Popular export markets
In Thuan Chau commune, Luong Thi Huong went to Japan to work for 4 months, and sent nearly 50 million VND to her family to repay a loan from the Vietnam Bank for Social Policies.
Vang A Nhe, from Ta Khoa commune, is expected to go to Japan in October. Before leaving the country, Nhe was taken by businesses to Hanoi to learn Japanese and prepare necessary skills.
My family is in agriculture, income depends on the season. I want to go to Japan to work to have more income, accumulate capital and later develop the economy in my hometown" - Nhè said.
In Bo Bau village, Chieng Mung commune, Tong Van Xuan was the first person in Mr. Tong Van Chinh's family to go to Korea to work from 2015. After that, 10 other members also went to Korea in turn.
According to Mr. Chinh, his children have income, send money to support their families, repair houses and invest in production.
In Chieng Mung commune, the locality sets a target for the period 2025 - 2030 to send 114 workers to work abroad. Mr. Tran Xuan Hiep - Chairman of Chieng Mung Commune People's Committee - informed: In 2026, the commune strives to have 23 workers under contract. Since the beginning of the year, there have been 13 long-term registrations and 52 seasonal workers.
Currently, Japan, Korea, Taiwan (China) and Russia are markets chosen by many Son La workers. To exit the country, workers must meet requirements on health, skills, foreign languages, resumes and costs.
In the period 2020 - 2025, Son La has 1,466 workers going to work abroad under contracts. From the beginning of 2026 to now, 286 people have left the country, of which 257 people have gone on long-term trips to Japan, Russia and 29 people are seasonal trips to Korea.
Support to reduce barriers for workers going abroad
Son La currently has about 850,000 people of working age, accounting for 57.5% of the population. However, the number of people going to work abroad is still limited due to a part of workers lacking skills and foreign languages, while initial costs and capital are obstacles for many difficult families.
On October 14, 2025, the Provincial People's Committee issued Project No. 2553 on sending workers to work abroad in the period 2025-2030, setting a target of sending 5,000 people abroad and foreign language training, orientation education, and legal advice for 100% of workers before leaving.
On August 28, 2026, the Provincial People's Council issued Resolution No. 25/2026/NQ-HĐND on support policies for the 2026-2030 period. Some supported items include foreign language training, food and living expenses during training, passport and criminal record card fees.
Mr. Pham Quang Phuong - Deputy Director of Son La Department of Home Affairs - said that the resolution is the basis for implementing policies to support and create labor sources for foreign markets.
At the grassroots level, recruiting businesses also strengthen consulting. Mr. Nguyen Thuy Anh - Deputy Director of Song Da Vietnam International Cooperation Co., Ltd. - said that since the beginning of the year, the unit has provided consulting in more than 20 communes, mainly in mountainous areas, thereby more than 20 Son La workers have left the country. The business aims to have about 50 workers going to Japan and Russia by the end of the year.
For workers, the decision to leave the country still depends on many factors such as recruitment requirements, skills, foreign languages, costs, loans and plans after returning. Therefore, preparing before leaving the country and calculating the ability to repay loans are also issues considered by many families.
