Police check for work permit

Your California State Police will issue a document that suffices.

Yeah, that's what I thought, but this kind of concerns me (the last paragraph of this link):
http://travel.state.gov/content/passpor … check.html

Or is that nonsense?

No, that's the part where you take it to the US Embassy/Consulate and then they 'authenticate' it in a fashion that is recognised by VN authorities.

Some have posted they didn't need to go through this step.

Naturally. Uncle Sam needing cash, charges for this.

It's easy enough to get a criminal background check through the Embassy, if the locals don't accept the one you have. 

Criminal Background Check  U.S. citizens may be asked to present a “certificate of good conduct” or “lack of a criminal record” for a variety of reasons for use abroad including adoption, school attendance, employment, etc.  U.S. citizens can request a criminal background check in the U.S. or in Vietnam.  To obtain a criminal background check in Vietnam:      Persons who have been living in Vietnam for 6 months or more can request this document from their local provincial justice office.     If you no longer live in Vietnam, but need a criminal background check for the period of time you stayed in Vietnam, you can request it from:            The National Center for Criminal Checks           58-60 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi           Tel: 04-6273-9500  Note: Foreigners who cannot appear in person when requesting a criminal background check may provide a Power of Attorney authorizing another person along with photocopies of the requestor's current passport and the requestor's passport previously used in Vietnam (if different from current passport) to obtain the criminal background check. The Power of Attorney and copy of the U.S. passport must be authenticated by a Vietnamese Embassy overseas or by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affair's Consular Department. The Power of Attorney must be translated into Vietnamese by a Vietnamese notary public.  Getting U.S. citizens may be asked to present a “certificate of good conduct” or “lack of a criminal record” for a variety of reasons for use abroad including adoption, school attendance, employment, etc.  U.S. citizens can request a criminal background check in the U.S. or in Vietnam.  To obtain a criminal background check in Vietnam:      Persons who have been living in Vietnam for 6 months or more can request this document from their local provincial justice office.     If you no longer live in Vietnam, but need a criminal background check for the period of time you stayed in Vietnam, you can request it from:            The National Center for Criminal Checks           58-60 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi           Tel: 04-6273-9500  Note: Foreigners who cannot appear in person when requesting a criminal background check may provide a Power of Attorney authorizing another person along with photocopies of the requestor's current passport and the requestor's passport previously used in Vietnam (if different from current passport) to obtain the criminal background check. The Power of Attorney and copy of the U.S. passport must be authenticated by a Vietnamese Embassy overseas or by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affair's Consular Department. The Power of Attorney must be translated into Vietnamese by a Vietnamese notary public.  Getting your fingerprints taken:  Please contact the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ho Chi Minh City for taking fingerprints. Their office is located at 1B Pham Ngoc Thach Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, tel: (+84) 83-822-2057, fax: (+84) 83-822-1780, email: [email protected].  The IOM office charges $50 per person for this service. Please note that IOM is the only office in Vietnam that provides this service for U.S. citizens.  You also can find information about fingerprinting on the Criminal Records Check page on our webpage and instructions on taking fingerprints can be found at the FBI's website. There you can print out your own fingerprint cards, find FBI records check procedures, and mailing information.

- vietnam.usembassy.gov/acs_specialservices.html#fingerprint

At least you're in HCMC, if you need to get fingerprinted. 

The FBI records check is another option.  Just get printed and send the card to Clarksburg, WV.  They'd issue paperwork saying there were no matches found, or something to that effect, which has been rumored to be acceptable for WP purposes...

Just go to your local central police station get a print out I live in sf I went to police hall of records they said I was a murderer but they made mistake same name different bday after it was done no problem

Hockey VN wrote:

Just go to your local central police station get a print out I live in sf I went to police hall of records they said I was a murderer but they made mistake same name different bday after it was done no problem

Always check the date stamp on the posts, you just gave advice to someone from three years ago.

Is your dad's name Sam by any chance?