Apply for remote work in Ho Chi Min City or Hanoi?

Hello! I am looking to apply for the DTV as a remote worker. I work for a Chinese company online as an English teacher and have done since 2024, so I have evidence from them that I work online only as an independent contractor. But, they don’t provide me with payslips. It just shows how much I have earnt and how many lessons I have taught on their online portal which I can of course screen shot and provide as evidence, a long with my bank statements showing they have paid me. I do not pay tax as I am a UK resident and the amount I earn is under the limit that you need to start paying income tax on so I am unable to provide any tax filings. I also have the 500k TBH in a savings account but it was only opened 3 months ago as my money was initially in bonds which I then transferred to a new savings account to show it is accessible money. So, my question is would it be better for me to apply in Hanoi or Ho Chi Min city please? I am in Danang right now so I would need to apply from Ho Chi Min but if anyone has had the same situation as me and not been accepted then I hear Hanoi would better to apply from (I will make my way to Hanoi if that is the case) I would be grateful to hear anyone’s experiences and timelines please! Many thanks :)

I submitted my DTV application at the Los Angeles consulate on January 11th, just got confirmation it's approved today (the 13th). At least for US types applying through the LA consulate, I'd say you've got pretty solid odds.

I took the time to organize all of my documents in a nice PDF with a table of contents (I used Canva). I had more than enough of the requisite proof of funds in my HYSA; I applied via the 'workation' route and I was a little bit concerned, because last year I did NOT make very much money, and I am pursuing a relatively new side-hustle that I'm trying to ramp up to be my full-time work this year.

The consulate just asked for a few more clarification documents (I had to tell them I was basically an independent contractor and I had no formal contract between myself and the online platform I am using to sell my services). I was a little bit worried about that, but apparently a few more explanatory documents, website links, and another letter clarifying things was good enough.

See you guys in Thailand. If you're ever around Udon Thani feel free to hit me up.

Hey everyone!

I’m currently on a work visa in Bangkok, but I’ve just landed a full-remote independent contractor role with a US company and I’m planning to switch over.

My plan is to apply for a DTV visa from my home country. I already have over 500K THB in my KBank account, and I’ll be showing my contract (which lists my Thailand address with the US company).

Does anyone know if I need to provide any additional documents when applying, or have any suggestions from similar experience?

South African gf got approved in Hanoi for workcation as an independent contractor.

Application submission: 6/3

Changed to pending approval: 6/5

Approved: 6/13

8 business days total, 6 from status changing to pending approval. No extra documents requested.

She submitted the following:

Proof of location: visa stamp into VN. Hotel booking. Selfie at hotel. VN evisa

Financials: 3 months of statement. 500K ending balance only for 1 month(most recent)

Employment proof:

-Cover letter explaining her work as an independent contractor as well as having her own small business.

-Letter from her boss with approval to work remote

-business registration documents of her boss’ company.

-Portfolio of clients she works with

-4 recent pay slips

-Screen shots of her business

-5 invoices and 5 payment confirmations of her customers.

When applying for the DTV online it asks for my first name and last name. From traveling in the past, I understand that for some countries you need to put both your first and middle name in the first name space. I’m trying to figure out if I need to do that for this visa application. Also if I do put my first and middle name in the first name space, it doesn’t allow me to put a space in between the names. Will this be an issue?

I’m hoping to hear from somebody who has already been granted the visa, who has a first and middle name, and applyed with a United States passport. What did you do and were there any issues?

Also, do they require a specific amount of income each month to grant you the visa or is it just a lump sum you need in savings?

I work as an independent contractor. I’d also appreciate any advice on how to apply when I both have my own buisness and also work for outside companies?

Thanks!