From 2027, Vietnamese guest workers to be managed through identification codes

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung has signed Decision No. 2001/QD-TTg approving a plan for implementing the Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Vietnamese Guest Workers.

Under the plan, the Ministry of Home Affairs was tasked with developing, upgrading, and operating the database on Vietnamese guest workers, as well as connecting and sharing data to support data-driven management and supervision.

The database will be upgraded in accordance with the amended law, ensuring that each worker is managed through an identification code throughout the entire process, from candidate preparation and selection to departure, overseas employment, and return to Viet Nam.

The Ministry will also upgrade functions for receiving notifications and processing administrative procedures at both central and local levels, in line with the tasks assigned to each level under the decentralization framework. The upgrades will ensure information safety and security and enable ex-post inspections based on data.

Testing of essential functions for receiving notifications, processing administrative procedures, updating data, and connecting and sharing data in line with delegated and decentralized responsibilities must be completed before March 1, 2027.

Further upgrades, improvements, and expanded data connectivity and sharing will continue throughout 2027 and subsequent years.

In addition, the Ministry of Home Affairs was tasked with drafting a new circular on the database on Vietnamese guest workers to replace Circular No. 20/2021 on the Database system of Vietnamese guest workers. The new circular is expected to be issued in the first quarter of 2027 and take effect on March 1 of the same year.

Viet Nam sends approximately 130,000–150,000 workers abroad each year, generating billions of US dollars in remittances and helping improve household incomes.

In the first nine months of this year, 102,001 Vietnamese workers were sent abroad, equivalent to 91.07 percent of this year's target. To meet the target of 112,000 workers, Viet Nam needs to send an additional 9,999 workers in the fourth quarter.

Last year, Viet Nam sent more than 144,000 workers abroad under labor export programs, exceeding the annual target by 11 percent. Japan remained the largest destination, receiving 64,600 Vietnamese workers, followed by Taiwan, with 57,000, and South Korea, with 11,600./.