Vietnam – Clarification on Assignment Letters
The Vietnamese authorities have provided further clarification on work permit procedures, after issuing Circular 40 last month, announced here, which provided guidelines on the implementation of Decree 11.
Among the key points is a new rule that an assignment letter supporting an intra-company transfer must be issued by a shareholder or an owner of the Vietnamese host company. Previously, assignment letters could be issued by human resource offices not necessarily related to the owners or shareholders of the host company.
The immigration authorities have clarified that the new quarterly foreign labour use report must include any foreign experts or managers who are staying in Vietnam for 30 day or less. Penalties for failing to submit quarterly reports will range from one to two million dong.