Staying in Vietnam after finishing ESL contract

Guest6787Guest06 January 2022 12:53:55

I really hate my school and don't want to sign on for a second year. My company informed us last year that they will cancel our visas as soon as we finish our contract (apparently the govt didn't like that some teachers staying longer than their contract). I suspect this is an empty threat, but I can only assume they will cancel my visa and I'll have a few weeks to leave.

I have a DN1/LD2 business visa (pretty standard for ESL teachers I think). Any chance I could just go to immigration and get a tourist visa to stay for a few extra months?

I'm looking for other teaching jobs, but I'm actually terrified that any other job will be even worse than the one I have! Ugh. And there aren't very many job openings ATM since schools are still closed.

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Jlgarbutt ViP

Member since 13 June 2018

JlgarbuttViP06 January 2022 15:40:07

1426

Tons of jobs listings - try vietnam teaching jobs website, you might better at a langauge centre rather than a school

THIGV ViP

Member since 26 September 2012

THIGVViP06 January 2022 18:32:21

4427

We seem to have some linguistic discrepancy, if that's the right word, between the term schools and the term language centers. Some people, self included, will use both to describe language centers while reserving the term public schools for just that.

As telescopicPuma has said that his company will cancel his visa, I suspect that he is referring to a language center and not a public school which is unlikely to handle visas.

Guest6787 Guest

Guest6787Guest06 January 2022 18:51:18

Yes, I'm teaching at a language center. It's barely tolerable, but I know it can get much much worse!

Thanks for the jobs website tip. I do see there are tons of jobs now

But just to keep my options open, any chance I could just transfer to a tourist visa for afew months?

Jlgarbutt ViP

Member since 13 June 2018

JlgarbuttViP07 January 2022 01:41:11

1426

THIGV wrote:
We seem to have some linguistic discrepancy, if that's the right word, between the term schools and the term language centers. Some people, self included, will use both to describe language centers while reserving the term public schools for just that.

As telescopicPuma has said that his company will cancel his visa, I suspect that he is referring to a language center and not a public school which is unlikely to handle visas.

Two different types of langaue centers..

Ones like Apax teach in their own buildings ONLY, others have smaller on site classrooms but also supply teachers to local schools.

OceanBeach92107 VIP Member

Member since 31 January 2018

OceanBeach92107VIP Member07 January 2022 17:02:51

7546

telescopicPuma wrote:
But just to keep my options open, any chance I could just transfer to a tourist visa for afew months?

Based on my own experience, during the time period when the borders have been closed to incoming tourist traffic, when my business visa could not be renewed, there was no option to get a tourist visa, as that would have required me exiting and reentering the country.

If the borders become open again to general tourist traffic (and not just as things are currently where tourists in strictly controlled tour groups can enter) then it should be as simple as getting a Visa on Arrival tourist visa, exiting the country and reentering on that visa.

Guest6787 Guest

Guest6787Guest09 January 2022 09:05:30

OceanBeach92107 wrote:
Based on my own experience, during the time period when the borders have been closed to incoming tourist traffic, when my business visa could not be renewed, there was no option to get a tourist visa, as that would have required me exiting and reentering the country.

If the borders become open again to general tourist traffic (and not just as things are currently where tourists in strictly controlled tour groups can enter) then it should be as simple as getting a Visa on Arrival tourist visa, exiting the country and reentering on that visa.

That's a shame. Tsk tsk, work here for a year and they don't even give you more than a few weeks to see the country...