180+ Day return flight split by a 2nd flight plan?

Legal Visa & Residency
1

Hello, I’m new to the forum but I have visited on previous occasions for information, and oft left more the wiser - nice new board you have btw!

I’m hoping your experience can judge the fairness of my travel plans.

My brother has lived in Taiwan with his Taiwanese Mrs for several years now, and I’ve had the joy of visiting about 6 times as a result of this. Last year I finally maxed out with a 176 day stay; as a Brit I extended the 90 Day to 180 at the immigration office.

Unfortunately in 2015, the first visit I stayed longer than 90 Days for, I made an error in renewing my VISA (long story), so was fined about £100 on departure and given a year-long VISA-mandatory restriction for re-entry. So indeed, my 6 month stay in 2016 wasn’t VISA exempt at all, but was never-the-less permitted providing I had the VISA (had it) and extended properly (did it).

It’s 2017, my 1 Year VISA-mandatory entry has expired, and I’ve been invited by my family there to visit again, hooray! To save significantly on Flight expenses, I’m contemplating booking an 8 or 9 month return ticket, but also booking a return ticket from Taiwan to Japan somewhere in the middle. The extra back and forth would renew my Visa free entry, and would technically reset my time in the country.

Providing I have it all booked and can present all tickets to immigration and so forth, do these travel plans seem “wise”? (Or any technical reason it wouldn’t be acceptable)

I’m concerned they will see the history in my passport/have it logged on their system and thus have ‘reservations’ about allowing me entry with this Flight configuration.
Although my mistake in 2015 was innocent… well, I’m sure they are within their sovereign right to deny me entry if they suspect any kind of shenanigans, or consider my arrangement cheekily “over-reaching”.

Thanks for your support,

Nelafanji

2

You will be fine as long as you have an onward flight ticket sometime in the future anytime you are flying to Taiwan. They will not look at all the other options. They will just look at your travel specifically each time and if you have an onward ticket to depart Taiwan sometime in the future.

Most of the time, it is only the airline that checks before they let you board the plane to Taiwan. Immigration in Taiwan rarely asks but you still need to have it.

They don’t really look at the onward ticket to see if you are leaving within your Visa expiration time because so many variables could occur in the future. Their concern is if you have the intent and capacity to depart Taiwan on your own.

3

Thank you for your response, that makes a lot of sense they would “just do it by the book” and alleviate redundant workload. I believe I will push ahead with the plan then and have a jolly ol’ time :slight_smile:

My brother insisted it wouldn’t be an issue too, but I’m just a worrier; paranoid I could get stuck in a situation where I’ve got tickets booked and some one says, “You shall not pass!”.

(~An immigration officer puts on his robe and wizard hat~)