Czech Republic resumes work visas for Vietnamese citizens
The Czech Republic has resumed issuing long-term visas for Vietnamese workers after suspending it for almost one year.
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Workers reap hops during the harvest season in a village in the Czech Republic, August 30, 2018. Photo by Reuters/David W Cerny
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The country suspended the acceptance of work visa applications from Vietnam in July last year, citing "overloading" and security concerns.
The Czech Embassy in Vietnam has now received the first batch of 200 visa applications submitted by Vietnamese citizens who are planning to work in the Czech Republic from this August onwards.
Last April, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc paid an official visit to the Czech Republic where he and his Czech counterpart Andrej Babiš agreed to promote labor cooperation.
The Eastern European country is now in need of 200,000 workers and, given its thriving economy, the figure is expected to soar up to 600,000 in the coming years.
According to the Ministry of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs, around 500,000 Vietnamese citizens are living and working overseas. On average, more than 90,000 Vietnamese workers leave the country each year, mainly for labor-intensive and low-skilled jobs. Vietnam's total workforce is around 50 million.
