evasion by Foreigners working legally / illegally in the country and this isn't restricted to language instructors. There are Foreign contractors, many from China, who bring cadres of workers who live in encampments in / on building sites and simply work 7/7 and never leave the site until they go home. They are also paid Chinese pay scale, which is low even under low VN mandatory pay scales.

So sit back, put the kettle on, get the knitting out and be patient.

fredaussie wrote:

And visa into Cambo has never been $25.

Checked my accounts and I have paid VND500,000 (now USD$23.45) over the last 3 years - the last in August - for 30-day tourist visas when I go over to Sihanoukville to escort in to VN from Thailand.

You pay more or less?

People actually want to extend???  Must be running from something or someone

To be honest always paid in US Dollars...
was always $20 at PP airport and Bavet....
recently increased to $30...
Never heard of anyone paying in VND.

the official rules dont matter, anything can be done with money here.  pay a broker to extend your visa.
my broker even offered my friend a 5 year visa for something like 1800usd.  but u still have to extend or leave the country every 3 months.  but no fees when going in or out, and just a tiny stamp on your passport, no visa that takes up a whole page.

Some of those special deals can be risky, offered by "brokers"

This is the land of free enterprise after all.  Cash is King.    But you've got to be careful with what they offer.  I've seen two people sold Visa here by local "police" for a bargain price.  When they got to the airport  several months later to leave those "visas" were "no good".   They found themselves in an office trying to explain who sold them the little rubber stamped Visa.    Very expensive to fix.

Q?    Where you  buy ??? 
A.     Ahhhh......short man, dark hair, brown eyes of Asian appearance , wearing funny looking  green clothes.   

Several hundred dollars later they only just made the flight.

Moral of the story.....beware of little green men offering gifts.

Do you means VEC - Vietnam Exemption Visa Certificate?
If yes, please take a look at new implementation of the Immigration Law From 2015

" People from the countries have Vietnam Visa Exemption Certificate can visit Vietnam unlimited number of times but limited period from the previous exit to the next entry time - It means that the citizens from these country can only visit Vietnam with FREE VISA at least 30 days after their preceding visit. If they want to enter Vietnam sooner, they have to apply Vietnam visa."

Have a nice day!

Vietnam-Travel-142 wrote:

Do you means VEC - Vietnam Exemption Visa Certificate?
If yes, please take a look at new implementation of the Immigration Law From 2015

" People from the countries have Vietnam Visa Exemption Certificate can visit Vietnam unlimited number of times but limited period from the previous exit to the next entry time - It means that the citizens from these country can only visit Vietnam with FREE VISA at least 30 days after their preceding visit. If they want to enter Vietnam sooner, they have to apply Vietnam visa."

Have a nice day!

Lady you need to back on do your homework, it obvious you don't know what a VEC is.....

Vietnam-Travel-142 wrote:

Do you means VEC - Vietnam Exemption Visa Certificate?
If yes, please take a look at new implementation of the Immigration Law From 2015

" People from the countries have Vietnam Visa Exemption Certificate can visit Vietnam unlimited number of times but limited period from the previous exit to the next entry time - It means that the citizens from these country can only visit Vietnam with FREE VISA at least 30 days after their preceding visit. If they want to enter Vietnam sooner, they have to apply Vietnam visa."

Have a nice day!

khanh44 wrote:

Vietnam-Travel-142 wrote:

Do you means VEC - Vietnam Exemption Visa Certificate?
If yes, please take a look at new implementation of the Immigration Law From 2015

" People from the countries have Vietnam Visa Exemption Certificate can visit Vietnam unlimited number of times but limited period from the previous exit to the next entry time - It means that the citizens from these country can only visit Vietnam with FREE VISA at least 30 days after their preceding visit. If they want to enter Vietnam sooner, they have to apply Vietnam visa."

Have a nice day!

Perfect example of what I mentioned the other day about visa sellers and there ability's. This one doesn't know what a VEC is for VK.

Paying those high fees were 'illegal' more than not...I paid all of $10.00 for my 5 year Visa (VEC)...I can remember back years ago, paying $105.00 USD for a 6 month Visa, and $45.00 for a 3 month in Cambodia (one day service), right off the lake.  Paying $1,800 is a never do item...

I'll be finding out on this Thursdays (VEC)  if there are any changes to such.  My 3 months expires on 06 February...

I was told that all visas issued before the 01/01 changes have to be renewed by leaving and re-entering AND that the 2015-issued visas will be renewable in-country. To complicate my situation, the San Francisco Consulate gave me a C2 visa (visiting relatives) three different times, even though I specified "Tourism" and have no relatives anywhere in Asia.

My new visa-on-arrival letter dated 29/01 is for a three month, multiple-entry business visa. It cost US$100 for the letter and I'll pay another US$100 on-arrival.

The rules apparently changed again mid- to late-January, though I have no details.

If you want the name and address of my visa agent in HCMC, send me a private message.

-JohnD- wrote:

If you want the name and address of my visa agent in HCMC, send me a private message.

@ JohnD > Please feel free to recommend these agents in the business directory : https://www.expat.com/en/business/asia/vietnam/

Thanks

Priscilla 

Vietnam-Travel-142 wrote:

Do you means VEC - Vietnam Exemption Visa Certificate?
If yes, please take a look at new implementation of the Immigration Law From 2015

" People from the countries have Vietnam Visa Exemption Certificate can visit Vietnam unlimited number of times but limited period from the previous exit to the next entry time - It means that the citizens from these country can only visit Vietnam with FREE VISA at least 30 days after their preceding visit. If they want to enter Vietnam sooner, they have to apply Vietnam visa."

Have a nice day!

Where did you get this information from?  "It means that the citizens from these country can only visit Vietnam with FREE VISA at least 30 days after their preceding visit"

Here is some other information I found, does not sound bad at all:
http://www.vietnam-immigration.org.vn/n … -2015.html

Actually I don't see what the big problem is.

If you are a tourist - 3 months is more than enough to see the sights.

If you are teaching english/have a business/have a girlfriend, please go ahead and get the right visa for your activity.

simon.1711 wrote:

Actually I don't see what the big problem is.

If you are a tourist - 3 months is more than enough to see the sights.

If you are teaching english/have a business/have a girlfriend, please go ahead and get the right visa for your activity.

The big problem is that a lot of us live here.  The extended tourist fiction is insulting to everyone.  We don't want to do sham marriages.  We want to retire here, or live here till we die.  There should be a visa for that. 

It's not like we're a drain on the country.  On the contrary.