Family of 6 Moving to Vietnam

JusCurr6 wrote:

Hello,
I am new to the forum.

Welcome...

JusCurr6 wrote:

My family and I are looking to move to DaNang in the next few months.

I'm living in Danang. Did you realize you posted this under the "Saigon" forum?

Based on your compound questions, "I think" it would be a good idea to ASK ADMIN TO MOVE THIS UP TO THE "VIETNAM" FORUM.

Your questions are relevant for expats anywhere in the country, from Hanoi to HCMC and virtually everywhere else.

JusCurr6 wrote:

I first have a few questions. I have been scouring blogs on this issue and I am trying to get a better answer for my situation. Clarity really. So my husband is trying to get his employer to allow him a remote position. He is a computer analyst. This might take sometime.

IF he can do this legally without generating taxable income here in Vietnam, that would "probably" be best for him, though it will make a difference as to which visa he will need.

Have you contacted the Vietnamese Embassy in Washington D.C.

http://vietnamembassy-usa.org

or one of the consulates in San Francisco

https://vietnamconsulate-sf.org/en/

or Houston?

http://vietnamconsulateinhouston.org

You might also consider talking with an expat financial advisor here in Vietnam. We have some who are members of this forum (though I 'bear-ly' know them) and I have a trusted friend in Hanoi who specializes in wealth management for Expats in Vietnam.

JusCurr6 wrote:

In the meantime our plan is for me to go ahead with our 4 children ages 8months, 3, 7, and 9, and secure employment and housing. He will be taking care of our expenses from the US until he is able to join us. My mother will be coming with me on a tourist visa to watch the children so I can began to look for work. Since I have experience in teaching english I will look into those jobs.

I am NOT an expert on visa law, however, you might ask the Embassy or a trusted visa agent if YOUR employment with a work permit AND a temporary resident certificate might set you up to be the sponsor for your husband and your children.

A number of forum members can address that specific question.

JusCurr6 wrote:

Now with all that being said my questions are the following:

1.) what type of visa should I get for my children and myself? Once I secure a teaching position, what type of visa will my husband and children need if I am able to secure a 1 year contract? Is there a visa where we dont have to exit and re-enter the country again? If not where is the most cost effective place to fly to for a family of 6?

See my answer above. If you can secure a temporary resident certificate AFTER you secure employment, it is "my" understanding that all visa statuses for your husband and children will be linked to you.

JusCurr6 wrote:

2.) My husband thinks its best to secure a position before I come and in other blogs I hear its best to be on the ground. Any thoughts on this?

Because you have children involved, it "might" be better to secure a position ahead of time, BUT be careful about which prospective employer you trust...AND, know that you might need to take a less-desirable position away from Danang, since this city is so popular with foreigners now.

JusCurr6 wrote:

Sorry for the long post, but I have been scouring the posts. Any help you can offer I would appreciate it.

My gut instinct (not expert advice) says it would be worth considering to have your mother watch the children in the states while you come here to secure employment, get your temporary resident certificate and find a good house that fits your family's needs.

FWIW...

Thank you for your reply. I didn't realize I added it in the wrong area. Should I do another post or just request it be sent to the appropriate area? I thought about coming alone. The thought of being away from my kids makes me mushy inside. Are there any areas outside of DaNang that you would recommend I check into. I am concerned about the smog and being able to get around with children and this is why I chose DaNang. That and its so beautiful. But I am open to looking into other areas. Thanks for clearing up the visas. I am wondering if its just better to all come together. Lots to think about.....

JusCurr6 wrote:

Thank you for your reply. I didn't realize I added it in the wrong area. Should I do another post or just request it be sent to the appropriate area? I thought about coming alone. The thought of being away from my kids makes me mushy inside. Are there any areas outside of DaNang that you would recommend I check into. I am concerned about the smog and being able to get around with children and this is why I chose DaNang. That and its so beautiful. But I am open to looking into other areas. Thanks for clearing up the visas. I am wondering if its just better to all come together. Lots to think about.....

I "reported" the thread to ADMIN, requesting the move. They are usually very good about doing that within a few hours.

Since you are asking for input...

I understand your feelings about being away from your children.

However, YOU have some work to do to stabilize a living situation for your children.

Because of the variables involved, I imagine a nightmare scenario of you all trying to live out of a hotel, and your poor mother being set adrift in a foreign environment with children to manage while you hit the streets securing employment and permanent housing.

I would personally never submit my children and my mother to such a situation in order to cater to my parental emotions. 

Danang has it's own issues with air quality when the winds shift during Monsoon season. Even the locals struggle with it then.

I hope you get a lot of replies so you can weigh all options carefully.

If you can afford it, I recommend you coming here by yourself and doing the hard work first (again, my opinion).

Keep in mind that the further you move away from a major city, the less English is spoken, the less English is available in signs around the town or on menus or in stores.

Only you can decide to what degree you feel comfortable being isolated from the company of other foreigners, and the environments which have been created to manage us (I call them "Expat ghettos").

Also, bringing everyone here together at first, is going to mean complicated Visa scenarios. "I think" you establishing yourself here first is the way to go (in my non-expert opinion).

I recommend your 'boots on the ground' first.

Do you or anyone in the family speak Vietnamese?

My GF is from Quang Nam province. DaNang is a nicely sized city, but the language barrier may keep you to a small area where some, not all, people speak English.
Then, you will end up paying more for that "service".

No way would o consider dragging the kids here until you know the lay of the land.
Welcome and good luck.

I strongly agree with the two gentlemen ahead of me who have given you the same excellent advice on the idea of bringing your children here at the same time with you.

Uprooting your children is difficult enough even when the move is across the country, it'll be much, much harder when it's across the world. 

