Permanent Residency For Viet Kieu In Vietnam

Interesting history from a widow of a GI and mother of a poor child. Three option for her: 1) become a stateless, 2) recover her Vietnamese citizenship, do that with an Agency and maybe the President would accept her dual citizenship . or 3) the child takes care of her mother in US. There could be a 4ta, but you said your mom leaves with friends, so maybe she doesn't have family or real states in VN to ask for a residency

Hi there, I'm hoping a US expat in Vietnam can help advise. My 90yr mom is Vietnamese but a US citizen from 1967 as she married my dad -an American GI. When my dad passed due to cancer in 2019 she went to VN on 5 yr visa to stay in her homeland as it's easier for her with her language, the food, weather and it's cheaper to live on her fixed savings BUT since she is a US citizen, it seems that every 6 months she has to leave VN in order to get her VISA stamped per VN laws. She has been taking the bus to Cambodia but these days it is really hard on her as she cannot walk and gets tired easy. I wanted to ask how US expats are able to live in VN permanently. Are you having to also leave the country every 6 months? this seems a lot. My mom is old and wants to spend her last days in her homeland, without my father, she is lost in America. They did everything together and he took care of her. I am not able to care for her in the US as I have a full time job and also I worried about not having enough $ for health care. I do not ever want to put her in a nursing home here. They are awful. At least in VN she is being cared for by friends and lives next to them. I'm hoping there's a way she can not need to leave VN every 6 months. Is there a different paper work she has to do? Thanks in advance for any kind advice. - @VNdw7

Your Mom is lucky (in a way) in that Việt Kiều (Vietnamese Outside Vietnam) are able to get the 5-year visa exemption certificate (VEC) allowing them to stay in the country for 6 months at a time.

The great majority of foreigners attempting to live here long term are required to leave the country every 3 months to get a new 90 day tourist visa.

Anyway, there have been some recent changes by the government making it much easier for Việt Kiều (and spouses of Vietnamese citizens) to regain their citizenship:

https://www.expat.com/en/forum/asia/vietnam/1100202-new-vietnamese-citizenship-laws-for-viet-kieu-and-foreigner-spouses.html

There is a lot of non-specific chatter in that thread but basically there is the updated law:

https://moj.gov.vn/UserControls/News/pFormPrint.aspx?UrlListProcess=/qt/tintuc/Lists/VanBanChinhSachMoi&ListId=&SiteId=&ItemID=5104&SiteRootID=

...and the application process:

https://dichvucong.gov.vn/p/home/dvc-tthc-thu-tuc-hanh-chinh-chi-tiet.html?ma_thu_tuc=7204

Ironically it would be easier for her to apply for citizenship than it would be to apply for permanent residency.

Good luck to her!

(Many questions have already been answered in that other thread so please read it before you ask more questions here in this thread 🙏)

Normally US don't request for renausing to previous citizenship . May I ask how about her original Vietnamese citizenship? Cannot she simply go to her hometown and ask for a new ID card?

Normally US don't request for renausing to previous citizenship . May I ask how about her original Vietnamese citizenship? Cannot she simply go to her hometown and ask for a new ID card? - @ajairon

I believe you are a certified "contrarian”, in that, almost every time I share advice on a topic in which you believe you are well informed, you suggest that I haven't given the best answer.

That's okay. We all have our own opinion. I just wish that you would run your answers through AI so that your broken English would get translated well and not be so confusing as it was in your previous post in this thread.

Maybe you didn't read this: "My 90yr mom is Vietnamese but a US citizen from 1967"

So, this woman was born in 1935.

She obviously left Vietnam in or before 1964, because it takes a foreigner married to a US military member or veteran 3 years to become a US citizen.

Based on the past experience of people who have posted to this forum about regaining their citizenship, it seems likely that this person hasn't wanted to regain her citizenship.

That's because she has already been issued a 5-year VEC in which it was necessary for her to prove her Vietnamese ancestry.

So yeah maybe she and her friends are ignorant to the method you are suggesting and have never bothered to go to her hometown and ask about that.

But under the updated law since June 24th, there is now a system in place that doesn't even require her to be here in Vietnam.

If you would familiarize yourself with the changes in the law by reading through the links that I shared, you will see that a Viet Kieu person who qualifies for the 5-year VEC can apply for the citizenship without even needing to come to Vietnam.

So since she has a VEC and is here in Vietnam, it seems that the best route for her to go is to simply apply for her citizenship under the new relaxed procedures.

That's because she has already been issued a 5-year VEC in which it was necessary for her to prove her Vietnamese ancestry.

