THE CHANGES IN VISA PURPOSES OF FOREIGNERS
Law No. 51/2019/QH14 on amendment and supplements to some articles of the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam take effect on July 1st, 2020. There are a lot of remarkable changes in visa regulations. One of them is the repurposed visas of foreigners.
1. The cases of permission to change visa purposes of foreigners
According to Clause 1, Article 7 the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence off Foreigners in Vietnam No. 47/2014/QH13 issued on June 16th, 2014 and took effect on January 01st, 2015 as follow: “A visa may be used once or multiple times and its purpose must not be changed”. It means that the visas of foreigners in Vietnam can not repurpose. If foreigners want to alter visa purposes, they will exit Vietnam, applying for a visa with a new purpose. This results in many difficulties when foreigners want to change visa purposes.
This problem is settled following Clause 2, Article 1 in the amended Law 2019 since July 01st, 2020. The foreigner’s visa is changed purpose in the following cases:
- He/she presents the document proving to be an investor or a representative for a foreign organization investing in Vietnam as per the law of Vietnam;
- He/she presents the document proving his/her relationship with the person inviting or sponsoring in terms of parents, spouse, children;
- He/she is invited or sponsored by agencies or organizations and presents work permit or confirmation of eligibility for work permit exemption according to labor laws;
- He/she makes entry by electronic visa and presents the work permit or confirmation of eligibility for the work permit exemption according to labor laws.
2. The procedure
A visa repurposed person shall be issued with a new visa with number and time limit suitable for the new purpose.
Procedures for issuance of new visas
(1) A visa repurposed person shall request the inviting entity to follow the procedures at an immigration authority or a competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
(2) The inviting entity shall directly send an application for the visa enclosed with a passport or laissez-passer of the invited foreigners to the immigration authority or a competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
(3) Within 05 working days from the receipt of sufficient documents, the immigration authority or competent authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall consider issuing the visa.
3. Charge for the repurposed visa
The repurposed visa fees for foreigners
| Types of visa | Fee | |
| 1 | A visa that is valid for one time | 25 USD/a visa |
| 2 | A visa that is valid for multiple times | |
| a | A visa that is valid for 03 months | 50 USD/a visa |
| b | A visa that is valid from 03 months to 06 months | 95 USD/a visa |
| c | A visa that is valid from 06 months to 01 year | 135 USD/a visa |
| d | A visa that is valid from 01 years to 02 years | 145 USD/a visa |
| e | A visa that is valid from 02 years to 05 years | 155 USD/a visa |
| f | A visa that is issued to a child under 14 years of age | 25 USD/a visa |
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