Workpermit or Resident Card ?

I don't know which one to get.  My Temp. Residence card (3 yrs) will be expired in 2 months. My situation are as follows : I am a viet kieu who is marred to a vietnamese citizen. We live in the countryside close to Nha Trang. I got a 3 year The Tam Tru (temp. res. card) and got it locally at the immagration office here. But now they do not offer it and they told me to go to hcm to apply there as its consolidated now or something like that.

I called 2 law firms who does these services, but been getting different answers to the temp residence card issue. One office says they dont offer the The Tam Tru anymore so I need to get another card which is The Thuong Tru. There is what they emailed me :

Cảm ơn chị đã quan tâm đến công ty chúng tôi, tôi gửi chị báo phí và thành phần hồ sơ chuẩn bị:

1/ 02 bản lý lịch tư pháp có xác nhận của cơ quan có thẩm quyền của nước mà người đó là công dân hoặc của nước mà người đó có nơi thường trú.

2./ Công hàm của cơ quan có thẩm quyền của nước mà người đó là công dân đề nghị giải quyết cho người đó được thường trú tại Việt Nam.( Kèm phiếu chuyển của cơ quan ngọai giao Việt Nam).

3./ 02 bản sao hộ chiếu.(có chứng thực)

4/ 02 bản sao visa hoặc thẻ tạm trú còn giá trị sử dụng tại thời điểm nộp hồ sơ, 02 bản sao phiếu XNC.(có chứng thực)

7./ 02 bản sao giấy tờ chứng minh là vợ, chồng, con, cha, mẹ, của công dân Việt Nam thường trú ở Việt Nam.(chứng thực)

8./ 02 giấy bảo lãnh cho người nước ngoài thường trú tại Việt Nam ( mẫu N9) có xác nhận của UBND phường, xã, kèm 02 bản sao CMND, hộ khẩu của người bảo lãnh), tùy trường hợp cụ thể người bảo lãnh và người được bảo lãnh phải xuất trình giấy tờ chứng minh có nhà ở hợp pháp hoặc có nguồn tài chính hợp pháp để đảm bảo có nhà ở và cuộc sống cho người được bảo lãnh.

Chú ý: nếu tài liệu được xin ở nước ngoài thì phải hợp thức hóa lãnh sự và dịch ra tiếng việt.

Phí bên em là: 1000 USD cho trường hợp đầy đủ hồ sơ.
Thời gian làm việc là 06 tháng (kể từ ngày hồ sơ hợp lệ)


And I was looking thru the requirements, #2 said that I to get a paper from the US that states they let me stay in VN for an extended amount of time? I never heard of this. Is this something new?

So now I am thinking of just getting a workpermit. My uncle has a friend who owns a contruction company so they can say I work there and give me the necessary papers.

Anyone knows which one is easier to get or better and can I get a 5 year with either one or 3 year. And I dont want to have to go thru the thing where I have to register or pay new fees every 3 months or so.

Sorry about the long post but I'm stuck now and dont know which one to do. Anyways, I already having my University degree getting the necessary stamps from a service in the US and also the background info retreival and necessary stamps in the US. Those should be coming back sortly.

Thanks for your help.

This is what Google translated:


Thank you for interest our company, I am sending you press charges and file preparation components:

1/02 in judicial offices certified by the competent authorities of the country where he or she is a citizen of the countries where they have permanent residence.

2. / The functions of the competent authorities of the countries where they are citizens for the proposed settlement are resident in Vietnam. (Attached transfer slips of diplomatic missions of Vietnam).

3. / 02 copies of your passport. (Certified)

4/02 copies of visa or residence card valid for use at the time of submission, 02 copies of immigration bills. (Certified)

7. / 02 copies of proof of the wife, husband, son, father, mother, citizen of Vietnam residing in Vietnam. (Authenticated)

8. / 02 guarantee to foreigners residing in Vietnam (Form N9) certified by the communes, wards, with 02 copies of ID card, the sponsor's household), as the case guardian the guaranteed underwriting and must present proof of having houses have legal or financial resources to ensure that legal housing and life to the guaranteed.

Note: if the document is to apply overseas, consular legalized and translated into Vietnamese.

Charge your side is: 1000 USD for the full case file.
Working time is 06 months (from the date the application was invalid)Undo edits

Kimchi,

2 years ago, I went through the The Thuong Tru thing right here in Vietnam; and that got me full Vietnamese rights.  I now have 2 passports: one US and one Vietnamese.

