The ongoing lockdown and travel restrictions between provinces in Vietnam are significantly disrupting business operations and activities, putting new investment projects in high-risk.
Considering the difficulties that businesses experienced during the COVID-19 outbreak, the Government of Vietnam has issued Resolution 105/NQ-CP on 9 September 2021 (effective immediately) to support enterprises to overcome the effects of the epidemic. With the goal of containing the pandemic, resuming business operations and encourage foreign investments to stimulate economic growth, the Vietnamese government has asked the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MoLISA) to direct local provincial authorities to alleviate current administrative policies and conditions on the issuance and renewing of work permit for expatriates in Vietnam. These includes:
- As per Resolution 105, the requirement for foreigners has been amended from ‘’having at least 3 years of work experience in the specialities that workers were trained in’’ to ‘’having at least 3 years of work experience that matches the jobs foreigners plan to work in Vietnam’’
- As per the Resolution, previously issued work permits can be accepted as work experience of the expert or technical worker for the new work permit application.
- Foreign workers with valid work permits can be temporarily transferred to work in another province or city for a maximum period of 6 months without having to reapply for a work permit in that province. The employer, however, must report on work location to the provincial labor authorities.
The above measures highlight the Vietnamese’s government determination to bring the economy up to speed. The easing of regulations of work permits and experience for foreign workers are expected to facilitate overseas workers coming to work in Vietnam and mitigate problems for foreign hires and employers alike. To be fully aware of hiring regulations or require assistance with your Work Permit application, feel free to book a free consultation or contact us via phone number.
*Notes: these policies are subject to change at any time.