Your children are now living in a small town where, with less than 3500 in population, they're probably known by many people in town.  They'll be moving to a city that is less than half the size of their hometown but occupied by 300 times the number of people, where they don't know anyone.  They're leaving not just their hometown but also everything they know of their lives:  the English language, the food and snack, the cartoon on TV, the familiar beds (yes, even the mattress and pillows are not the same here as the ones in the States).  In the land they'll be moving to, not many people will understand them and they will not understand other people.  They may not like the food.  They may dislike their beds and their pillows (I do).  They may have problem coping with the constant heat.  They definitely will miss their old life, perhaps the only life they've ever known.  They may feel as if they're being punished for something they've done, even if you repeatedly tell them that's not the truth.

Being expats is a grand adventure to many adults but can be a tough road to travel for children unless they're well prepared or well-cushioned. 

I'm not saying you shouldn't bring your children with you in your adventure, I'm saying you should prepare them while they're still surrounded by their familiarity, instead of plunging them right into the thick of things WHILE you're not fully there with them to great the new world.  The presence of your mother doesn't make much difference in the scenario unless she speaks the language or has been to Vietnam before. 

I've been an expat in 3 continents, the first time when I was by myself and in charge of 6 nieces and nephews who were between the age of 18 months and not quite 16 years.  It was at best a very bad experience and at worst a nightmare, one that the children (who are now between mid 40s and early 60s) have continued to talk about (not in a happy reminiscence) for years afterwards. 

OTOH, our grandsons, 9 and 12, are moving to Spain next year and they're eagerly looking forward to it.  Their parents have spent the last 3 years preparing them for the move with daily Spanish lessons, weekly Spanish cooking, several visits to southeastern coast of Spain where they'll be living, frequent exposure to La Liga, FC Barcelona, Valencia CF, and even a summer tennis camp in Barcelona.  The boys are now pretty much at home in Spain as in the States, and after the move, one parent will be there with them at all time to make sure no obstacle will occur that they cannot overcome.

Confirming that Admin has moved this thread to "Vietnam > Visas"

You mentioned about being able to get around with your children.  With 6 people, you'll need to order a 7-seater taxi (instead of the standard 4-seater) every time you need to go somewhere, as buying a car is not feasible on a teacher's salary even if you're offered a full time position (not an easy feat).  Keep in mind that the 7-seater taxi fare is quite a bit higher than the standard one.  Granted, it's not as high as taxi fare in the States, but I'm sure you don't ride taxi on a regular basis in the States as you will here with your family.

Everything little thing adds up.

Ciambella wrote:

You mentioned about being able to get around with your children.  With 6 people, you'll need to order a 7-seater taxi (instead of the standard 4-seater) every time you need to go somewhere, as buying a car is not feasible on a teacher's salary even if you're offered a full-time position (not an easy feat).  Keep in mind that the 7-seater taxi fare is quite a bit higher than the standard one.  Granted, it's not as high as taxi fare in the States, but I'm sure you don't ride a taxi on a regular basis in the States as you will here with your family.

Everything little thing adds up.

Watch the Vietnamese. With a little practice, you might be able to get seven on a motorbike. LOL, just kidding, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it someday.

I seem to remember a photo of a guy that installed a bench seat on his motorbike. He had more than 7 passengers.

Ciambella wrote:

You mentioned about being able to get around with your children.  With 6 people, you'll need to order a 7-seater taxi (instead of the standard 4-seater) every time you need to go somewhere, as buying a car is not feasible on a teacher's salary even if you're offered a full time position (not an easy feat).  Keep in mind that the 7-seater taxi fare is quite a bit higher than the standard one.  Granted, it's not as high as taxi fare in the States, but I'm sure you don't ride taxi on a regular basis in the States as you will here with your family.

Everything little thing adds up.

My friend once called for a 'Just Grab' rideshare for her, her sister, me and three children, not specifying a 7-person ride.

She shamelessly had us all squeeze into the compact car that arrived.

When we got to our destination, the driver demanded another ₫15,000 VND because she hadn't ordered the appropriate car.

She doesn't usually lose an argument, but she did that time.

I know.

I paid...

Thank you everyone for your reply. You have given me much to consider. Coming alone may be best. That is why I reached out so I can have advice from those on the ground.

Jim-Minh wrote:

Ciambella wrote:

You mentioned about being able to get around with your children.  With 6 people, you'll need to order a 7-seater taxi (instead of the standard 4-seater) every time you need to go somewhere, as buying a car is not feasible on a teacher's salary even if you're offered a full-time position (not an easy feat).  Keep in mind that the 7-seater taxi fare is quite a bit higher than the standard one.  Granted, it's not as high as taxi fare in the States, but I'm sure you don't ride a taxi on a regular basis in the States as you will here with your family.

Everything little thing adds up.

Watch the Vietnamese. With a little practice, you might be able to get seven on a motorbike. LOL, just kidding, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it someday.

I saw at least 50 on a motorbike just this morning.

Okay, they were chickens, but still...

JusCurr6 wrote:

Thank you everyone for your reply. You have given me much to consider. Coming alone may be best. That is why I reached out so I can have advice from those on the ground.

@Ciambella is the one who REALLY knows. Us guys are just guessing, more or less.

Re-reading your OP:

I'm guessing that this all started out as the family following dad to where he wants to live and work.

Maybe I'm wrong in that.

However, if this plays out as I suspect, it will be the family following Mom, which might be a great change for y'all.

I really do wish you well.

Honestly, this is insane to even think about, for many reasons. A family of 7 (including your mom) coming to Viet Nam, being supported by an unstable English teachers salary? Where are your children going to go to school? International schools cost around $10k U.S. a year, per child. I don't know what you're trying to run away from but this isn't going to work. Just my honest opinion.