Seeking employment w/ no degree

hello friend.   A good point for you is that being a native EN speaker you have a high probability to be considered for roles such as teaching, tour guiding, translation, or lecturing., etc. 

No need a bachelor degree, however you will need at least a foreign language teaching certificate, such as ESL, CELTA, or TESOL. Without one I will just say you cannot work lawfully and impossible to stay longer than a Tourist Visa.

Believe me, the local police are quite effective at identifying individuals who work/stay without proper authorization.

Get your Vietnamese citizenship through parents or birth?

Many opportunities in Tourism if you’re a Vietnamese citizen speaking English.

Work permits required for non citizens , and not easy to get.

Beware of Agents offering help.

Many scammers. Search official Government Information regarding citizenship or working.

Agents will offer to set up a fake company for you.

Come on Vacation and decide when you are here?

Im guessing you might have long lost relatives here?

I have relatives there, but I also have plenty of relatives in the states. I appreciate tou taking your time to reply. I will definitely look into the birth right citizenship. Most of my family is in America. I just want to look for a new quality of life whole still being able to support myself. I see the dark qualities as well but you only live once and the pros outweigh the cons, just looking for the right moment.

@JNguy3n

Wait, only VN-parents, VN-children over 18 years old and VN-Spouses can be sponsors for Visa TT (family ties). No other relatives are entitled to be sponsors for foreigners.

In addition, to be entitled to work without a WorkPermit you must be: A remote worker without payments inside the country; VN-citizen; VN-citizen's spouse; or Expat who are investor.  For all other cases the WorkPermit is mandatory and that means to have a 3-years professional degrees or certificates (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, etc.) or certificates of 5-years of expertice/seniority in a profession (verifiable, VN-translated and VN-ConsularLegalized).

Finally, every expat inside Vietnam must be registered in the Police Department whenever stays for more than 3 days, no exceptions.

Now you can consider your possibilities, good luck.

@ajairon I am First generation vietnamese American citizen. My parents were both born in vietnam.

@JNguy3n

Excellent, so get your VN-citizenship and don't worry about your academic degrees

@JNguy3nWait, only VN-parents, VN-children over 18 years old and VN-Spouses can be sponsors for Visa TT (family ties). No other relatives are entitled to be sponsors for foreigners.In addition, to be entitled to work without a WorkPermit you must be: A remote worker without payments inside the country; VN-citizen; VN-citizen's spouse; or Expat who are investor. For all other cases the WorkPermit is mandatory and that means to have a 3-years professional degrees or certificates (TEFL, TESOL, CELTA, etc.) or certificates of 5-years of expertice/seniority in a profession (verifiable, VN-translated and VN-ConsularLegalized).Finally, every expat inside Vietnam must be registered in the Police Department whenever stays for more than 3 days, no exceptions. Now you can consider your possibilities, good luck. - @ajairon

From the gov't of VN's "Sponsor-Inviting" page, select the first tile, titled...

"Thân nhân trong nước bảo lãnh" (translate) Guaranteed by relatives in the country (Both links are to gov't VN webpages)

Google translate, here (Link, extended quote)

From that Google Translate link...

1. Vietnamese citizens permanently residing in the country may sponsor their grandfather, grandmother, father, mother of husband or wife; wife, husband, children, brothers and sisters are foreigners who come to Vietnam to visit.

@ajairon I am First generation vietnamese American citizen. My parents were both born in vietnam. - @JNguy3n

Hi there JNguy3n. Welcome to the forum.

I suggest you contact the Vietnam Consulate office in San Francisco to explore your options. Reports from expat.com members is that the San Francisco office is much more accommodating/responsive than the Washington VN gov't office.

My suggestion, prior to embarking on the reportedly complicated and detail specific process of attaining citizenship, is that you first apply through the San Fran office for a 5 year visa-exemption certificate. Being of VN descent grants you this enviable option.

Regarding citizenship, I had written to a Viet Kieu member on another thread...

'In the event (heaven forbid!) of your experiencing any legal issues here after re-establishing your Vietnamese citizenship, the local authorities would be, if they so wished, in a position to deny you access to American consular services. That 5-year visa exempt status you've got is sweet, all on its own!'' (Link to full post, here) It might be helpful in your decision to apply for citizenship to take a moment to read that post.

Since that post there have been amendments (as of July 1st 2025) to VN's immigration law on dual citizenship. Details can be found here. (duckduckgo.com search results).

@JNguy3n

I forgot to add this link to an article published prior to July 1st 2025.

From a proven and trusted VN Visa agency, used by many expat.com members, see...

Becoming a Vietnamese Citizen: What You Need to Know

Last update: Jul 31, 2025

edit: reports from members is that applying/receiving the 5 year VEC (visa exemption certificate) is a much simpler process, with quick turnaround from the VN gov't office(s). If memory serves me, the cost is minimal ($10 US?)

@Aidan in HCMC

Hello man, thanks for your correction in my mistake because I mentioned Visa TT instead of the correct TRC TT (temporary residence card TT type) The caller asked for a job, and we should know that VEC and Visas non for Business, Investment, Employees or Student are not entitled to get a job, worst without certificates of a profession.

In his particular case, the only alternatives to get any kind of job is to get the VN citizenship or TRC TT or creates his own company

@ajairon

OOPSIE! Thank you for that. That slipped my mind. No wonder, really, in light of my aversion to the words "job", "work" and especially "boss" (SWMBO excepted😀). I was totally focused on the "motherland" calling our new member back to his roots.

I still think JNguy3n would be best served by getting himself that 5 year VEC, come for a visit and put out his feelers. We all know how resourceful employers here can be, moreso when a candidate fitting their needs appears. My observation has been that when a local employer wants to hire an applicant, they'll handle the paperwork/bureaucracy.