VIFC UD1 card for foreign professionals

Why the VIFC context matters

The Vietnam International Financial Centre, or VIFC, is one legal entity operating through two hubs: Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang. The relevant immigration and employment provisions are connected to work for a VIFC member organization, rather than merely to living or working in either city.

That distinction matters during offer negotiations. A role based in Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang does not, by location alone, establish access to the VIFC UD1 framework. The central threshold is the relationship between the foreign national and a VIFC member organization, together with the detailed eligibility rules and official guidance that apply to the person and role.

A specialized one-stop Executive Agency forms part of the framework.

The legal framework to identify in any case review

The VIFC framework rests on Resolution No. 222/2025/QH15 and the implementing decrees relevant to the centre: Decree No. 323/2025/ND-CP, Decree No. 324/2025/ND-CP, Decree No. 325/2025/ND-CP, and Decree No. 327/2025/ND-CP. These exact instruments should be used when checking an employer’s explanation of the benefit or when obtaining advice about a proposed application.

Detailed eligibility, evidence, procedure, and issuance practice remain case-specific.

Who may be eligible for a VIFC UD1 card

The confirmed starting point is narrow: eligible foreign nationals working for VIFC member organizations may receive a UD1 temporary residence card. A member offer is therefore relevant, but an offer alone does not prove that the person satisfies every requirement or that the card will be issued for the maximum period.

Before relying on the residence benefit, confirm the employing entity, its VIFC member status, the proposed position and work location. The applicant still needs a qualifying connection to a member organization. Decree No. 293/2026/ND-CP takes effect on 11 September 2026; confirm current authentication and translation requirements before filing.

The detailed eligibility test has not been supplied here and should not be inferred from a job title, compensation level, seniority, nationality, or previous Vietnamese immigration history.

There is no foreign-worker cap within the verified VIFC framework. That removes a numerical cap as a stated feature, but it does not remove individual eligibility requirements, work-authorization requirements, or official review. Each proposed hire must still be assessed on its own facts.

• Is the contracting or employing organization a VIFC member organization, and what official evidence confirms that status?
• Will the applicant be working for that member organization under an arrangement accepted by the relevant authority?
• Does the person and role meet the detailed UD1 criteria?
• Is a work permit, a work-permit exemption, or another form of work authorization required for the role?
• Can the employer support the intended residence and work-authorization periods with the evidence required by official guidance?

What “up to 10 years” means

The VIFC UD1 temporary residence card may be valid for up to 10 years. “Up to” describes the maximum available duration, not the duration every approved applicant will receive. The actual period may depend on rules, evidence, and official practice that must be confirmed for the individual filing.

Do not value an offer on the assumption that a first card will be issued for a full decade. Ask what duration the employer expects to support and the basis for that expectation.

Work permits, exemptions, and extended work authorization may also be available for up to 10 years under the VIFC framework. Residence permission and permission to work should still be treated as connected but distinct issues. A long-duration residence card should not be used as a substitute for confirming the correct work-authorization route.

Negotiation documents should describe the benefit accurately: access is subject to eligibility and official guidance, the granted term is not guaranteed, and the company’s support obligations should be stated clearly.

Work authorization and the VIFC exemption route

The VIFC framework includes work permits or exemptions and extended work authorization for up to 10 years. Decree No. 325/2025/ND-CP expressly excludes accompanying family members from the Article 5(1) exemption category. A UD2 card does not establish a work-permit exemption; any family member who wants to work needs an independent assessment under the applicable rules.

The exemption should not be assumed merely because the person is senior, is described as an expert, or accompanies a principal applicant. The relevant Executive Agency criteria must be applied to the actual person and activity.

An accompanying spouse or other family member should obtain a separate work-authorization assessment before beginning work. Family residence linkage does not, by itself, establish that the person meets the exemption criteria. Nothing on this page should be read as permission to start employment without the required authorization.

Eligibility for permanent residence

Eligible VIFC foreign nationals have eligibility for permanent residence under the verified framework. This is significant as a potential longer-term status, but it should not be described as automatic conversion from a UD1 card or as guaranteed approval.

A temporary residence card valid for up to 10 years and permanent residence are different outcomes. The existence of permanent-residence eligibility means a qualifying person may have a route to seek that status; it does not establish that every UD1 holder qualifies at a particular date or that no further conditions apply.

Candidates considering a long-term move should ask for the permanent-residence position to be assessed separately from the initial UD1 filing. The assessment should distinguish confirmed rules from unresolved implementation points and should avoid predictions of approval.

Family linkage

The spouse and children under 18 of the principal UD1 holder may receive UD2 status for the same duration as the principal UD1. This links the family period to the principal’s granted period, rather than guaranteeing a 10-year family status independently.

Family eligibility and documentation still require confirmation for each person.

Document expectations before filing

No definitive document list has been verified for this page. Applicants should not rely on a generic temporary residence card checklist as if it were the confirmed VIFC list. The employer and adviser should obtain the current requirements from the responsible authority and match every item to the principal applicant and each accompanying family member.

The file should also be checked for consistency. Names, passport details, employer identity, job title, dates, family relationships, and requested durations should align across the offer, employment materials, work-authorization materials, and residence application.

Timing should be planned around verified requirements rather than an assumed processing window.

Questions to settle while negotiating the offer

A useful offer review separates what the law makes available from what the employer has committed to support. Ask which group entity will employ or contract with you, how its VIFC member status will be evidenced, which UD1 eligibility basis is expected to apply, and who will coordinate with the specialized one-stop Executive Agency.

Clarify responsibility for principal and family filings, translations, authentication, renewals, amendments, and work authorization. These are negotiation points, not confirmed entitlements. Ask what happens if the role, employing entity, hub, or VIFC member status changes.

VIFC vs general SVEC

VIFC talent (Decree 327) vs general verified global talent (Decree 221)

The VIFC UD1 pathway under Decree No. 327/2025/ND-CP is specific to foreign nationals working for VIFC member organizations in the International Financial Centre. It is separate from the general SVEC verified-global-talent track under Decree No. 221/2025/NĐ-CP, which applies to a different sponsor-led framework and does not require a VIFC member employer.

A VIFC-based work authorization or UD1 residence card should not be assumed to apply to a non-VIFC SVEC application. Equally, an SVEC/Decree 221 pathway does not carry the VIFC’s specific Decree 324 PIT exemption or the up-to-10-year UD1 duration. Readers working outside the VIFC framework should use the general UD1 guide (linked from the main navigation) rather than this page.

• VIFC route: Decree 327 (immigration) + Decree 325 (labour, employment, social security) + Decree 324 (tax) — requires a VIFC member employer.
• General SVEC route: Decree 221/2025/NĐ-CP — sponsor-led, does not require IFC membership.
• If the employer is not a VIFC member, the VIFC-specific UD1 duration and Decree 324 PIT exemption do not apply.

VIFC UD1 compared with standard UD1

This page addresses the VIFC-specific UD1 temporary residence framework for eligible foreign nationals working for VIFC member organizations. It should not be used as a general guide to every UD1 category or application outside the VIFC framework. The VIFC-specific maximum duration, member-employer connection, Executive Agency structure, and related work-authorization features should not be transferred to a standard UD1 case without a separate legal basis.

Use the dedicated bridge comparison to separate the VIFC member-employment pathway from claims already published in the existing standard UD1 guide. The bridge must not import a VIFC benefit into a standard case without an established legal basis.