Working abroad is identified as one of the solutions for creating jobs, increasing income, and contributing to sustainable poverty reduction. However, for workers in disadvantaged areas, the challenge is not only having the desire to work but also accessing official information, choosing suitable programs, and preparing adequately to mitigate risks.

Workers, students, and prospective students gather information at the Korean Study Abroad Fair held in Hanoi. (Photo: Ha Trang)

Unfulfilled dreams

Over 120 million VND is the amount that the family of Hoang Ngoc P., residing in Ba Don ward, Quang Tri province , has borrowed and paid to prepare for her plan to go to Germany as a vocational student.

Through a mutual acquaintance, P. sought out a center in Hanoi to learn German, hoping that after the training she could go to Germany to study a trade and work. However, the departure plan was delayed for various reasons from the center. After a period of waiting, P. decided to stop.

For a family that had to borrow money to prepare for a plan to go abroad, the inability to realize that plan not only causes the worker to lose time studying, but also creates financial pressure.

P.'s case raises a broader issue: before spending a large sum of money to prepare for overseas employment, how can workers, especially in disadvantaged areas, verify the program, the recruiting agency, the costs, and the possibility of emigration?

Job opportunities come with specific skill requirements.

According to Mr. Phan Viet Hung, a specialist in the Citizen Protection Department of the Consular Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs , the activity of sending Vietnamese workers abroad under contract continues to be maintained and expanded. In 2025, Vietnam sent more than 144,000 workers abroad, exceeding the plan by 11%. In 2026, the target is expected to be around 112,000 workers.

Japan , Taiwan (China), and South Korea remain traditional and key markets for Vietnamese workers. In addition, markets in Europe and the Middle East continue to be popular choices for many workers.

Notably, according to Mr. Hung, the current trend is a shift towards higher-income markets. However, the requirements for workers in these markets are also higher, especially in terms of skills, foreign language proficiency, and discipline.

Mr. Phan Viet Hung (left) at the seminar "Practical aspects of protecting Vietnamese citizens abroad". (Photo: Provided by the interviewee)

This shows that, to access job opportunities abroad, workers need more than just finding a recruitment program. Identifying a suitable career, preparing language skills, and acquiring professional skills are crucial steps before departure.

For workers in disadvantaged areas, this is also a significant step in the goal of poverty reduction. With appropriate training, workers can access better-paying jobs while accumulating experience, capital, and skills during their time working abroad.

According to Mr. Hung, the value of working abroad lies not only in the money workers send back to their families. Upon returning, they can bring with them skills, foreign language proficiency, a professional work ethic, and accumulated capital. A portion of these workers use these resources to start businesses, create jobs, and develop the economy in their hometowns.

Transparency of information to reduce risk

Along with professional and language requirements, access to accurate information before departure is a crucial factor in mitigating risks.

According to Mr. Phan Viet Hung, job scams are one of the problems that workers may face. Some individuals exploit citizens' lack of legal knowledge to organize illegal overseas employment. Workers then face the risk of exploitation, forced labor, or being lured into participating in illegal activities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises workers to verify the employer, workplace, contract, salary, working conditions, and accommodation before deciding to work abroad; they should not rely solely on verbal promises or transfer money to unscrupulous brokers.

Workers also need to register for overseas employment through officially licensed businesses, and proactively learn about the language, customs, and laws of the host country.

In particular, for workers who have to borrow money to prepare for an overseas employment plan, information about the program, the company, costs, waiting time for departure, and contract conditions needs to be clarified from the outset.

This is also an issue that needs attention in employment and poverty reduction policies. Workers in disadvantaged areas not only need to be introduced to job opportunities, but also need to have the ability to access, verify, and choose those opportunities.

The Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Vietnamese workers going to work abroad under contract, passed by the National Assembly on August 24, 2026, also focuses on cutting administrative procedures, reducing compliance costs, promoting digital transformation, and better protecting the rights of workers.

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