Key Highlights
Vietnam has also recently intensified its immigration policies by revising the process of issuing Temporary Residence Cards (TRCs), which is one of the important documents that enables foreign citizens to stay in the country and enjoy long durations of stay. These modifications, which are meant to simplify the management of the residency and enhance the level of compliance, carry major implications for those involved in the foreign worker, the family, and the employers intending to have a long stay in the Southeast Asian country.
The new rules also restrict TRC eligibility to specific visa categories and add a visa conversion step, which is likely to hurt the length of the process of the overall procedure of a specific applicant, according to the latest update provided by The Economic Times.
What Is a Temporary Residence Card (TRC)?
It is necessary to know what a Temporary Residence Card is and why it is important before further explaining the new changes.
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TRC is a formal document, which is issued by the Vietnamese immigration authorities, so that a foreigner can spend a longer time in the country without having to renew his or her visa regularly.
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These cards are normally attached to the reason why a foreigner is in a country - whether for work, investment, family reunion, or diplomatic missions.
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TRCs have traditionally been valid and issued based on the nature of the visa of the applicant.
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TRCs are also required when expats plan to stay longer than six months in Vietnam to live, work, study, or even invest.
Also Read: Do Indians Need Visa for Vietnam? Latest Experts Guide
Key Changes in the New TRC Regulations
The recent update to the immigration policy in Vietnam has come with several major changes regarding the issuance of TRCs, as well as those who are subject to this immigration policy.
1. Eligibility Limited to Specific Visa Types
By the revised process, which had effect as of the moment of its issue, now only foreign nationals holding Temporary Residence Cards will be issued Vietnamese authorities:
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LD2 work visas (those with work permits), and
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TT dependent visas (family members, including spouses and children).
In the past, the applicants of other visa types, including DN1 (business visas), VR (visa renewal), or even some forms of pre-work permit e-visas, could simply apply to be granted a TRC. According to the new rules, these applicants will have to undergo the initial conversion of their visa to a qualifying category and then apply to a TRC.
2. Additional Visa Conversion Step
The introduction of one additional procedure step can be considered one of the most important changes:
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The foreigners who arrived in Vietnam based on a visa that does not directly qualify one to receive a TRC now have to convert their visa (as, say, a DN1 or a VR) to a qualifying type of visa before seeking a temporary residence card.
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This conversion further introduces another aspect of administrative compliance and may also bring delays.
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This additional measure will add an average of two weeks to the TRC processing schedules, according to immigration advisory firm Fragomen, which may affect personal planning and business processes.
3. Processing Time and Practical Impact
The addition of the requirement of converting the visa is not only administrative: it presents some practical difficulties:
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Long Processing Times: The additional processing may take the TRC by about two weeks, which may interfere with the travel plans, job commencing dates, or relocation schedules.
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Employer/ Worker Planning: Employers who have foreign employees might need to redefine their onboarding schedules so that workers can be qualified with qualifying visas before starting the TRC process.
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Family Members: It is also possible that family members who seek to join their relatives have to wait longer because of the added procedure.
Immigration gurus have proposed that the foreign workers can opt to put off the visa processing until a work permit is obtained, which is likely to facilitate the subsequent steps of the residence registration.
Also Read: Visa Approval Letter Complete Guide: Countries, Tips & More
Who Is Impacted Most by the New Rules?
Who do these rules impact the most?
Foreign Employees
Any foreign worker entering Vietnam with diverse visas, e.g., business or general entry visa, among other visas have to now be able to verify that their paperwork will qualify to be processed under the TRC program. This may need further consideration and consultation with employers or immigration experts.
Family Members (Dependents)
TT visa-reliant persons also continue to be eligible under TRCs; however, when they initially entered on some other type of visa, they might have to go through an extra procedure to switch their visa before seeking residency.
Employers and Human Resource Teams
The need to recruit foreign talent will prompt companies to re-arrange the onboarding processes, perhaps giving more time to finalise pre-work permit forms and aligning all categories of visas to the new TRC eligibility requirements.
How This Change Fits into Vietnam’s Broader Immigration Strategy
The country of Vietnam has been continuously modernizing its immigration legislation within recent years with the aim of addressing the needs of the foreign workforce and ensuring that it abides by the national security goals.
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Pursuant to the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit, and Residence of Foreigners, various kinds of temporary residence cards (ex, investors, diplomatic staff, employees, etc.) have defined the terms of validity depending on the purpose of stay and the type of visa.
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The maximum time of the TRCs is also governed by these laws, and it is between 2-10 years, depending on the visa codes and purpose,se thus supporting the role of visa category in the issuing of TRCs.
The new update is an extension of this strategy, which makes the process of residency documentation more aligned with the national policy objectives and introduces stricter verification of whether the applicants have any reasons to remain in Vietnam.
Also Read: Visa Fees for All Countries from India: Latest Guide
Practical Tips for Applicants
In case you have some plans to work/live in Vietnam based on the new rules, consider the following tips:
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Check Your Visa Type: Check to confirm whether your existing visa is the type that may be directly converted to TRC, or get ready to complete conversion procedures in case it is not.
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Plan with Employers: Make your employer start with work permit and visa processing early lest it gets late.
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Allow More Time: It is advisable that you add 2-3 weeks to your TRC schedules to include visa conversion and time lag in the visa processing.
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Seek Immigration Advice: In times of uncertainty, it is appropriate to consult legal or immigration attorneys in Vietnam to make sure that you do not fall into the traps.
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Know the Law Changes: There are always new changes in the laws that govern immigration, and that is why it is important to be informed of the changes that keep on emerging as time goes by.
Conclusion
The stricter regulations towards Temporary Residence Cards in Vietnam are part of a wider initiative of controlling foreign long-term residence more efficiently and securely. Through prioritizing TRC eligibility on particular visa categories and an additional visa conversion, the authorities of Vietnam would not only guarantee that only suitably documented persons would be allowed to reside long-term. As much as it is likely to add more planning and processing time to many foreign workers, employers, and families, with the knowledge of the new framework, the applicants will be in a better position to go through the system and be able to prepare for the changes. Careful planning will enable foreigners in Vietnam to realise their long-term stay objectives and, at the same time,e abide by the new provisions of the latter.
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