Where IS home now?

Travelfar wrote:

Having lived in VN since 2003, and married to a VN lady for almost 10 years, having paid for property and having a nice house built ... where IS my home now?  I haven't owned a house since 1998.

Does anyone know exactly why a visa run is required by the VN government, i.e., what does the VN government get from it?  My wife and I leave each year for 2-6 weeks to spend a few thousand dollars elsewhere, so it shouldn't be the money.  We used to go to Thailand, Laos, India, the P.I. or even Cambodia for side trips to get a new stamp, and ended up spending money elsewhere.  Anyone?

I think it depends on the circumstances.

Is your wife a Vietnamese citizen?

I'm guessing she isn't, because if she were, she wouldn't be required to do a Visa Run.

You would be required to do so if you were here on a VEC.

She would be required to do so if she is Việt Kiều.

If your wife is a citizen, you can apply for a TRC.

Lots of hypotheticals there.

Can you clarify your status and your wife's status please?

OceanBeach92107 wrote:

Travelfar wrote:

Having lived in VN since 2003, and married to a VN lady for almost 10 years, having paid for property and having a nice house built ... where IS my home now?  I haven't owned a house since 1998.

Does anyone know exactly why a visa run is required by the VN government, i.e., what does the VN government get from it?  My wife and I leave each year for 2-6 weeks to spend a few thousand dollars elsewhere, so it shouldn't be the money.  We used to go to Thailand, Laos, India, the P.I. or even Cambodia for side trips to get a new stamp, and ended up spending money elsewhere.  Anyone?

I think it depends on the circumstances.

Is your wife a Vietnamese citizen?

I'm guessing she isn't, because if she were, she wouldn't be required to do a Visa Run.

You would be required to do so if you were here on a VEC.

She would be required to do so if she is Việt Kiều.

If your wife is a citizen, you can apply for a TRC.

Lots of hypotheticals there.

Can you clarify your status and your wife's status please?

My wife is a VN citizen, I have a VEC (I get "a" new stamp for me), we travel everywhere together.   If VN isn't my home now, then I am homeless.  Don't TRCs and PRCs require extensions each 3 months?

Where is the logic?  What does the VN government get out of forcing such runs?  The economy here loses our purchases and the VN government loses the VAT that would be paid.  Another country gains instead.  Does the government just rather we all make our homes somewhere else?

Travelfar wrote:

Having lived in VN since 2003, and married to a VN lady for almost 10 years, having paid for property and having a nice house built ... where IS my home now?  I haven't owned a house since 1998.

You should have to aware that "Foreigners cannot buy land in Vietnam under their name"
If really want something under your name, you had a choice - commercial apartment. That too not a purchase in it's real sense but lease for 50 years which you can extend and also sell to someone whenever you want! Yes the income from sale is repatriable !
'Home' is a place where we can live peacefully

Travelfar wrote:

Does anyone know exactly why a visa run is required by the VN government, i.e., what does the VN government get from it?  My wife and I leave each year for 2-6 weeks to spend a few thousand dollars elsewhere, so it shouldn't be the money.  We used to go to Thailand, Laos, India, the P.I. or even Cambodia for side trips to get a new stamp, and ended up spending money elsewhere.  Anyone?

You said that you married a Vietnamese lady. If that's a valid and legal marriage, you had 2 options:
1. 5 year VEC which you need to extend each 6 months or
2. A spousal TRC which you can stay until the validity date 2-3 years.
By the way, are you talking about the VEC which you have already?
If so, you are not alone but so many foreigners and Vietkieus doing that extension.
Anyway, no one need to take the visa run now due to COVID-19 National Health Emergency.
You can simply do it at the immigration office.
Take your wife/VN friend with you to apply for an extension.
** Never approach an agent if you have a wife to help. Agents are now smiling with sharp knife to cut people

Travelfar wrote:

What does the VN government get out of forcing such runs?

You're asking the wrong questions, the right one would be: why put down roots in a country that makes long-term stay difficult for me? It's like moving to Alaska and then complaining about the cold weather. And I'm seeing this kind of whining on Thailand forums as well... 

Travelfar wrote:

Don't TRCs and PRCs require extensions each 3 months?

No, they don't.