Accidently Overstayed Visa

Legal Visa & Residency
1

Hey guys,

I am a student at ShiDa and have accidently overstayed my visa for approximately 7 days. I mistook the end of the semester with the end of the visa date, completely retarded I know. Is there anything I can do? I have enrolled for the next semester at ShiDa, my grades are very good so it isn’t asif I am slacking either.

Anyones guidance/information would be brilliant. Should I go down to the place where I extend my visa and explain the situation to them?

Cheers,
Tim

2

I was in the same position, and there’s absolutely no way out of it. You will have to do a visa run. The sooner the better. Good luck!

3

Visa run, immigration cops at the airport will take you into a small room for a talk. Be honest, don’t give them any lip, say sorry, take responsibility, and pay a small fine (maybe NT$1000/day). It’s really not a big deal.

I overstayed by a day once. :idunno:
Just don’t do it again. Third time, you get a black mark for a few years.

4

Oh well these things happen, so long as it isn’t irrepairable. I presume I have to goto the visa office in taipei and pay some kind of fine before I leave the country?

I have a big test on tuesday at Shi Da which asseses my placement so I am going to go after that, I need to pay for the next semester at Shi-Da first so they will properly enroll me aswell before I can go.

Did you goto HK and have any problems or is it a relatively common occurance?

If anyone can answer these questions it would be much appreciated!

Thanks,
Tim

5

I was 17 days over, and paid the fine at the airport. They gave me no hassle and didn’t take me into a room for interrogation. I suppose that happens for a lengthy overstay. If I recall correctly, the amount was 5000NT$.
Hong Kong was a piece of cake. Dress nicely, leave your backpack somewhere, be polite and smile a lot. Make sure that your papers are in order. I don’t know what’s needed for a student visa, but I had my work permit with me. Be sure to take ORIGINALS. You may wait a long time at the visa office, so take a book or some crossword puzzles. IPOD! Good luck!

6

thanks jimi, HK was where I went last time and did a 1 day turnaround so know the drill for there. You have cleared my worries up, got a bit panicky that I would not be able to get back into the country!

I think I will pay the money for the next semester on Monday, get the supporting enrollment form and then do another 1 day on Wednesday (the day after my test). Oh well, I dont mind paying a fine, at the end of the day this was completely my own silly fault. I will definitely be more careful in future.

I will be sure to take every piece of documentation with me to the HK visa office like last time! Infact I think I still have some HK dollars somewhere!

Thanks again guys!
Tim

7

I did something equally silly when I overstayed around 80 days! I was also studying Mandarin.

To cut a long story short my Taiwanese friends thought it was unreasonable that I should have to leave the country for this mistake.

So they called around and eventually decided that we had to talk to someone at MOFA-BOCA Taipei.

I had already been there and they told me to go to HK. They were much nicer than immigration.

I overstayed because I was unaware that I needed to get an extension from NIA after getting my visa status changed, from scholarship student to student, at MOFA-BOCA.

I wasn’t concerned about the costs. I just didn’t want to overstay.

The following morning a Taiwanese friend insisted that we go and talk to them again. The second time the lady a MOFA-BOCA (Taipei) was more senior. She looked at the case, requested some documents from my university and made amendments to the dates on the visa. Stamped it with a big red stamp…… problem solved, no charge. I was surprised out this outcome. It was my fault.

Ms. Hsieh counter 31. Good luck. Take someone with you to do the talking.

http://www.boca.gov.tw/mp.asp

8

remember to ‘tick’ the overstay box on your visa form in HK,
they may also ask you to write an ‘excuse letter’ where you have to explain why you overstated and shit,
keep the form they will give you at the airport and attach it to your documents in HK,
it’s no biggie,

good luck!

9

I just recently overstayed my visa by 28 days due to me not paying attention and not hounding my boss to get my work visa.

