First of all, I want to apologize if this has been done before. I have searched the threads thoroughly and could not find anything either recent or relevant that would help my inquiry.
I will avoid ranting about the blade currently resting between my shoulder blades from my officially former employer who canceled my ARC two days before informing me (who I ironically didn’t get an APRC beforehand because I was naive enough to believe they wouldn’t pull something like this on me). Damn. I did rant.
I have three questions:
How much is and where do I get a 60-day extendable visitor visa in Hong Kong? An address would be nice if possible.
What could I possibly tell them to convince them to give me the 60-day visa? I don’t have the funds to go to school and I don’t have a job yet (and therefore no work permit). Could I tell them that I am currently processing my APRC and if so, what proof would I need to prove to them of this if any?
How long will it take to process a 60-day visa in Hong Kong?
Any recommendations of places to stay to a person who is jobless and is using her rent and utilities money to do this visa run at the last flippin’ minute? I don’t really plan on eating even if I stay for two days to get this taken care of so that’s not much of an issue.
Sorry that you’re going through this. If you’re American, I can tell you that the fee was raised by six dollars about 3 weeks ago, so now your visa will cost $140 US dollars. I don’t have the addresses, but I don’t think it will be difficult for you to ask around. The first time I went, years ago now, I just asked the other foreigner sitting next to me on the plane!
I stayed at the YMCA in a dorm type room with three other women. I had a GREAT time and made new friends! I think it cost less than 500NT, but again, that was years ago. It was also not difficult to find just asking around.
I didn’t have a clue where I was going to stay when I left, btw, so I’m saying: take it easy. You’re a very smart girl and you’re going to be fine. If you let it, this might even be fun!
Zhonghua Travel Service
40F Lippo Tower
No. 89 Queensway
Hong Kong
Hours
Mon-Fri 0900-1300 1400-1700
Sat 0900-1200
Used to be if you got your application in before 10am, you could pick up your visa at 2pm. This was a long time ago for me, so maybe someone else has a little more current info.
Sincerest sympathies. Before you go, make sure you really have to. Ask the immigration bureau (or whatever the erstwhile foreign affairs police call themselves) and be certain the trip is absolutely necessary. If you get someone to take over sponsorship, could you get an extension? What if you began APRC application procedures now? Find out for sure. I hope everything works out.
This is good advice, actually. A trip to the NIA to appeal for an extension based on the fact that you have resided here for so long is not that far fetched. You may find that they toss you a couple months just to let you get things sorted.
I would also try to schedule an interview with the authority at the NIA in charge of APRC’s to find out if you qualify, if for nothing else so that you could take all of that paperwork to HK or wherever in the case that you do need to apply for a 60 day visa.
Go to a travel agent and get a 4 star hotel with flight for cheaper than staying at those dirty hostels with Chinese prostitutes. Spend a few days there and recharge your batteries. I’d suggest a day trip to Macau, but with the heat at this time of year, you would melt unless you spent all your time at the casinos which are really nice(now finally) btw.
Macau = poker :discodance: Silver linings all abound.
No seriously. I will probably do Hong Kong because it’s the easiest.
I went to the Immigration Bureau to try and get an extension and told her that I working on getting my APRC. When she asked me why I needed the extension, I pulled out the termination letter. She rushed me over to that area with the tables to talk to an advisor. He told me that I have to leave the country. I said that I had a job offering (slight exaggeration since I don’t actually have any offers yet). He said that I still have to leave the country. I said that I was working on my APRC. He said that I still have to leave the country, but I would still be eligible to get it when I came back, as long as I filed within two years of the break in residency (which would have been nice to know 4 years ago when I was in a similiar, but less dire situation and had 5 years under my belt but was afraid of having to start all over in years of residency).
The verdict: I have to leave Taiwan. And just in case there was any doubt, I have the stamp in my passport to confirm it. I have to vacate the premises by July 14th. Bastille Day.
Any ideas on what to tell them? I don’t want to go all the way there only to have to get a landing visa back in Taiwan.