So yeah maybe she and her friends are ignorant to the method you are suggesting and have never bothered to go to her hometown and ask about that.

- @OceanBeach92107

Dear @VNdw7,  Due to the wrong interference above, I’d like to clarify the reason behind my previous question and help to other people in real difficult situations :

Perhaps you could share what criteria your mom used to get her VEC. Did she apply as a VN-citizen living abroad without a valid VN-passport?, or as a ex-VN-citizen? Another possibility is applying as a family member of a Vietnamese citizen—there are several alternatives in the how to get a VEC.

Depending on the above, it’s possible that your mom is still considered a VN citizen and may be eligible to renew her plastic ID card with chip in her hometown (or at least her birth certificate). There are still many unknowns in her case, and if she has previously renounced her VN-nationality, oh man! that will complicate everything

If she simply wants to get a permanent residence in Vietnam as a VN citizen only, that shouldn’t be too difficult with the hints in the shared link of the law above and go to the Ministry of Public Security. However, if she’s aiming to get a TRC or PRC being a U.S. citizen only, it would be impossible without a vn-family sponsor.

If her goal is to get both VN and U.S. citizenship, then better consider consulting a visa agent. They can assess her case, background, and interests to increase the chances of receiving special authorization from the President of Vietnam.

If her goal is to get both VN and U.S. citizenship, then better consider consulting a visa agent. They can assess her case, background, and interests to increase the chances of receiving special authorization from the President of Vietnam. - @ajairon

That's absolutely unnecessary, proving you didn't read the most recently updated changes to the law since June 24th, 2025.

Why do you tend to take simple answers and complicate them with maybes and might bes?

An agent is definitely not necessary at this point.

The instructions are crystal clear and only be require an estimated 105 days of patience, according to the official instructions.

Her friends can almost certainly assist her without the need to incur the cost of an agent.

Is it necessary for the OP's mom to make an application for citizenship? My understanding is that renunciation of VN citizenship is made through a formal application to, and approval of the application by, the VN gov't.

If this is so, unless the lady made said application of renunciation, and the application was accepted/approved, she will still be considered to be a VN citizen. This subject came up a number of times over the years, but due to changes in our activity history my search for links to those threads is a frustrating experience. In one of those threads was the case of a Canadian Viet Kieu who had been living in Canada for most of her adult life. Due to her having been born in VN, when she was charged with criminal offences she was charged/detained/tried/convicted and subsequently executed (!) as a citizen on VN. I mentioned in another thread, "Vietnam does not give up its own easily".

I don't think it will take a great deal of effort for The OP's mom to establish permanent residency here. Sorry I can't offer precise routes for her to take, but I'm thinking speaking with her area's group leader would be a start.

(edit: all this might have been more conveniently done stateside)

Both foreigners and Vietnamese alike often use the term "Viet Kieu" to describe VN people living abroad, including VN nationals and people of VN ethnicity. This is not a definition shared within VN law. A "Viet Kieu", as I've read, is a citizen of Vietnam, and once returned to VN they are no longer Viet Kieu. People of VN ethnicity not holding citizenship are considered foreigners, but are afforded certain privileges/accommodations/rights unavailable to a non-ethnic VN people.

I really didn't want to dive too deeply into this initial question because I was trying to keep the response as simple as possible.

So here's my full reasoning:

Because it seems to me that this person is so old that it's very likely she can't find enough documentation to support her doing anything except having a 5-year VEC right now, I suggest applying for citizenship not only because of the recent relaxation of regulations, but because, when she submits her application, the government is going to take a look at it and almost certainly immediately let her know if she doesn't need to apply; that she's already qualified to re-register for her citizenship that is still on the books.

Am I the only one who sees the simplicity of that approach?

I'm saying this because of my own experience with the government here, when I submit something to them that's not necessary, they immediately tell me that I don't need a particular item. Happened to me when we were applying for our marriage certificate and also when applying for my first TRC.

I truly believe that if this woman who has been living so long as a US citizen will simply fill out the initial application for citizenship, she's likely going to be told immediately whether that's necessary or not.

Let's just give her one simple direction to try and trust that whoever she takes her application to is going to either accept it or redirect her where she really needs to go

And FYI for those who aren't aware: In addition to the most well-known methods of proving Vietnamese ancestry in order to receive a 5-year VEC, The government of Vietnam also accepts US naturalization papers (when becoming a citizen in the United States) that list the nationality of the person as Vietnamese.

Nothing else. No birth certificate. No family tree of any kind. Just the acknowledgment on US naturalization paperwork that the person is of Vietnamese nationality.

