Article 13 defines three circumstances under which foreigners temporarily residing in Vietnam shall be considered for permanent residence, including: (i) those who have struggled for freedom and national independence, for socialism, for democracy and peace or for the cause of science, but have been subject to suppression; (ii) those who have meritorious contributions to the cause of building and defending the Vietnamese Fatherland; and (iii) spouses, offspring, and parents of Vietnamese citizens residing in Vietnam.
In other words, businesspeople residing here long-term (at least, those without Vietnamese spouses) can never attain the status of permanent resident.