I would really appreciate a little clarification regarding expiring ARCs/visas. I have been reading through the past postings, and I think I have got things figured out, but just to be sure
I’d say you have two realistic options:
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Go out of the country for day or so, come back on either a 14-day or 30-day landing visa.
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Just stay in violation of your ARC’s expiry date. If you don’t think you’ll be back in Taiwan for the next year or so, this would probably be fairly safe to do. Check other threads for more info on this.
You can also try to get another work permit, but I doubt that your employer would want to do all of that work for nothing.
Hope that helps,
Scott
Only option:
Leave and come back.
Don’t put your soon-to-be former employer through the paperwork shit for you; it’s not cool.
Overstaying is possible, but good form dictates that you NEVER do that in any country.
Thanks for the comments. Yeah, overstaying my ARC is really not something I consider an option. I don’t like to burn bridges. More importantly, my hunny will be staying in Taiwan, and I may very well want to come back and visit in the upcoming year. So no overstaying the ARC for me!
Just go out for a day or two; why not take your honey to a short vacation to Malaysia or Bali?
Return with a visitor visa then.
Hmmm…romantic last-minute visa run sounds lovely. Only problem is that living/traveling on a Taiwan income (that’s a REAL Taiwan income–not a foreigner-in-Taiwan income, sad to say) has left me quite poor. Don’t know if I can swing another trip in the near future. But just in case, what are some favorite cheap travel destinations? I’ve done Hong Kong already. Would rather do Thailand or some beautiful beachy place. Tell me more about Malaysia…
But back to the legal stuff: Let’s say I decide to do a visa run…I can leave before July 31, and then return with a landing visa (that’s the 14 day non-visa stay, right?) any time after that? What if I left and returned before July 31–would that get all confusing, because my current visa would still be active, so they wouldn’t want to issue me a new one? Is there anything at all risky about doing the landing visa thing? Might they randomly decide NOT to allow me back into Taiwan? I’m just trying to determine whether it would be necessary for me to go through the process of applying for a visitor’s visa, if I only want to stay another week or two anyway…
Kuala Lumpur is quite nice (sightseeing) and shopping is cheap. Packages from here are around NT$1700 (4D/3N) while you can stay at a comfortable 4 Star hotel right in the middle of town.
Malaysia also has some beatiful beaches on the east coast or the islands off the east coast but you need to transfer to get there, perhaps increasing the cost. As well the islands are rather “boring”, i.e. more to relax than to party. Then again you may have the whole beach all for yourself, or go diving if you are interested.
May however be most suitable for you two love birds.
Thailand is also great. Bangkok isnt’ (though again shopping and hotels are cheap) but the islands like Phuket (actually not a real island) or Ko Samui definetely are.
You can find quiet beaches or hang out at some beach bar and party all night.
Go diving, take boat trips (rent without a license), do parasailing or just get a massage on the beach - the options are there.
Else you may go Elephant riding in Chiang Mai (northern Thailand, close to the Golden Triangle) and explore the jungle.
Generally I would recommend Thailand if you go in a group or are single (not that I support the well known activities but it’s easier to find a place to party and get to know people) while Malaysia may suit couples or families better.
At least the man wouldn’t get tempted that much.
Landing visa: applies only to certain nationalities and conditions may differ, I got 30 days when I first came. Officially it’s not extendable and single entry only.
Not sure what happens when you come in BEFORE the old visa expires, though I guess it would depend what you apply for: entry based on old or new visa?
The risk of not allowing you to come here is IMHO small to non-existent I would say. Why should they not allow you to come here?
Then again you never know if the immigration officer is having a bad day …
Thanks for the info, Rascal. NT$1700 for four days in Malaysia!!! I’m there! I assume you meant NT$17,000 though. Too bad. I’m so very poor right now…
What about Okinawa? I seem to remember hearing one could get tickets there for pretty cheap. Anyone know? DharmaBoy?–you mentioned in another post that you are doing a visa run to Okinawa around the same time. What prices have you found?
littlemissflip, how about Macau? If money is the problem, you simply go there for a day. Ideally, going to Malaysia, Thailand, and Bali will be a treat but it’ll break your wallet, just my 2 cents.
Aeh, yes, NT$17000 of course. 1700 is the approximate equivalent in Malaysian Ringgit. I stayed there for too long, thus still counting in that funny currency.
Bank officer in Germany when I attempted to exchange MYR into DEM a few years back: “And what currency you say is that? I have never seen this before and thus will not change it …”.
PS: Extension nights are cheap at around NT$1500 only, at least considering the comfort of the hotels. Don’t think Taiwanese hotels with shower in the toilet bowl, think lot’s of space and “real” bathrooms.