In yet another blow to foreign workers in HCMC, the city’s labor authority has announced that it will stop issuing work permit extensions.
To comply with a November 1, 2013 government decree, the HCMC Department of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs said that foreign workers will be required to apply for new licenses as opposed to extensions once their work permits have expired, reports Thanh Nien.
“According to the decree, in order to apply for a work permit, foreign laborers must submit certificates of expertise, criminal records issued by their home authorities, and criminal records issued by Vietnamese agencies.”
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The paper interviewed an employee at the agency who said that the new rule will cause trouble for foreigners and the businesses that employ them.
“Some foreigners, for instance, will have to fly back to their home countries to get their criminal records, because the existing Vietnamese laws ask the records to be issued within six months of their submitting the application.”
Basically, if you have a work permit, get ready to repeat the application process every 2 years.
[Thanh Nien // Photo via us7thfleet]
