Hope it goes well for you hereto.
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On a general note, they've recently instigated a crackdown on farangs who were using visa agents to extend them inside Vietnam every 3 months? Now they can only get extend their initial 3 month permit just once for 30 days, then have to leave the country and repeat the process.
There's no retirement visa, so unless you're working or married to a local you couldn't get a long stay visa. Reading the expat reports on "Living in Vietnam" forum, they're all talking about leaving as it was costing 200 USD a year to keep extending (a sort of loophole like the 30 day runners here), but now the cost and tea money is 400 USD every 3 months or something like that.
They're also cracking down on expats WP's, enforcing the existing rules that you're supposed to have diplomas (university/master/doctorate), certified by your home country, recognized high skills or be of an executive management position, link ...
Effective immediately, the Vietnamese Department of Immigration has reduced the maximum stay for visa holders from 6 months to 3 months. Furthermore, these visas can now be extended only once for 30 days.
The regulations to marry a local citizen include providing a blood test proving you are not infected with any VD or HIV, then you wait up to 60 days for authorities to decide whether or not to accept your application and register the marriage
Their immigration policy states that any foreigners (even with PR) that stay overnight in a Vietnamese citizen's house have to declare this, together with the address, to the local police.
The expats on the forums say the level of corruption by the authorities on farangs is bordering on extortion, and that the police physically monitor them, Vietnam expat forum quotes:
"I've already seen evidence that local police are watching foreigners more"
"Me too. I've been conscious of being watched several times recently"
"the most blatant watching I've encountered is when a casual aquaintance suddenly starts pestering with lots of questions about papers visas, drivers license, religious affiliations, lists of your friends and colleagues. The next thing you know, that person is riding around on the back of a motorbike with a police officer"
SJ
had to renew my visa, so many people complaining and so much red tape, I got a visa for vietnam in 5 minutes online, lasts 1 yr cost $40. no cueing up, no need to photocopy a complete forest of paper every 90 days.
