I Lost My Job in Vietnam. Can I Still Stay?

Losing a job is stressful enough. For a foreign worker in Vietnam, there is another concern immediately behind it:

“What happens to my visa and Work Permit now?”

The answer depends on how your employment ended and what immigration documents you currently hold. Your Work Permit, visa and Temporary Residence Card (TRC) are related, but they are not the same document and do not automatically have the same legal consequences.

The biggest mistake is assuming:

“My visa is still valid, so I can stay until the expiry date.”

That may not be the safest assumption if your immigration status was based on your former employment or sponsor. Vietnam’s current foreign-worker rules are governed by Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, while immigration and residence are governed separately under the current consolidated Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners.

Foreign employee reviewing visa and Work Permit documents after losing a job in Vietnam 

1. What Happens to Your Work Permit?

This is the first issue to address. A Work Permit is connected to the foreigner’s employment situation. If that employment relationship ends, you should not simply keep using the permit as though you are still working for the former employer.

Under Decree 219/2025/ND-CP, a Work Permit can be subject to revocation in circumstances prescribed by the regulations. The employer has obligations concerning the return of an expired permit, while in other revocation cases the competent authority may issue a revocation decision and notify the Immigration Department.

More importantly:

Your old Work Permit does not give you permission to start working for a new employer.

If you find another job, the new employment arrangement needs to be assessed separately.

2. What Happens to Your Visa?

This is where things become more complicated. Vietnamese immigration law requires a foreigner’s activities in Vietnam to be consistent with the purpose of entry.

If your visa or residence status was connected to your employment with Company A and you are no longer working there, you should not simply ignore the change. The relevant questions are:

• Who sponsored your current status?

• What visa category do you hold?

• Is your TRC connected to the former employer?

• Have your employment circumstances changed?

• Do you already have another employer?

The answer can determine whether you can transition to another employment-based status, change sponsor, or need to make arrangements to leave Vietnam.

3. Can You Stay in Vietnam While Looking for Another Job?

There is no universal rule that gives every foreign worker a fixed period to remain in Vietnam after losing employment. This is an important distinction.

Your ability to remain legally in Vietnam depends on your current immigration status and its legal basis, not simply on the fact that your old visa has an unexpired date.

For example, someone who has lost employment but still holds an independent family-based immigration status may be in a very different position from someone whose residence status was entirely connected to their former employer.

So if you have lost your job, the first step should be:

Review your current immigration status before assuming you have time to look for another job.

4. What If You Already Have a New Employer?

At DHH LAW FIRM, we can review the old and new employment arrangements together so that you know what needs to change before beginning the new job.

5. What If Your TRC Was Sponsored by Your Former Employer?

This deserves immediate attention. A Temporary Residence Card (TRC) can be connected to the foreigner’s employment and sponsoring organization.

If that employment ends, don’t simply rely on the printed TRC expiry date. The immigration status should be reviewed to determine whether the existing residence basis remains appropriate or whether another procedure is required.

This is particularly important when:

Company A terminates your employment

→ Company A is your sponsor

→ You still hold Company A-related residence documentation

→ You want to remain in Vietnam

That is not a situation where you should wait until the TRC is close to expiring before taking action.

6. Can You Change to a New Employer?

Yes, a foreign worker can move to a new employer. But the transition should be handled as a new employment and immigration assessment, not simply as a transfer of your old job.

The new employer should check:

• whether you need a Work Permit;

• whether you qualify for an exemption;

• what position you will hold;

• whether your existing immigration status can be changed;

• and whether the sponsor needs to be updated.

This is particularly important if your new position is different from your previous position. A foreign worker should not rely on an old Work Permit simply because it has not yet reached its printed expiry date.

7. What If You Cannot Find a New Employer?

This is where you need to act quickly. If you have no new employer, you should review whether you have another independent legal basis to remain in Vietnam. For example, your circumstances may involve: family sponsorship; investment; study or another valid immigration category.

If there is no continuing legal basis for your stay, you may need to make arrangements to leave Vietnam before your lawful stay expires. Vietnamese immigration law provides that a foreigner may be subject to forced exit if their temporary residence period has expired and they have not departed.