How do I know that for sure?

Our previous Vietnam expert Ciambella had her 5-year VEC approved with only a copy of her US naturalization papers showing her nationality as Vietnamese.

Even though she was coming to live with her nephew and his wife, she had absolutely no other proof that she was of Vietnamese nationality.

Old timers on the forum will remember that she was one of the Vietnamese boat people who left Vũng Tàu in 1975.

Based on what the OP originally wrote, I'm thinking it's a pretty good guess that that's the only documentation his mother has: naturalization papers from when she became a US citizen.

@Aidan in HCMC

Hello Aidan, here is a new lot of maybe's to make happy a contrarian.   

Unfortunately we don't know if the lady is still Vietnamese or not.... We cannot guess her status just because bearing a VEC...  In addition to renunciations, there was also a law (I don't remember the precise one but it existed), obligating Vietnameses abroad to register them at the embassies to retain their nationality before the end of 2009. 

I totally agree with you she should try first at the committee/CivilRegistration. As I said before: she may be still entitled to renew her plastic ID card with chip and bingo!!!... God knows if the lady has original certificates or her older-than-1964-papers still exists.

Keeping her US-passport is another paperwork and might ask for an Agent' support.

Who permitted his 90 years mother to go to VN with a VEC, ignoring she would have to be back and forth to the border, instead of asking for alternatives in USA, before that terrible situation. 

@Aidan in HCMC
Hello Aidan, here is a new lot of maybe's to make happy a contrarian.
Unfortunately we don't know if the lady is still Vietnamese or not.... We cannot guess her status just because bearing a VEC... In addition to renunciations, there was also a law (I don't remember the precise one but it existed), obligating Vietnameses abroad to register them at the embassies to retain their nationality before the end of 2009.

I totally agree with you she should try first at the committee/CivilRegistration. As I said before: she may be still entitled to renew her plastic ID card with chip and bingo!!!... God knows if the lady has original certificates or her older-than-1964-papers still exists.

Keeping her US-passport is another paperwork and might ask for an Agent' support.

Who permitted his 90 years mother to go to VN with a VEC, ignoring she would have to be back and forth to the border, instead of asking for alternatives before that terrible situation. - @ajairon

I edited my previews post as you were posting this. Please read the rest of my post including the part at the end where I talk about proving Vietnamese ancestry with US naturalization paperwork

@OceanBeach92107

I talk about proving Vietnamese ancestry

There is not any reference how the lady got her VEC....  there are several reasons to be entitled, I will not infer.  Therefore the answer is quite easy:  she need to go to her hometown and ask for new plastic ID with chip and VNeID, or get the necessary certification and start her VN restoration and consider if she wants to keep her US-passport in order to contact with an Agent.   Read my previous collabs to understand the reasons,   use ChatGPT if I had grammar mistakes.

@OceanBeach92107 I talk about proving Vietnamese ancestryThere is not any reference how the lady got her VEC.... there are several reasons to be entitled, I will not infer. Therefore the answer is quite easy: she need to go to her hometown and ask for new plastic ID with chip and VNeID, or get the necessary certification and start her VN restoration and consider if she wants to keep her US-passport in order to contact with an Agent. Read my previous collabs to understand the reasons, use ChatGPT if I had grammar mistakes. - @ajairon

I apologize but this post makes absolutely no sense to me.

And why did you crop off the phrase that was most pertinent to my post "with US naturalization paperwork"?

Both foreigners and Vietnamese alike often use the term "Viet Kieu" to describe VN people living abroad, including VN nationals and people of VN ethnicity. This is not a definition shared within VN law. A "Viet Kieu", as I've read, is a citizen of Vietnam, and once returned to VN they are no longer Viet Kieu. People of VN ethnicity not holding citizenship are considered foreigners, but are afforded certain privileges/accommodations/rights unavailable to a non-ethnic VN people. - @Aidan in HCMC

Ciambella once corrected the forum on this point, saying that we often misuse the Việt Kiều identifier. But I've also had conversations with her that say it's probably a useless distinction because it's so widely misused.

Ciambella once corrected the forum on this point, saying that we often misuse the Việt Kiều identifier. But I've also had conversations with her that say it's probably a useless distinction because it's so widely misused. - @OceanBeach92107

Agreed. It is a very popular misconception.

That said, VN immigration certainly differentiates between a "Viet Kieu" and a "foreigner of VN descent".

For readers of this thread.

A Viet Kieu who attains citizenship in a foreign country is still considered by the VN gov't to be a VN citizen, and upon reestablishing their VN residency are not required to renounce their foreign citizenship(s).

