I’m currently on a student visa, and working (ahem) illegally. This visa will expire next month, so I need to hop out and apply for a new one. The issue is that my work here pays me via direct deposit to a Taiwanese bank account, that is of course linked to my ID number (note: this is not the account I plan to use to show I have sufficient funds; that’ll be an account from bank home. Unless they check up to discover that I have a Taiwanese bank account, and then look up the account information directly from the bank, they won’t see the direct deposits).
What do you advise I do? Am I running a high risk applying for a new student visa? What exactly would the penalty be (I’m assuming some sort of stamp that says I cannot re-enter?). Any information or advice is greatly appreciated.
A student visa??? If you have an ARC, you don’t need to do a visa run and apply for a new student visa. Take your new (or ongoing) enrolment papers to the immigration office and extend your ARC. Visa runs are for people without ARCs, if you have a student visa (not a tourist visa) you should have an ARC.
Don’t tell them anything about working; the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing in Taiwan. If you don’t mention it, they won’t know. Of course it’d be safer if you got paid in cash, but if you never cause ripples you’ll always be fine.
I wouldn’t sweat it. The people handling your visa will probably only look at the paperwork you give them; I doubt they’ll go digging any further than they have to. What they will do is look into your school attendance records.
And tsu, a student visa isn’t an ARC. The ARC is a card showing residency, a visa is just a permit allowing you entry for a particular reason. JBird is probably pre-ARC. People on student visas might still have to do visa runs, depending on their status. (But JBird, look into going to immigration and having your visa extended – you might not have to leave the country. Give that foreigner 1-800 number a call. They’re very helpful and patient; they’ve talked me through some tough times.)