For a comprehensive list of visas, eligibility requirements and the lodgement process, see the Department of Home Affairs website. 

The Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa allows:

• stay in Australia for up to 12 months from the first date of arrival
• work in Australia, generally for up to six months with each employer
• study for up to four months
• leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid
• apply for a second or third Work and Holiday visa if you have completed specific types of work in regional areas.

The program year commences on 1 July each year and ends on 30 June the following year. There is an annual limit of 1,500 first Work and Holiday visas granted to Vietnamese passport holders. 

The first step in the process is for applicants to obtain a Letter of Recommendation from the Department of Overseas Labour (DOLAB), Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam (MOLISA). DOLAB’s website will advise you when the registration process is open each year to register your interest in obtaining a Letter of Recommendation.

The Document checklist outlines all the steps in the visa application process for Vietnamese citizens.

Updated information on the status of the annual limit for Vietnamese citizens (whether places are still available) is on the Status page of the Department of Home Affairs website. For general information on this subclass, see the Department of Home Affairs website.

View the current fees and charges for a Work and Holiday visa here.

As this is a reciprocal arrangement, Australian citizens are able to apply for a Work and Holiday Visa to Vietnam. For more information on the program and the visa application process, please directly contact the Vietnamese Embassy in Australia or the Department of Employment (DOE), Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs of Vietnam (MOLISA). More information can also be obtained from the Australian Embassy in Hanoi by completing an Immigration Enquiry Form. 

A Resident Return (subclasses 155 and 157) visa is for current or former Australian permanent residents and former Australian citizens who want to enter or return to Australia as permanent residents.

Only Australian citizens have an automatic right of entry to Australia. All non-citizens need a visa that allows them to enter and remain in Australia.

For general information on these subclasses, see Resident Return visa on the department’s website. To gather your documents, see Step by step process. 

For information on permanent residence including overseas travel and proof of permanent residency, see Permanent resident.  

Applications for Australian citizenship by descent for applicants residing in Vietnam.

For Australian citizenship by descent:

·         you must have been born outside Australia, and

·         at least one of your parents must have been an Australian citizen when you were born.

Information is available on other pathways to Australian Citizenship.

Most applicants who are resident in Vietnam will need to attend in person to provide their fingerprints and a digital facial photograph (unless visiting as an official government representative). For more information, see our Frequently Asked Questions page in English and Vietnamese. The collection of biometrics is conducted by appointment only at the Australian Visa Application Centre (managed by VFS Global) in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Danang. Please take your original passport with you. This process can be done directly after you lodge your application. Make an appointment with the Australian Visa Application Centre online.

For Information on Health clinics in Vietnam:

• Select “Vietnam” from the menu at the bottom of the page.
• In the ”Panel physician” menu, click on the “Details” link
• Contact one of the clinics to make an appointment.

Visa Scams

The Australian Embassy and Consulate-General in  Vietnam have become aware of several visa scams operating in Vietnam. Please be cautious of any person offering 'guaranteed' Australian visas.

These scammers may contact you by post, email, phone or face-to-face offering a visa in return for payments, personal details and identity documents. They may claim to know someone in the Australian Embassy or Consulate General in Vietnam, or claim to be a ‘registered agent' or ‘Australian visa application service’.

Scammers may try to trick you into believing they are genuine by posing as staff from an Australian Government department, or by using websites which look like official Government sites. Illegal operators often give incorrect advice, steal your money, encourage you to lie on your application and do not deliver the services promised.

Warning Signs

• You get an unsolicited or unexpected offer for a ‘guaranteed’ Australian visa.
• The offer comes via email, post, over the phone, on a website or even face-to-face.
• It claims to be a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’, or your ‘only’ chance to travel or migrate to Australia.
• You are asked to pay the scammer upfront to ‘register’ your interest in getting a visa. The scammer asks you to pay them directly rather than paying the government department and claims that only they can pay the department’s fees.
• The scammer claims to have a special relationship with the Department of Home Affairs.
• They tell you they need to keep your original documents.

Remember

• There is only one official Australian Government provider of visas - the Department of Home Affairs. Home Affairs ’ official website is http://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/.
• If you receive an email from the Australian Embassy or Consulate General in Vietnam the email address must end in "@dfat.gov.au".
• Home Affairs charges a one-off fee at the time you lodge your visa application. You can pay the fee directly to the department or to our Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) in Vietnam, operated by VFS Global. You do not require an agent to pay this fee on your behalf.
• No one can influence the outcome of a visa application or the visa decision making process. Only authorised officers from Home Affairs can issue you with a visa and only if you meet all the visa requirements.
• Home Affairs does not have any special relationships with outside agencies and does not give preferential treatment to anyone.

Protect Yourself

• Be suspicious if you are contacted by phone, post, email or approached in person about a visa you did not apply for. Walk away from the person, hang up the phone immediately or ignore the email/letter! The Government does not contact people to offer them visas.
• An Australian registered migration agent (whether operating in Australia or outside of Australia) will be subject to a Code of Conduct, professional development criteria and regulations. To avoid being scammed, you can check the Register of Migration Agents on the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA) website, to receive the protections of an OMARA registered Migration Agent. More information is available on the Help with your application webpage.
• Never give or send anyone your original identity documents. Government departments may wish to view your original documents in person or may ask for certified photocopies but should never ask to keep your original documents.
• Never provide your personal, credit card or banking details in an email or over the phone—scammers will use your details to commit identity fraud or steal your money.
• If you think you have provided your bank account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.

Report

People with information about migration scams or illegal operators should contact Home Affairs.

See: https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/help-and-support/departmental-forms/online-forms/border-watch 

Please refer to the Home Affairs website for more information.