Tran Thi Le Oanh, 42, was charged with "brokering illegal exit in Vietnam" and "fabricating an organization's seal or documents and use thereof," the HCMC People's Court said Wednesday.

Her accomplice Nguyen Thi My Phuong was sentenced to five years in jail on the same charges.

Three others were jailed 2.5 years each for seal and document fabrication.

In 2018, Oanh, as director of a firm dealing with tourism and foreign education, helped 40 customers apply for an Australian visa despite knowing they were not qualified.

Oanh then asked two people, including Phuong, to fabricate documents and seals on the customers' behalf.

The Australian Consulate-General had approved 28 visas without detecting the fabrication. Twenty had successfully traveled to Australia.

The rest of the profiles however were found to be suspicious and handed over to police.

Oanh has unlawfully gained VND940 million ($40,780) in the process. Her family has since paid back VND700 million.