I wonder…If it has become so easy to get an APRC now, will the better jobs that require it become more competitive and start asking for additional requirements? Or if having it will no longer be a shortcut to those jobs?
Define better jobs.
Public school jobs, international school jobs. Right now, they will waive other requirements if you have an APRC, JMRV, or some other way to sponsor your own visa.
A job that does not grant a visa is not precisely a good job. I’ll elaborate later.
That’s not what I meant. At all.
Obviously if they don’t provide a visa, it’s not necessarily a better job. But some jobs have other requirements and if you don’t meet them, but have an APRC, you can get the job.
My question is, now that APRCs are much more easily obtainable, will they stop allowing this as a back door to these jobs if so many people have them.
Legally, an OPW that goes with an APRC is still a carte blanche. But then it is up to the employer to hire you or someone else. For example, if he has to choose between an APRC holder and someone he has to sponsor, he’ll go for APRC. Easier for him. If two APCRC holders apply, he chooses the one who asks for less salary. That simple. As I understand the question.
EDIT:
Anyone with APRC has an advantage since the employers do not have to apply for that person’s visa, so the requirements can be sidestepped. It is advantageous to the employer, not the employee. And applies to any job.
Worse with public school jobs. Those are a hornet’s nest, in terms of who is holding the cards. I would put that in the same basket with kindergarten jobs. Sure, technically you could teach with APRC but it is illegal to teach English to kids so young. Public school jobs go through agents, no? But I am not a teacher so I do not know.
I think there will always be way more openings in public schools than there are eligible teachers to fill them regardless of how many extra APRC applicants there are.
So if you’ve left the country at any point in the last 5 years for more than X number of days (and X is around 30), then the criminal record check is still needed?
That’s a downer if so. I did 49 days in 2009, and another 40-ish in 2010.
Would there be anything specific on this on the Taiwan NIA website, in English 
.
edit - oh.
edit 2 -
http://www.immigration.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1090288&ctNode=30085&mp=2
the NIA site has this below - isn’t that part of the new updates? So it’s 3 months max for 1 trip?
I just can’t bring myself to trust that site 
.
Yes, that is the update.
BUT remember your case is unique. Check the state ofvyour records with NIA FIRST. Do not become disheartened.
Ah, 3 months, not 1 month, my mistake. And yes, it’s for any one trip, not for the whole year.
[quote=“Icon”]Legally, an OPW that goes with an APRC is still a carte blanche. But then it is up to the employer to hire you or someone else. For example, if he has to choose between an APRC holder and someone he has to sponsor, he’ll go for APRC. Easier for him. If two APCRC holders apply, he chooses the one who asks for less salary. That simple. As I understand the question.
EDIT:
Anyone with APRC has an advantage since the employers do not have to apply for that person’s visa, so the requirements can be sidestepped. It is advantageous to the employer, not the employee. And applies to any job.
Worse with public school jobs. Those are a hornet’s nest, in terms of who is holding the cards. I would put that in the same basket with kindergarten jobs. Sure, technically you could teach with APRC but it is illegal to teach English to kids so young. Public school jobs go through agents, no? But I am not a teacher so I do not know.[/quote]
Just went in to the NIA here and asked about APRC. I’m good to go - and biggest absence from Taiwan has been 2 months, compared to maximum 3 months allowed, so no foreign police check needed. Also, if you’re married and the house is in your wife’s name - that can be used as proof of the “Having movable or immovable property in Taiwan with a total estimated value of over NT$5,000,000.” 
.
Downside is that they ‘claim’ there’s not enough time to process my APRC application before my ARC expires (just over 5 weeks away) :ohreally:.
So I might have left this too late, and I’ll need another 1 year ARC. But the Chinese form I was given ties in with the English version on-line: Processing Time 14 days. I think if I move fast, this can be done.
You can do it! Yiayio!
[quote=“Nuit”]Just went in to the NIA here and asked about APRC. I’m good to go - and biggest absence from Taiwan has been 2 months, compared to maximum 3 months allowed, so no foreign police check needed. Also, if you’re married and the house is in your wife’s name - that can be used as proof of the “Having movable or immovable property in Taiwan with a total estimated value of over NT$5,000,000.” .
Downside is that they ‘claim’ there’s not enough time to process my APRC application before my ARC expires (just over 5 weeks away) :ohreally:.
