TRC renewal (again?)

Hello everyone, happy 2025!
I am sorry if this has been asked before. I tried to search but couldn't find anything relevant.
My wife is trying to renew my TRC, but was told in Saigon Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai immigration office, that one of the requirements NOW is that the applicant must be on e-Visa. That means I must exit, re-enter on e-Visa, before I can get new TRC.
Has anyone heard of that? That must be true because we were told by the immigration staff there, but somehow I would feel better if someone else affirm that he/she must have gone through the same experience/requirement
Thank you very much.
Cheers,
DD - @trex7891

Please excuse some clarifying questions:

Is the old TRC currently active?

If you add on the number of normal days required for approval of the TRC, would the old TRC still be active when the new TRC should be approved?

If the purpose of the change is to have you leave the country and reenter again before being issued a TRC, I would personally opt for a TT Visa, 6 months or 1 year

@OceanBeach92107

There are so much ambiguity really.

It is for my son, whose mother is Vietnamese, but didn't opt for VN passport.

The old TRC is still valid for 4 more days. As far as i know, as long as the submission is done before expiry, it should be fine, but that's not the problem. The problem was, they only accept submission, if the last entry was an e-Visa. But that was not the end of it, when probed with more questions on the e-visa requirement they're unable to answer, and refer to Nguyen Trai immigration. Nguyen Trai immigration said, not required for children.

Also, we are from a country that's supposed to be free visa for social visit.

@OceanBeach92107
There are so much ambiguity really.
It is for my son, whose mother is Vietnamese, but didn't opt for VN passport.
The old TRC is still valid for 4 more days. As far as i know, as long as the submission is done before expiry, it should be fine, but that's not the problem. The problem was, they only accept submission, if the last entry was an e-Visa. But that was not the end of it, when probed with more questions on the e-visa requirement they're unable to answer, and refer to Nguyen Trai immigration. Nguyen Trai immigration said, not required for children.
Also, we are from a country that's supposed to be free visa for social visit. - @trex7891

It sounds (to me) as if this may be a unique situation for your child.

I'll be renewing my 3-year spousal TRC later this year and I'll update here in the forum with my experience then.

Hopefully, someone with recent experience in getting a TRC renewal will share their experience.

Just for me, I would never expect that I could remain here legally after my TRC was expired and before the new one is issued.

I plan to submit my new application 2 to 3 weeks ahead of the current expiration date.

Sincere good luck to you and please give us an update when the new TRC has been issued.

(One other question: Are you attempting to get a new TRC to replace an old Temporary Resident Certificate OR are does your  child currently have a VEC (5 year Visa Exemption Certificate)?

You wouldn't be the first member of the forum to use the wrong term. Hope you aren't offended by the question.

O.B.

@OceanBeach92107

Thanks for your comments, it always feel better when I don't feel alone

First thing first, this is to confirm that the old pass was TRC, Temporary Resident Card, it was the second 3 years card (been here for 6 years).

The last time of renewal was right after COVID, it was past the expiry date due to lockdown etc. luckily, somehow that for my son's case, (being child of Vietnamese mother maybe) we did not pay any late fine. For my case, I had to pay fine, got another type of visa for 3 months as my passport was expiring in less than 1 year from that point; I needed to get new passport before I could get new TRC.

There is still missing doc for my son's submission, translated birth cert that we are working on now, hopefully we can submit before or on the expiry date.

I will update the situation here, but again, as you rightfully pointed out, my child situation may be unique, and when it's resolved, still should not be taken as precedent

@trex7891

This reply is more for @OB (and others).

And i might repeat things that @OB already know, but will include here.

some time ag. two years? The Govt devolves/delegated visas back to applicant (or applicant wife's 'home town' ie Family book residence, ie NOT Saigon.

Last time we renewed my TRC (not TEC, but same anyway, last year, we went back to 'home town' and go to Immigration Office (note i am told that they have the same uniforms as Police), and renewed with np, with FB, Marriage Cert, Passport. We had to go two times - one to give them info, and one, some weeks later, to get approved ID Card. NOTE: Man there was very helpful: as you know, that might NOT be the same everywhere.

But - NOW VN getting rid of all paper Family Books, and try to put on Internet (LOL), but typical VN incompetence and laziness, the new system has many problems, glitches, and bugs, that are not fixed, and what the Police were trying to do on their Internet systems does not work, and so they give up, and ask us to do, which was very time-consuming /impossible because of the many new Internet Family Book system problems.

I am not sure how this and related system changes will affect/impact CURRENT TRC/TEC processes.

Luckily, we do just in time, and now we not need to go back again for two years, so all these current internet system probs should be fixed. ;-)

Ok, as promised, I am coming with update:

Yesterday (H-2), we went to the immigration office in NTMK again. There are 2 types of services there (queue ticket): 1. TRC/VEC; and 2. Visa extension. We chose 2. visa extension, to enquire/explore getting extension without having to rush to exit and get e-Visa to re-enter to 'qualify for the TRC renewal', e-visa is required, as directed by service type 1 2 days earlier.

We were relieved to get a much friendlier staff that explained:

1. There is no such requirement for e-visa-based last entry, importantly, as a TRC holder, ensure that every entry, to check that the (type of) immigration stamp is just stating the entry date, without indication of 'valid until' on the stamp, that's the right stamp. PS: I am from a visa-exempt country, who on normal social-visit situation, is eligible for up-to 30 days visa-free entry.
2. For children below 16, there will be no late-fee imposed. There is additional 'step' in the event of late renewal, i.e., to provide a written statement to justify why is it late.

So... that's it, i think, to put it positively, as we all know, Vietnam is striving to progress to have better system, online, internet, etc., etc., and along the way, it is unfortunate, that there were/are/will always be collateral damages, maybe some wants to take advantage of confused foreigners, who may pick easier path to pay 'a little extra' for smoother process. Or maybe just inadequately-trained staff.. Who knows...