Vietnam floats plan to give international students part-time work rights

International students in Vietnam could be granted work rights for up to 20 hours a week, under a new proposal announced by the country’s Ministry of Education and Training.

The idea was one of several education and training policies recently floated by government ministers for consideration by the National Assembly, according to local media reports.

Ministers have reportedly said that the proposal would help put Vietnam on a par with other countries, such as the UK and the US, where 20 hours work per week is already permitted.

Mark Ashwill, managing director of education consulting company Capstone Vietnam, said the proposal was driven by the government’s desire to attract more international students.

“This is one practical way to do it,” he told The PIE News. 

He said current “pull factors” for international students included relatively low cost, political stability, quality education opportunities in Vietnamese and English, personal safety, and a tropical climate. 

“This would create yet another incentive for international students to consider Vietnam as a potential overseas study destination and is consistent with the government’s goal of hosting more international students,” he said.

It would also complement the government’s “oft-stated goal of global integration”, he added.

Vietnam currently has no rules on how many hours international students can work, but Ashwill said some were likely working for local employers already. 

“Most are probably working illegally without a work permit, and getting paid under the table, which means no tax revenue for the government,” he said.

“This also makes it easier for employers to exploit these workers because they don’t officially exist in the labour market, meaning there is little accountability or recourse.”

There needs to be good communication between institutions that enrol international students and relevant government offices
^{_{Mark Ashwill, Capstone Vietnam}}

The “devil will be in the details” when it comes to monitoring a 20-hour limit, Ashwill said. 

“The government should ensure that students’ employment has been approved and that they are working 20 hours a week or less for a licensed business or organisation,” he said.

“This means there needs to be good communication between institutions that enrol international students and relevant government offices.”

The country’s current digital transformation strategy towards developing an “e-government” would help to make the process easier, he added. 

Ashwill said the availability of part-time work would depend on the field, but opportunities include teaching English and other-high demand foreign languages, technology and IT, marketing and creative fields, and the hospitality and service sectors. 

“Some skilled jobs may serve as a stepping stone to long-term employment, another new policy frontier for Vietnam in the context of a waning demographic dividend,” he said.

Local media reports suggest that by the end of 2024, almost 22,000 international students were enrolled in Vietnam, with around 80% coming from neighbouring Laos and Cambodia.

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