Vietnam may let foreign students work part-time for the first time

Vietnam may soon let foreign students work part-time for the first time, under a draft resolution that would cap hours at 20 per week to help cover living costs and provide cultural and workplace experience.

The Ministry of Education and Training announced the proposal last week as part of a draft resolution submitted to the National Assembly on breakthrough policies for education and training. Currently, Vietnam has no rules on how many hours international students can work.

Officials said the change would put Vietnam in line with common global practice, where countries such as the U.K., U.S. and New Zealand already allow 20 hours per week during school terms. New Zealand will raise the cap to 25 hours from November.

The ministry said adopting a similar policy would support fairness and reciprocity while making Vietnam a more attractive destination for international students.

By the end of 2024, nearly 22,000 international students were enrolled in Vietnam, the highest in 9 years. About 80% came from neighboring Laos and Cambodia. Their preferred schools include Hanoi University, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Academy of Journalism and Communication.

Technical and economic institutions such as Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Foreign Trade University and the Vietnam–France University have also started drawing more foreign students.

Alongside the student work proposal, the ministry also suggested granting 5-year visa and work permit exemptions for foreign experts and scientists with doctoral degrees working at Vietnamese universities and colleges.

By Thanh Hang – VNExpress.net – September 30, 2025