Vietnamese nationals now eligible for training, internship visas

IMPACT – LOW

What is the change? Vietnamese nationals are now eligible to apply for visas to attend training or internship programs with employers in Hong Kong.

What does the change mean? Hong Kong companies recruiting Vietnamese nationals for purposes of training may apply for one-year training visas.

• Implementation time frame: Immediate. The change in policy took effect in November.
• Visas/permits affected: Training visas.
• Who is affected: Hong Kong employers and Vietnamese trainees and interns.
• Impact on processing times: Training visa applications take five to six weeks to process, assuming additional documentation is not requested.
• Business impact: Companies with training or internship programs can benefit from the additional pool of eligible candidates.

Background: Vietnamese nationals are among the list of nationals that the Hong Kong Immigration Department does not make eligible for certain types of visas. Vietnamese nationals are now eligible for training visas and are subject to the same criteria as other nationals, including proof that the company is well-established and able to provide the training, a signed contract between the company and the applicant, justification for the length and purpose of the training program, a written guarantee of support and repatriation of the applicant by the company, and a clean criminal and security record of the applicant.

BAL Analysis: Hong Kong companies that use training visas should be aware that they are no longer prohibited from including Vietnamese nationals in their training or internship programs. Vietnamese nationals remain ineligible for employment visas.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in Hong Kong. For additional information, please contact your BAL attorney.

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