A foreigner of VN descent born abroad, however, if applying for VN citizenship, is obligated to renounce their original "foreign and/or birth" citizenship(s).

Ciambella once corrected the forum on this point, saying that we often misuse the Việt Kiều identifier. But I've also had conversations with her that say it's probably a useless distinction because it's so widely misused.  - @OceanBeach92107
Agreed. It is a very popular misconception.
That said, VN immigration certainly differentiates between a "Viet Kieu" and a "foreigner of VN descent".

For readers of this thread.
A Viet Kieu who attains citizenship in a foreign country is still considered by the VN gov't to be a VN citizen, and upon reestablishing their VN residency are not required to renounce their foreign citizenship(s).
A foreigner of VN descent born abroad, however, if applying for VN citizenship, is obligated to renounce their original "foreign and/or birth" citizenship(s). - @Aidan in HCMC

I would seriously double check the law after the June 24th revisions. I'm not sure that a renunciation of citizenship is necessary in order to gain citizenship in Vietnam

@ajairon

Thank you for your kind response. Apologies for my delayed response. I've been busy with work.

@OceanBeach92107

Thank you OB, again sincere apologies for my delayed responses. I've had a lot going on  and haven't been able to check back. I also realized I have posted the same question a few times as I didn't know how to find my messages before. Am not too computer savy. Again, kind thanks for your help! I did read all those options. I think there's no way around the 6 months thing.

@ajairon

Thank you for the updated response. She left during the war and she has not asked about her VN citizenship because most of the VN who left before the war ended are afraid of the Communist govt. My mom married my dad and became US citizen and in the 70s helped the Catholic Church with VN refugees. Due to the fear of the communist, most refugees did not travel back to VN. My mother travelled to VN through Canada to VN when her relatives died. Like the VN who came before 1970, she never thought she could regain her VN citizenship and didn't really want to because she lived in US and thought she would pass away before my father. She only returned to VN because it's hard for her to be on her own in the US. My dad always took care of things for her so she went back to VN cause it's easier for her their to live. 

Anyway, thank you for the help. I actually did not figure out how to see all these responses till now. She loves her US citizenship and also I would not want her to give it up as I am proud to be US citizen and being a full VN citizen loses so many rights. It's ok, we'll just have to keep going. I'll have to take her back to the US if things get bad but the US is not a great place for elders     Kind thanks.

@Aidan in HCMC

Thank you for your kind help. Apologies for my delayed response

To all the kind folks here who have responded to my question, firstly, my sincere apologies on my delayed response. I've never done any postings and so I didn't really know how to navigate to my posts and also have not been able to due to other personal matters for past months.

All of the information you have provided has been great. I did run into a few of the advice you noted in doing research on VN govt web although it was not so clear. My mom is very strong willed and why she chose to return to her homeland and felt she could live on her own. She has a friend she lives next to that helps her. She's been happy in VN cause it's her culture and her language. She and my dad lived in Florida and visited VN in their retired years. She had felt and hoped to  pass before him because she is not able to take care of things, my dad was the caretaker and did everything. My American friends's parents have the same situation where the husband was the lead (seems generational). She went to VN thinking that she only has a few years to live and that it's also so much cheaper to live on her Soc. Sec.  Sadly, my dad was not able to leave her much from the companies he worked for despite all the hard work he did all his life. It was hard to let her go for fear of people taking advantage of her etc..but in the end she's been much happier there and feels a sense of some control of her life and it's her culture. For me, I'm all American and can't imagine living anywhere except New England. Long story short, I talked to some Vietnamese about my mom getting a VN citizen or dual. The process is more complicated for a dual. My mom and I are worried about fully renouncing her US citizenship for 1) she would lose many rights and I would not be able to help if there were legal or health matters as I am a US citizen and 2) we both consider US citizenship a great priviledge and we love America, it just feels wrong to give it up. My dad - a GI was the best man you could every meet. He has meant a lot that he married my mom and took her out of the war.  With all that said, I sincerely thank all of your for your responses and help. I think the final answer remains that she will need to continue to leave every 6 months and when it gets to be impossible, I will either have to bring her back to live with me. It's difficult as I am an only child and  rent a 2nd floor place. It's the season of life that everyone has to go through, aging is hard no matter what country.  Thank you so much again for your kind help.