So I might have left this too late, and I’ll need another 1 year ARC. But the Chinese form I was given ties in with the English version on-line: Processing Time 14 days. I think if I move fast, this can be done.[/quote]
Good Luck…I am getting nearer also. I was slightly worried about giving proof of overseas visits (never been away for more than 6 weeks at a time and well within the criteria) as I added the “fastrack” entry to my Passport recently. This is great for avoiding a wait at immigration but I worry a little about not having a physical re-entry stamp in my Passport…you know what NIA is like. I am worried that I am relying on their system to show my returns !
Slightly amusing to see that the Automatic system has a Camera, which failed at my first attempt. It took a picture of my chest.I had to bend my knees …remember it’s set to about 5 feet Tall :bouncy:
[quote=“Nuit”]Downside is that they ‘claim’ there’s not enough time to process my APRC application before my ARC expires (just over 5 weeks away) :ohreally:.
So I might have left this too late, and I’ll need another 1 year ARC. But the Chinese form I was given ties in with the English version on-line: Processing Time 14 days. I think if I move fast, this can be done.[/quote]
I had a similar situation. I applied for the APRC on the day I was eligible, but I had only two weeks left on my old ARC. Although the online info says 14-day processing, and although I pleaded my case, the APRC worker told me that two weeks was absolutely not enough time because of the increase in APRC applications lately, so I ended up having to renew my ARC one more time.
Anyway, I applied on May 31st and received my approval letter on June 29th—exactly 4 weeks later—so you’re probably OK.
I just got my APRC card today. I was on a JFRV before. The thing that swung it for me is… apparently you can leave the country for up to 2 years by making an online request, come back, and your APRC is still valid. This online request is not limited, so you can re-apply online, theoretically giving you the ability to go abroad for years, always safe in the knowledge that you can come back to Taiwan and not have to start the whole ARC process again. This was explained to me by the famous Bonnie in the ZhongHe Immigration office. Maybe someone else can confirm?
That’s correct. It may be liberalizing even more soon.
[quote=“Steve4nLanguage”]I had a similar situation. I applied for the APRC on the day I was eligible, but I had only two weeks left on my old ARC. Although the online info says 14-day processing, and although I pleaded my case, the APRC worker told me that two weeks was absolutely not enough time because of the increase in APRC applications lately, so I ended up having to renew my ARC one more time.
Anyway, I applied on May 31st and received my approval letter on June 29th—exactly 4 weeks later—so you’re probably OK.[/quote]
Thanks - doesn’t fill me with huge hope, but I’ll give it a go. There were/are only 2 officers on duty in the Hualian NIA, and they were both insistent that 5.5 weeks wasn’t enough time. But say I persuade them to let me submit the APRC application, but it’s not approved until a week after my ARC expires. Then what are they gonna do in the meantime - deport me? :aiyo:
I suppose I could be fined for ‘overstaying’ my ARC ($2k to $10k).
Nuit, you’re in Hualien? I just moved to Hualien three weeks ago. I love it here so far! Anyway, I did my APRC stuff in Taoyuan.
Hmm, probably not, but I wonder if it would affect your 5-year eligibility period. In my case, I had waited 5 years and didn’t want to risk anything screwing it up, so I ended up signing a new contract at work to get the work permit rolling so I could get the ARC renewed. I ended up leaving the job two months after I got the APRC because of my plan to move to Hualien to study. I explained my situation to my boss (whom I’d worked for the entire five years) and everything worked out OK in the end.
Anyway, hope it works out smoothly for you, too.
[quote=“Nuit”][quote=“Steve4nLanguage”]I had a similar situation. I applied for the APRC on the day I was eligible, but I had only two weeks left on my old ARC. Although the online info says 14-day processing, and although I pleaded my case, the APRC worker told me that two weeks was absolutely not enough time because of the increase in APRC applications lately, so I ended up having to renew my ARC one more time.
Anyway, I applied on May 31st and received my approval letter on June 29th—exactly 4 weeks later—so you’re probably OK.[/quote]
Thanks - doesn’t fill me with huge hope, but I’ll give it a go. There were/are only 2 officers on duty in the Hualian NIA, and they were both insistent that 5.5 weeks wasn’t enough time. But say I persuade them to let me submit the APRC application, but it’s not approved until a week after my ARC expires. Then what are they gonna do in the meantime - deport me? :aiyo:
I suppose I could be fined for ‘overstaying’ my ARC ($2k to $10k).[/quote]
They usually give extensions while the new ARC is processing. Can’t they extend your old ARC enough like a week? That is not very friendly service.
I’d run, tout de suite, to get the paperwork in with plenty of time -at least a week or more- for them to give me an extension base don the fact that they would be already processing the stuff or at least have it in their possession. Yes, there is a clout of applications, even here in Taipei it takes longer than usual.