Reverse Migration Deep Dive: Coming Home, and What It Really Means

What do the numbers show?

Overseas Vietnamese (“Việt Kiều”, diaspora, second-/third-gen etc.) returning to Vietnam isn’t just a nostalgia trip. It’s increasingly a strategic decision; personal, political, emotional, and economic. Here’s a breakdown of what’s happening now, why, and what to watch out for.

~500,000 people return each year to Vietam from abroad (includes short-term, seasonal, temporary visits). Of those, around 25,000 are returning emigrants who intend to stay permanently. (Source: IOM, Migration Profile Vietnam - 2023)

71% of overseas Vietnamese say they plan to return to Vietnam within the next five years. (Source: Robert Walters survey reported via Vietcetera.)

Among survey respondents: career opportunity, closer ties to family, better standard of living, cost of living, emotional/cultural pull.

Laws and incentives are gradually aligning: visa-free / visa-exemption certificates, relaxed rules for visa duration, efforts to attract skilled diaspora talent.

Why people are coming back

These are the major motivating forces, often overlapping. Different people weigh them differently.

1. Economic opportunity & growth.
   Vietnam’s rate of growth, rising foreign investment, increasing presence of global companies (esp in tech / manufacturing), and growing startup ecosystems are attractive. Overseas Vietnamese often have education, skills, networks, and language fluency that make them especially valuable. Vietcetera+1

2. Family, care, connection.
   Being physically closer to parents, elders; cultural pull (festivals, food, daily life) matters a lot. For many, living abroad means distance not just in miles but in rhythms and rituals. Vietcetera+2VnExpress International+2

3. Cost of living and quality of life.
   Though wages abroad might be higher in absolute terms, expenses (housing, healthcare, schooling, taxes) can eat into satisfaction. Meanwhile, improvements in infrastructure and services in Vietnam have made certain trade-offs more acceptable. Vietcetera+1

4. Policy and legal changes.
   The government has made moves to reduce barriers (visa rules, incentives for high-skilled diaspora, official recognition, more pathways for investment and property ownership) which make return less risky. InCorp Vietnam+2Vietcetera+2

5. Identity, belonging, heritage.
   Particularly for younger generations who grew up abroad, there’s often a sense of incompleteness: language gaps, feeling neither fully “there” nor “here.” Returning can be part of healing, reconnection, being part of something larger. VnExpress International+2Vietcetera+2

6. Challenges abroad.
   Perceived lack of belonging, social isolation, certain economic and social pressures (cost, inequity, visa/immigration stress) or dissatisfaction can tip someone toward return. VnExpress International+1

What people are building / how return looks

Reverse migration isn’t just moving back; it often looks like:

• Starting businesses (often leveraging dual cultural/linguistic fluency) or joining global-tied firms.

• Working remotely (from Vietnam) while clients or networks are abroad.

• Educators, creatives, NGOs, or social enterprises who want to bring expertise home.

• Retirees or semi-retirees who value cultural rootedness + lower cost & maybe more relaxed pace.

• Contributing in investment, mentorship, or networks: diaspora funds, angel investing, supporting local ecosystem. Vietcetera+1

Challenges people face (and don’t always talk about)

Returning is not always a smooth transition. A few consistent challenges:

• Culture shock & daily friction. Even for those of Vietnamese origin, systems (bureaucracy, customer service, work environment) differ. Social norms, expectations can feel strange. Language usage / accent / subtle dialect or idiom differences can be hard.

• Recognition of foreign credentials / experience. Sometimes international degrees, or work experience abroad, are undervalued or misunderstood.

• Cost vs expectation mismatches. While some things are cheaper (housing, domestic help, food), things like imported goods, quality international schooling, or healthcare (for certain levels) can still be pricey.

• Legal / property / visa uncertainties. Changes are underway, but rules may vary by region, may lag in implementation, and policies can shift.

• Emotional weight of “return expectations”. Family and social expectations; romanticized ideals of “home” may bump into realities of infrastructure, traffic, pollution, fast pace, etc.

• Navigating identity from both sides. Some feel not “foreign enough” in diaspora; others feel foreign in Vietnam. Hybridity can be beautiful, but it also brings tension.

What this means for our community

As a diaspora, as those considering returning, or already returned, here’s what we can do / think about:

• Share lived stories. The wins and the hard parts. We grow by hearing what worked and what surprised people.

• Build support networks. Local diaspora associations, coworking spaces, mentorships for returnees can help with acclimation.

• Advocate for clearer policy and transparency. Understanding visa / property ownership / business regulation clarity helps everyone.

• Hybrid lives are valid. Many people may not permanently move; maybe they return seasonally, split time, or maintain multiple homes / identities. That’s part of the new normal.

• Invest back, whether with time, money, skills. Return doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Even remote collaboration, investment in local small businesses, cultural programming can be powerful.

Voices from “Voices of our Diaspora”

Here are two brief stories (real / composite) that help bring this to life:

• Trúc (ages ~28): Born overseas, studied Computer Science in the U.S. After a few years in tech, she felt the pace and cost of living abroad wearing her down. She moved to HCMC, found a startup role leveraging her bilingual skills, and says the energy of building something new, with roots, is more joyful than the perfect “foreign job.”

• Ông Huỳnh (mid-60s): Retired civil servant, whose children had moved abroad. Returned to the Mekong Delta to care for aging parents, growing rice gardens, reconnecting with family rituals. He misses certain conveniences abroad, but says daily meals, familiar smells, the sound of the river, those make “home” feel alive.

What to watch for / trends ahead

• The number of overseas Vietnamese intending to return seems to be increasing, especially among younger/second generations. Vietcetera+1

• More programs & private sector initiatives to “tap” diaspora talent (recruitment roadshows, incentives). Vietcetera+1

• Stronger legal infrastructure for dual citizenship, property ownership, ease of business formalities may follow.

• Urban infrastructure growing quickly: traffic, pollution, housing shortages are challenges, so returnees may favor smaller cities or less dense areas, or may develop hybrid living between cities.

• Cultural production: more creators / artists / writers from diaspora returning to shape narratives at home, telling stories, making art, starting media.

Questions / Reflection for you

• If you consider returning (temporarily or permanently), what are the priorities for you? (Career, family, cost, culture, education, etc.)

• What support would make it easier? (Language refresh, professional networking, legal guidance, community of returnees, etc.)

• Have you already returned or are planning to? What surprised you? What did you not expect?