A few weeks ago I began working on my work permit and visa renewal process as my Vietnamese visa will expire at the beginning of July. There are many steps in the process that involve getting signatures and approvals from various Vietnamese offices. It actually can be quite confusing and a little complicated as the processes have to be carried out in a certain order.
This past Thursday afternoon I got a call from the VSO office stating I had to travel to Hanoi that very day in order to visit the US embassy the following morning as a part of my visa renewal process. I have to admit that at first I was a little frustrated as I had to rearrange my work and social schedule as well as make travel arrangements in a very narrow window of time.
Yet, the more I thought about the situation, the more I realized that I really am quite fortunate. With my visa renewal process it is not really a question of if my visa will be renewed and more a matter of how long it will take for the process to be completed. This is not the same case for many of my Vietnamese friends however. In general, it is very difficult for Vietnamese to travel, let alone work, abroad. There are quite a few feats they have to overcome to do so including very lengthy and quite strict visa procedures -- not to mention the high costs associated with traveling or working abroad, especially since the Vietnamese dong will not go as far in most countries.
So, last Thursday night I headed up to Hanoi, visited the US embassy and completed the next step in the process -- plus, I got to have some fun spending time with friends up there along the way. There are many more steps that need to be completed in order for my visa renewal process to be complete, but I will try very hard not to get frustrated or complain, as I realize I am very fortunate to be experiencing life abroad.
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