I’m currently a student in Taiwan, and don’t have a work permit. Done a bit of freelance translation and editing without asking anyone for permission.
Just got a summons from something called the Foreign Worker Counseling Center, telling me that they suspect I’ve violated Taiwan’s labor laws, and that I have to go there on a certain date for questioning, and to bring my pp, arc, and work permit.
I travel overseas fairly regularly, so isn’t it just a matter of explaining that any such work was done while I was outside of Taiwan?
Seems pretty simple to me, or am I missing something?
Sounds like someone ratted you out that really doesn’t like you. I’d almost bet they have real proof like a bank statement or something if they are calling you in. I’d suggest the following:
Admit nothing
Admit nothing
See what they have, still admit nothing
Make sure they haven’t sent money to your bank account. If a customer has, then have a real good excuse as to why they did that.
Make sure all your shit is packed as they can deport you without recourse nor due process, and that someone can send it to you.
Admit nothing, plead ignorance and say there must be some misunderstanding while admitting nothing
You can try ignoring everything and see what happens. I got a summons, in Chinese, one time on my door to go down to the police station. There was no mention of why they wanted me to go down there. I even showed it to my Chinese friends and they didn’t know what it was :loco: . I was worried about it and so I ignored it. That was five years ago. I have left the island and come back since then. I assume if they really wanted me, they would have gotten me by now.
I have no news. I would like to hear how this all turns out. I hate to hear of people leaving against their will. I was just saying that the paper saying to show up might just be a ruse to catch them and not showing up might be a course of action worth considering.
My initial inclination was to just ignore it and see what happens.
Maybe nothing; but maybe it would make things worse.
Anyway, short of a setup (posed as a customer-do they really do that?), it would be basically impossible to prove anything.
Wonder what the law has to say about all this.
Maybe the company that paid you for the editing reported your job while they were doing their taxes? If you don’t have a work permit don’t let side jobs pay you into your bank account. If you are here on a student visa you are not allowed to earn any money at all.