So:

Do not wait until your visa or temporary residence period has already expired.

8. What If You Are Fired Suddenly?

Sometimes the employee receives little warning. You are told: “Today is your last day.” Now you have no job and no time to prepare.

In that situation, prioritize these three documents:

Work Permit – Find out what has happened to your employment authorization and what obligations the former employer has.

Visa / TRC – Check the category, sponsor and expiry date.

Passport – Make sure your passport remains valid and available for any immigration procedure or departure.

Then determine whether you will: move to a new employer or change to another lawful immigration status or leave Vietnam

The worst option is doing nothing and allowing your immigration status to become unresolved.

9. Can You Stay Until Your Visa Expires?

This is probably the question foreigners ask most often. The answer is:

Don’t assume that the printed expiry date is the only thing that matters.

Vietnamese immigration law states that foreigners must conduct activities consistent with their purpose of entry.

If your employment ends, the legal basis behind your employment-related immigration status may need to be reviewed.

Therefore, whether you can remain until the original expiry date depends on the specific visa or residence arrangement and what happens after employment ends.

DHH LAW FIRM can review the actual visa/TRC and sponsor situation rather than giving a generic answer based only on the expiry date.

10. The Three Possible Paths

For most foreign workers who lose their jobs, the practical options can be reduced to three broad paths:

Path A — Find a New Employer

The new company completes the appropriate Work Permit and immigration procedures.

Path B — Change to Another Legal Status

If you qualify for another immigration category—for example, through family or investment—your status may potentially be reorganized around that new legal basis.

Path C — Leave Vietnam

If you have no continuing lawful basis to remain, arrange your departure before your permitted stay expires.

The correct path depends on your individual circumstances.

What You Should Do Immediately After Losing Your Job

These five pieces of information will usually determine what needs to happen next.

How DHH LAW FIRM Can Help

Losing employment does not necessarily mean you have to leave Vietnam immediately. But it does mean your immigration status should be reviewed.

At DHH LAW FIRM, we can assess your situation based on your: current Work Permit; visa; TRC; former employer; new employer, if any; nationality; proposed employment

From there, DHH LAW FIRM can help determine whether you should transition to a new employer, update your immigration status, change to another eligible category, or prepare for departure.

If you have already been terminated and are unsure whether your current visa or TRC remains appropriate, getting the situation reviewed early is much safer than waiting until the expiry date.

Bottom Line

Losing your job in Vietnam does not automatically mean you must leave the country immediately. But it also does not mean:

“My visa is still valid, so nothing changes.”

Your Work Permit is connected to your employment situation.

Your visa/TRC may be connected to your sponsor and immigration purpose.

And your right to remain in Vietnam depends on having a valid legal basis for residence.

So after losing your job:

→ Don’t start working for another company using the old Work Permit.

→ Don’t assume your old employer-sponsored TRC remains unaffected.

→ Don’t wait until your visa expires.

→ Review your status and decide your next legal route early.

If you have recently lost your job in Vietnam, DHH LAW FIRM can review your Work Permit, visa and TRC and help you determine the appropriate next step.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I stay in Vietnam after losing my job?

→ Possibly, but there is no universal grace period that applies to every foreign worker. Your current visa or residence status and its legal basis need to be reviewed.

• Can I work for a new company using my old Work Permit?

→ Do not assume that you can. A new employment relationship should be assessed under the current foreign-worker rules before you begin working.

• What happens to my Work Permit after I am fired?

→ The Work Permit is connected to the employment arrangement, and the regulations provide for revocation in specified circumstances. The employer may also have obligations concerning the return of the permit.

• What happens to my TRC after losing my job?

→ If your TRC is connected to your former employer or sponsor, your immigration status should be reviewed. Do not rely solely on the expiry date printed on the card.

• Can I stay in Vietnam while looking for another job?

→ There is no general rule giving every unemployed foreign worker an automatic period to remain in Vietnam. Your ability to stay depends on your current lawful immigration status.

• What if I cannot find another job?

→ If you do not have another valid basis for residence in Vietnam, you may need to arrange departure before your lawful stay expires. Staying beyond the permitted period can create a separate immigration problem.

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