However, businesses report that their papers are usually “stuck” for over 20 days due to system errors and unclear guidance.

At a recent policy consultation conference on labor and administrative procedures, Nguyen Tran Thang, CEO of Thang Long company, shared the difficulties his enterprise faces in obtaining certification for Vietnamese domestic workers employed by foreign nationals under the new regulations.

According to Thang, after certain administrative procedures were abolished and responsibilities were decentralized to local authorities under Decision 652/QD-TTg, many businesses became confused because they had not yet received clear instructions from provincial departments.

“Currently, localities such as Hanoi, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An still have no specific guidelines. We submitted our applications, but officials themselves do not know how to handle them,” Thang said.

He added that during the online submission process via the public service portal in Hanoi, technical issues in the system cause further delays.

“When registering, we were asked to use personal accounts instead of company accounts. After several attempts, we finally registered successfully on October 7. However, our application has been pending for more than 20 days, even though the regulation stipulates a maximum of five working days,” Thang noted.

These issues are directly affecting workers’ rights and the progress of contracts between Vietnamese firms and foreign partners.

Thang said: “Our company has completed all required documents and contracts, but the system has not updated our submission. We cannot report to the international service system. We hope that ministries and local authorities will soon issue unified guidance to resolve this.”

Regarding the delays in verifying worker lists in certain provinces, which have affected Thang Long company’s overseas deployment schedule, acting director of the Department of Overseas Labor, Vu Truong Giang, said this is a common issue, not just several enterprises.

The current process gives responsibility to local authorities for labor source verification and data updates into the national management system. However, in some areas, limitations in staff capacity, technology infrastructure, and coordination between provincial departments and businesses have led to delays and inconsistencies.

“The department acknowledges these business concerns. We will work with local authorities to resolve bottlenecks and ensure procedures run smoothly, but must still comply with regulations and maintain necessary oversight,” Giang affirmed.

Businesses call for tighter control over brokers

Another challenge raised by several labor export companies at the conference was the  irregularities in labor brokerage activities, which have caused complications for legitimate businesses.

During the process of sending workers abroad, enterprises often encounter situations in which brokers and foreign employers make prior informal arrangements, creating obstacles for domestic companies when processing official procedures.

Enterprises have urged government authorities to strengthen supervision of brokerage activities, standardize recruitment and training procedures, and ensure transparency and fairness for both workers and companies.

In reply, Giang said only licensed organizations are authorized to recruit and introduce workers. The government aims to minimize unnecessary intermediaries, ensuring transparent fee collection and protecting workers from exploitation.

Authorities will also integrate technology into management systems, i.e., all data on workers and companies will be uploaded to an online database and management platform. This will help monitor brokerage activities, identify illegal operators, and directly connect workers with legitimate enterprises.

Giang added that the Department of Overseas Labor will coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to form an inter-agency task force and notify local governments to strictly handle all illegal labor brokerage activities involving overseas employment.

Giang reported that around 860,000 Vietnamese workers are currently employed overseas, mainly in Japan, Taiwan (China), South Korea, and several European countries.

These workers earn stable incomes, significantly higher than domestic wages for the same occupations and skill levels. Each year, Vietnamese overseas workers remit about $6–7 billion to Vietnam, contributing an important source of foreign currency, boosting national savings, and improving their own and their families’ living standards.

A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said at a recent conference that in the coming period, relevant agencies need to develop a comprehensive strategy for managing Vietnamese workers abroad. This strategy should align with national socio-economic development goals and comply with international standards.

The monitoring and inspection of enterprises sending workers overseas must be conducted regularly, with transparency in both costs and contractual terms.

Particular emphasis should be placed on strictly handling cases of fraud, illegal brokerage, and the unlawful deployment of workers abroad, especially those conducted via social media and online platforms.

Vu Diep