Vietnamese overseas workers face steep upfront costs to secure jobs abroad

The financial burden of securing overseas employment has become a significant barrier for Vietnamese workers seeking better economic opportunities abroad. According to recent data, workers are paying approximately US$4,835 on average to obtain jobs in foreign markets during 2025, representing a considerable proportion of their anticipated earnings.

The cost structure reveals a troubling dependency on credit, with more than 50 percent of overseas workers forced to borrow money to meet upfront placement and processing fees. This debt burden effectively extends the period workers must remain in foreign employment before achieving genuine financial benefit, as initial income is diverted toward repaying loans incurred during the job procurement process.

The expense encompasses various charges typically associated with overseas employment, including recruitment agency fees, documentation, medical examinations, and visa processing costs. The magnitude of these expenses—amounting to nearly half a year's anticipated wages—underscores the substantial financial strain placed on workers from lower-income backgrounds seeking to enter the overseas labor market.

This pattern suggests systemic challenges within Vietnam's overseas worker placement infrastructure, where recruitment mechanisms and regulatory frameworks may inadvertently perpetuate financial vulnerabilities for job seekers. The reliance on borrowed capital to initiate overseas employment raises questions about the sustainability and equity of current labor migration pathways.