But, they did not ask me for all those things that you listed above.

Anyhow, if you are like me, not looking forward to collecting my American retirement pays and not too keen on joining the Socialist Party here, I highly suggest that you look into getting that The Thuong Tru thing.  In the long run, it saves you a lot of money and frees you from many hassles.

Howie

Howie I was wondering when you were going to chime in on the subject. Good advice. I'd do see something though in regards to the issue. What really needs to happen are a few  sharp Vietnamese immigration type lawyers getting together and take a good hard look at all the laws. A few intelligent lawyers putting together all the requirements on the table and coming up with standard packages to facilitate not just the visa's for individuals but people that want to stay here on a long time basis. There has to be a way to do it within the curret laws and regulations without having a Vietnamese national as NOK. The VEC is a great start but it doesn't solve all the problems, and it still confusing to people. There is money to be made if the right people put it together..

Budman wrote:

A few intelligent lawyers putting together all the requirements on the table and coming up with standard packages


You are going to have to wait a long time until that happens, my friend!  Law schools here are not the same as those in the US; and the people who attend these schools are no where near those you see over there.  Therefore, like I had mentioned repeatedly on here, you will be much better served hooking up with someone from the involving agengies to help you with what you need.

That is what I did with mine.  It took me about a month and a half to get all of the required documents together.  After that, I told the people that were helping me I needed everything done within 1 month time.  They charged me $3000 USDs; and they delivered as promised.

I thought that was the best money I had ever spent, considering my circumstances.

Howie

Here's a start, has anybody worked with this group. I think Anata posted the same link a few months ago:

kieubaoviet.vn

MODS, please don't delete, it appears to be a non-profit org.

Thanks for the info. Taken and noted.

I will ask questions here instead of PMs so maybe the info might help others in my situation as to the laws here hard to comprehend.

I did ask a service about the " Thuong Tru or Permenant Resident " which takes about 3-4 months from the time we submit our application.

My situation is my temperary residency card of 3 years will expire un under 2 months. So the Perm Card will take longer and if I am correct, is more harder to obtain and need alot of documents. Maybe later after I extend my residency here I will get the Thuong Tru when I have more time.

So other than the Thuong Tru Card, what are my choices now? Can I still apply for Temp. Residence or is that a 1 time thing and cant apply for it and have to go to Perm. Residence?  Or should I just go get a work permit?  The Temp. (if its still avail. and work permit should be about 10-14 days)

Howie :  You were saying something about VEC or something like that. Is that something I should consider and is it easy to get? Its not the same as a Temp Res. Card?

You said that your contact was able to do the Thuong Tru paperwork for you in 1 month?  Is that a service or someone who works at center where they issue those kind of paper?

When you did the Thuong Tru, did you have to get somekind of paperwork from the US that says they let you stay in VN for extended amout of time?  I never heard of that and dont know how to get that if I wanted too.

How long is the Thuong Tru paperwork valid for or is it for life and you dont need to renew?

Thanks


Thanks

"dont want to have to go thru the thing where I have to register or pay new fees every 3 months or so."

(VEC) Vietnam Exemption Certificate, and yes it's every three months.

Budman,

During my process, I had to obtain a paper which expressly states that my parents and I were Vietnamese citizens, because on the old birth certificates we are all implied Vietnamese citizens.  I think that was the place my guide took me to in HCMC. 

While I was there however, aside from what I needed done, there were not much that office could offer me.  It is more catered to the later Vietnamese that went abroad, the ones that were sent off legally (laborers, foreign exchanged students...).

You might want to check them out a little, but don't tell them more than they need to know or expect them to serve you well.

Howie

Kimchi,

The VECs are given to all those who hold Vietnamese birth certificates and their significant others.  All it does is exempt you from having to obtain a visa every time you go in and out of Vietnam.  It is good for 5 years.  But, you must check in with the ward police and local immigration every 3 months, just like you were extending your visa.

The contact that did all of my paperworks was an immigration official at the immigration headquarter in Saigon.  She personally saw my file through out the process.

The Thuong Tru process, once approved, gives you full Vietnamese citizenship and all of its rights.  It is good for your lifetime.  Well, that is unless you somehow manage to, once again, become "an enemy of the state."  :proud

But, no, I did not have to get any paper from the US side.  All were here.

Howie

One thing I would like to add to Wild_1's post. The VEC can be issued for five years only if your current passport is valid for over five years when you apply. Other wise it will only be issued up to the length of your passports validity.