Ha ha ha... more digging...

Yep.. alot of "no" coming back from agencies in VN right now. (Not disputing that people are still getting them, especially with the right level of invite.)

The reason is that too many foreigners were working illegally on them when they should be on proper work permits.

So now a new service is available: 3 year resident's permits + work permits are being sold. None of the usual checks required... for the appropriate fee.