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| Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, a National Assembly delegate from Vinh Phuc province, discussed in groups two draft laws amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam. |
Delegate Hoang Thi Thuy Lan, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the National Assembly Delegation of Vinh Phuc province chaired the discussion session at group 5 including the provinces: Vinh Phuc, Lao Cai, Gia Lai and Vinh Long.
Speaking at the group meeting, delegates Bui Thanh Son, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Le Tat Hieu, Director of the People's Procuracy of Vinh Phuc province all agreed that amending the content of the 2018 Law on People's Public Security will have a positive impact on society, especially taking advantage of high-quality labor resources with a lot of practical experience.
The two delegates affirmed that the amendment and supplementation of a number of articles of the Law on People's Public Security will be consistent with the new provisions of the 2019 Labor Code and the special nature of the people's public security force.
Regarding the two draft laws amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Exit and Entry of Vietnamese Citizens and the Law on Entry, Exit, Transit and Residence of Foreigners in Vietnam, Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son emphasized that the amendment and supplement of these two draft laws is necessary in the current situation; contributing to simplifying procedures, continuing to create favorable conditions for Vietnamese citizens in issuing exit and entry documents and foreigners entering, exiting, transiting and residing in Vietnam.
The Minister affirmed that the two draft laws will facilitate Vietnamese citizens to study, work, live and do business abroad; at the same time, in the context of Vietnam's highly open economy, the number of foreign businessmen and citizens entering the country to live, work and travel is increasing... which will create conditions for investors to explore the market, invest and attract foreign tourists to Vietnam.
The Minister said that it is necessary to agree not to apply the principle of invitation, reception, and sponsorship related to foreigners entering the country for the purpose of tourism and market research.
Issuing an electronic visa does not require a sponsoring agency, but issuing a visa by a representative agency requires this, causing difficulties and inconsistencies between the two forms and may cause confusion for visitors.
The Minister proposed amending the regulations, allowing Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to decide to grant visas for certain necessary or urgent diplomatic cases for humanitarian reasons. Along with that, it is necessary to comply with the principle: representative agencies are responsible for granting visas and must notify the Immigration Department of the Ministry of Public Security.
According to previous regulations, Vietnamese representative agencies abroad were granted visas in special cases under the authorization of the Immigration Department, but the scope was very limited and guaranteed by the foreign ministries of the countries. The Minister suggested that when amending the law this time, it should be more open in the context of Vietnam expanding international relations.
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| Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son at the 5th Session of the 15th National Assembly. (Photo: Tuan Anh) |
In the context of the world and the whole country's trend of promoting digital transformation, Minister Bui Thanh Son supports the expansion of the scope of electronic visa issuance and believes that many countries are also expanding the scope of electronic visa issuance to create conditions for easy access for immigrants.
Therefore, the Minister emphasized that expanding the scope of electronic visa issuance (currently 80 countries) will facilitate foreigners to register to enter Vietnam, especially those who do not have the conditions to go to representative agencies or places where Vietnam does not have representative agencies.
The Minister also agreed with the proposal to increase the visa duration to 3 months, valid for multiple entries, and increase the residence period for entrants with unilateral visa exemption to 45 days.
Many countries in the world have adjusted their immigration policies to attract tourists or to meet labor shortages. For example, Canada can issue 10-year visas to parents whose children study in the country for multiple visits. The Minister affirmed that the adjustment to extend the residence period for visitors will stimulate tourism, in line with the world trend.
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