National Assembly Proposes Crackdown on Workers Who Violate Rules Abroad: Exit Bans Possible
On the morning of 10/8, the National Assembly discussed amendments to the law governing Vietnamese workers employed overseas. Delegates proposed banning people with previous violations from leaving the country, tightening cost controls, and improving coordination on enforcement — key points for anyone preparing to go to Japan.
Aug 10, 2026·✍️ olablog·⏱ 4 min read
On the morning of 10/8, the National Assembly discussed amendments to the law governing Vietnamese workers employed overseas. Delegates proposed banning people with previous violations from leaving the country, tightening cost controls, and improving coordination on enforcement — key points for anyone preparing to go to Japan.
On the morning of 10/8, the National Assembly discussed a draft law amending and supplementing several provisions of the Law on Vietnamese Workers Working Abroad under Contracts. The discussion focused on an issue directly affecting the prospects of hundreds of thousands of people seeking legal employment overseas: some workers abandoning their contracts, living illegally, and violating the laws of their host countries. For anyone preparing to go to Japan as an intern, specified skilled worker, or technical worker, this is important information to understand. Here are the main points, compiled from the session’s content (source: Vietnamnet).
Notable proposal: banning people with previous violations from leaving the country
Delegate Trần Đình Gia (Hà Tĩnh) — a province with a large number of residents working abroad — highlighted the continuing problem of workers abandoning their contracts, living illegally, and taking unauthorized jobs after arriving in their destination countries. He said these violations not only damage the image of Vietnamese workers, but also lead some markets to restrict or temporarily suspend recruitment from certain localities, depriving people who genuinely want to work legally of opportunities.
The delegate therefore proposed studying stricter regulations, including the possibility of banning people from leaving the country if they have previously violated the law while working abroad. The aim would be to prevent someone who violated the law in one country from simply moving on to another.
Overseas employment costs: low official fees, but workers still pay hundreds of millions of đồng
Another pressing issue is the excessive cost of working abroad. Some markets charge little or nothing, yet in practice workers still have to pay 300–400 million đồng, with some cases reaching billions of đồng. The gap between the fees stated "on paper" and the amount workers actually have to pay is one of the issues the draft law seeks to address.
Stronger coordination in handling serious violations
Delegate Chu Lương Trí (Quảng Ninh) called for stronger coordination between Vietnam and host countries when dealing with serious offenses such as theft, drug-related crimes, gambling, and illegal business activities. He said that, where permitted by domestic law and international treaties, authorities could study extradition mechanisms or the transfer of offenders to Vietnam for processing under the appropriate jurisdiction.
A more open framework for businesses, with better protection for workers
On behalf of the drafting agency, Minister of Home Affairs Nguyễn Tiến Hải emphasized that sending Vietnamese workers abroad is not only about creating jobs, but also about giving workers access to modern technology, skills, and working environments.
The draft also aims to:
- Cut requirements for service companies’ physical facilities by up to 50%, reducing the administrative burden.
- Require companies to appoint a representative overseas to support and protect workers when problems arise.
What does this mean for people preparing to go to Japan?
Japan is one of the largest destinations for Vietnamese workers, and it is also a country where residence regulations (status of residence and specified visas) are strictly enforced. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Follow your contract and maintain your status of residence. Abandoning your contract to take an unauthorized "under-the-table" job can not only cost you your legal status of residence, but — under the direction of the draft law currently under discussion — could also affect your ability to leave the country in the future.
- Ask about all costs before signing. If the actual fees are significantly higher than the published figures, that is a warning sign to proceed carefully.
- Know who your support representative in Japan is. If a dispute or other problem arises, this person is your point of contact for protecting your rights and interests.
The draft law is still under discussion and may be revised before it is passed. OlaChill will continue to update readers on changes that directly affect the Vietnamese community living, working, and traveling in Japan.
Session information source: Vietnamnet. This article was prepared, compiled, and supplemented with additional context for OlaChill readers — it does not reproduce the source verbatim.
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