Well, be honest. Tell them that your job was terminated and ARC cancelled with little notice, that you have lived in Taipei for a lot of years on an ARC (take the documents with you), that you plan to apply for your APRC and have been told by the NIA that you qualify (slight exageration) and that processing takes on average 50 days.
Either that, or look for a friend with a business that can write you a letter of intent to hire including a start date somewhere close to the two month expiry when your visa would be up, inclusive of evidence that they plan to start processing your ARC and work permit as soon as you get back.
Personally, I think honesty is usually best.
Be sure that you do leave by the date specified though, because any later will affect your chance to apply for your APRC.
Sound advice from the others. If you do find yourself having to get a 60-day visa in Hong Kong, the MTR station for the Lippo Centre is Admiralty. Lippo Centre is the distinctive twin towers that look like this:
Still can’t get over the fact that your employer did this with zero notice.
[quote=“citizen k”]Well, be honest. Tell them that your job was terminated and ARC cancelled with little notice, that you have lived in Taipei for a lot of years on an ARC (take the documents with you), that you plan to apply for your APRC and have been told by the NIA that you qualify (slight exageration) and that processing takes on average 50 days…
Personally, I think honesty is usually best.[/quote]
I suppose if worst comes to worst, I’ll get a landing visa which will give me 30 more days to pound the pavement or settle for a chain school.
Iv done over 100 trips to HK ,mostly on visa runs. But my one visa run to Okinawa was not more expensive. The flight via Japan Asia was 3000nt each way (that was full fare, just walk into the airline and buy the ticket, either China Air or JAA, same price) and a very nice hotel i got right in naha was only 1500nt a nite. Course this was circa 1998. Prices may have crept up a bit. But a trip to naha was cool. Flight was bout same as to HK (slightly shorter) and it was very easy to navigate around Naha and I had a great time. It was pleasant. Not as exciting as HK, but easily navigable. JAA treats the Naha/ TPE flight as a domestic flight pretty much. You get a box lunch (nothing to brag bout) and no alkey, but soft drinks.
HK is a bit of a stressful time if its your first time there. The chungking mansions is a Horrible place . Where I also got suckered into for my first time to HK. They have dozens of little hovels, some better then others but all pretty grim.
Its better to do Macau and then take the TurboCat to Hk (bout 30bucks each way) .
Hk is fun. Its more fun after you have done it a few times.
I will return to the travel agent later today and ask about the prices in a few locations. Granted this is an emergency situation, but it will also be the first real trip I’ve taken since I started working for the school that just fired me. Yes, the last time I took a holiday was in 2005.
I guess it’s about time I’ve had a little break after working 6 days a week just for them since 2006 with no personal time off aside from 1.5 sick days.
I came here with a job at my first full-time job for the first five years and with their help in keeping my ARC, even though they really didn’t have any reason to because I quit on less than happy terms, and forumosans’ help when a job fell through at the last minute, I had never had a break in continuing my resident visa until now. It was my fault for being too trusting and scoffing when my friends warned me to get my APRC because I never ever would have imagined them doing this to me.
Once again forumosans are proving why forumosa is a community and not just a website. Thank you everyone for all your help. :bravo:
I went to Hong Kong last fall and stayed at the Paris Guesthouse in Chungking Mansions…apart from a little bit of ick about the elevator situation, it was quite nice. Private room with private (admittedly tiny) bathroom, and a TV…couldn’t ask for anything more in HK really. It was US$29 booked online through HostelWorld.com
Paris Guesthouse
7-F D8 Chungking Mansions
33-44 Nathan Rd. Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong
I’ve got the flight and hotel booked - a little more than $14,000 for round trip airfare and two nights at a nice hotel that is convenient to the MTR. I have a reason to be allowed to stay in Taiwan that I got shortly after my student’s mother called me and offered me a contract to be a “consultant” for her company. Now all I need is the visa. Anyone know how much that’s going to set me back?