Anyway, I ended up having to go to get a visa run, but I did it in Macau. When I left the airport in Taoyuan, the guy at Eva Air took me to the immigration office. Had to fill out a paper admitting that I overstayed and why. Took about 10 minutes and cost $4000 or $5000, I forgot.

Anyway, I went to Macau, just dressed in jeans and a button shirt. Went to the visa counter and the lady looked at my passport while I filled out the form. I had to write an apology letter since I had the overstay stamp. When I had the interview with the director, he didn’t even want to see anything and he flat out offered to give me a resident visa instead of a visitor visa if I could give him the receipt that my boss had received when he applied for my new work permit.

Macau seems more relaxed than HK. Also, go on a Friday.

10

Hey everyone,

Cheers for the extra information all is very welcome at this end!

Sanchong that is very interesting I will try and follow it up tomorrow and see what happens.

With regard to the visa run just a quick question! I have read a few people that have said to fill in the form and pay the fine at the airport, upon first reading I did not notice this and was going to goto the office in taipei on the MRT redline and apply for an exit permit there!

Can you do this at the airport? if so is there any special desk I need to goto, I want to leave on the first flight which is approximately 6:45am so will this desk be open or is it all handled by the security at the airport?

Thanks again everyone!
Tim

11

[quote=“tmillsclare”]Hey everyone,

Cheers for the extra information all is very welcome at this end!

Sanchong that is very interesting I will try and follow it up tomorrow and see what happens.

With regard to the visa run just a quick question! I have read a few people that have said to fill in the form and pay the fine at the airport, upon first reading I did not notice this and was going to goto the office in Taipei on the MRT redline and apply for an exit permit there!

Can you do this at the airport? if so is there any special desk I need to goto, I want to leave on the first flight which is approximately 6:45am so will this desk be open or is it all handled by the security at the airport?

Thanks again everyone!
Tim[/quote]

Just go check in at your airline carrier. The guy/woman will get flustered, run over to the immigration office, come back and take you there. It’s staffed 24hrs. You can do it there if your overstay isn’t ridiculously long. I’m not sure of the exact time though, but if you’re here too long past the date, you should do it at the NIA or something. I was at the 29day mark before I went to Macau.

12

[quote=“craya”][quote=“tmillsclare”]Hey everyone,

Cheers for the extra information all is very welcome at this end!

Sanchong that is very interesting I will try and follow it up tomorrow and see what happens.

With regard to the visa run just a quick question! I have read a few people that have said to fill in the form and pay the fine at the airport, upon first reading I did not notice this and was going to goto the office in Taipei on the MRT redline and apply for an exit permit there!

Can you do this at the airport? if so is there any special desk I need to goto, I want to leave on the first flight which is approximately 6:45am so will this desk be open or is it all handled by the security at the airport?

Thanks again everyone!
Tim[/quote]

Just go check in at your airline carrier. The guy/woman will get flustered, run over to the immigration office, come back and take you there. It’s staffed 24hrs. You can do it there if your overstay isn’t ridiculously long. I’m not sure of the exact time though, but if you’re here too long past the date, you should do it at the NIA or something. I was at the 29day mark before I went to Macau.[/quote]

Ah that is great thanks, no not long after the date, if I go out and in on Wednesay after my test I should be approximately 12 days overdue! I might just get it done on the red line incase I am a bit late getting to the airport, bit more relaxed that way!

Thanks a lot!
Tim

13

Well, you might want to allow yourself some extra time if you’re already planning to get to the airport not too long before your flight leaves. Depending on their mood, they might hassle you.

14

Sanchong Hey Sanchong unfortunately I was not able to replicate your advice, maybe we didn’t talk to the right people so it is to HK for me!

Thanks for all the advice everyone, I went down to the taipei office today and got my passport sorted out and am leaving tomorrow. I have decided to goto Hong Kong just because I know where the place is and I know I can do a 1 day run like I did last time, I will report back in the next few days with either my success or failure for everyone :slight_smile:.

Thanks again everyone!

Tim