HCMC – The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs has proposed allowing its provincial agencies to issue work permits for foreigners, a procedure which is believed to make employers more comfortable.
In a statement sent to the Government over the draft of the revised Government Decree 152 concerning foreigners working in Vietnam and Vietnamese working for foreign individuals and organizations in Vietnam, the ministry proposed two options for management of foreign labor and work permit issuance.
The first option designates the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs in each province as the sole agency responsible for overseeing foreign labor and issuing work permits within that province.
The second option assigns this role to the provincial People’s Committee.
The ministry recommended choosing the first one as this approach would simplify the work permit issuance procedure.
Under the current rules, the provincial departments of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, and the management boards of around 60 industrial parks and economic zones across the country can issue work permits.
As of June 2023, a total of 121,288 foreigners had been employed throughout the country. Among them, 111,949 are required to apply for work permits.