I talked to some Vietnamese about my mom getting a VN citizen or dual. The process is more complicated for a dual. My mom and I are worried about fully renouncing her US citizenship for 1) she would lose many rights and I would not be able to help if there were legal or health matters as I am a US citizen and 2) we both consider US citizenship a great priviledge and we love America, it just feels wrong to give it up. - @VNdw7

I Also don't have a lot of time to invest in this. I'm pretty sure that in my previous replies I've directed you towards information that makes it very clear that recent changes in immigration law that went into effect on the 24th of June have made it extremely easy to be a dual citizen here without any need to renounce your citizenship outside Vietnam, unless you are actively entering military or government service or you are joining the Communist Party.

There is a ton of old information on the internet and a ton of opinions amongst the general Vietnamese populace that is in total conflict with the new information regarding the process of becoming a citizen.

You are especially being misled by a contributor to this thread who really doesn't know what he's talking about.

I gave you the exact links to follow in order to get the information that it is absolutely not necessary for your mother to give up her USA citizenship.

I'm personally not going to attempt to help you anymore because I've given you the exact information you need but you obviously don't have time to really seriously help your mother with this, otherwise you would have read the information by now and your mother would already probably be well on her way to citizenship here while retaining her US citizenship.

Please don't send me any more private messages. I sent you a private message to try to get you to reengage here in the public forum. I'm not really open to you discussing this with me privately.

@VNdw7

OK, you gave up. But you didn't mention how about the most basic and easy of the documents. What was the answer from the Civil Registration Office about to get a new copy of her birth certificate and plastic card ID?

@VNdw7
OK, you gave up. But you didn't mention how about the most basic and easy of the documents. What was the answer from the Civil Registration Office about to get a new copy of her birth certificate and plastic card ID? - @ajairon

I've already told you but you don't read what I write and you don't follow the links that I post.

I DON'T KNOW IF THIS APPLIES TO ECUADOR. I ONLY KNOW THAT IT APPLIES TO CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES.

Anyone of Vietnamese descent who has been a naturalized citizen in the United States, only needs to present their US PASSPORT that lists their nationality as Vietnamese, based upon their naturalization document.

If you followed the links that I shared instead of assuming that you know what works for everybody, then you would have already had your answer.

It's possible that Vietnam doesn't do that for people from Ecuador because maybe they don't trust your government's certification of nationalities in passports...

But our previous Vietnam expert, Ciambella ( Việt Kiều, Born here in 1952, NATURALIZED CITIZEN IN THE UNITED STATES) specifically wrote in this forum that she was able to get her 5-year VEC, simply by presenting her naturalization document and her US passport, both of which noted her birthplace as Vietnam. SHE DIDN'T HAVE A COPY OF HER VIETNAM BIRTH CERTIFICATE OR ANY OTHER IDENTIFICATION FROM VIETNAM.

If you read the dossier requirements for Việt Kiều In the links I've shared, they don't need to travel here and go to their ancient hometown to get any sort of documentation from there. The official application instructions are the same for them as it is for me (I'm also applying for Vietnamese citizenship so that's why I'm so deep into the weeds on this). The passport is the document we need to prove who we are and to prove our nationality.

IN FACT, UNDER THE NEW CHANGES TO THE LAW WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT ON JUNE 24TH, THEY DON'T EVEN NEED TO COME TO VIETNAM TO APPLY FOR THEIR CITIZENSHIP. THEY CAN DO THE APPLICATION AND GET IT APPROVED LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT EVER HAVING RETURNED AND STEPPED FOOT IN VIETNAM BEFORE THAT.

But again I'm saying what is sufficient for Việt Kiều coming from the United States ESPECIALLY IF THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR A 5-YEAR VEC.

I don't know about other countries. Since this thread is about a US citizen, I know the answers that apply to her.

@OceanBeach92107

Sound like this dude, the op isn’t too interested in researching further into the new immigration info web links you posted here. He should know all about these difficulties before sending his 90 yrs mom going to vn to live with “friends”, duh.

@brianAFSER73

While on this subject . Can a Vietnamese citizen of south viet nam before the war end  left for the US to attend school, stayed and became a naturalized US citizen who now wishes to return and retire in viet nam still retain his/her viet nam citizenship. ?

@brianAFSER73
While on this subject . Can a Vietnamese citizen of south viet nam before the war end left for the US to attend school, stayed and became a naturalized US citizen who now wishes to return and retire in viet nam still retain his/her viet nam citizenship. ? - @brianAFSER73

Yes, if their application is approved

Im curious if your mom is the same lady I met in Cambodia that went back to Maine to live in the US when she married her husband. She told us she was so cold she didnt leave the bed for weeks haha.

Anyways I have a VEC as well and I leave the country every 6 months. It honestly may be easier for her to fly a day trip to Thailand and back but I have heard Thailand is cracking down on border runs either in or out.