I'm looking into the logistics of how my family and I can live in Vietnam (Nha Trang specifically) for 1-2 years. I am a Vietnamese national/US citizen, married to an American, and have two young children who would enroll in an international school. The goal is for them to learn about Vietnamese culture and eventually be fluent in the language. For the parents, it'll be a break from the rat race that is the US.
As someone born in Vietnam, do I automatically qualify for a VEC? Does that mean we can renew every 90 days without leaving the country? Or is that no longer the case with the new rules? The only "proof" of Vietnamese nationality is my US passport indicating place of birth. I phoned the Vietnam consulate in NYC for more info but only got "VEC is very difficult to acquire" and hung up. This may require a visit in-person to get more direct answers.
If I cannot acquire a VEC and can only get 3-month tourist visas, how difficult/expensive is the trek to PP or Bangkok to renew visas for the entire family? School schedule may limit us to 1-2 day excursion.
Are there other expats here with young children in Vietnam on tourist visas and doing the constant visa renewals?
I appreciate any advice!