I collect my work permit today. It’s for a technical role. I’m trying to find clear cut info on the ARC application process but all I can find is info for teachers. I understand the process is more succinct for white collar professionals.
All the info I’ve found on the interwebz appears to be out of date or for teaching! :bluemad:
Can anyone point me to some solid info? Anyone done it recently? Pretty sure I just need my permit, passport and pictures.
done twice already !
once you get the letter for the work permit from the officials, just go to the immigration center with it, your passport, a resident visa, or any visa that could be renewed, a picture, 1000NT and the form to download on the website : immigration.gov.tw/public/Da … 064471.pdf
, a paper signed by your company that you are really at work, a lease contract (or any proof of residency)
(yes you should have started working before applying)
be careful, if you have to change your visa into a resident one for any reason, you only have 15 days between getting the resident visa and applying for the arc, means that you should have started working in between. I say that be cause I happen to apply for a resident visa before the chinese new (to be sure, and I was feeling clever about it) and I found out that the application period ended before I started working. therefore I had to ask my company to forge a paper stating that I was at work when I wasn’t…)
bring copies of passsport, visa, lease contract, work permit. they’ ll check the original and keep the copies.
THe pain in the ass about the procedure is : “you have to be at work” associated to “the NIA office hours are the same as all the companies in taiwan” so you have to ask for holiday in the first days of presence… nice , right ?
Okay, so I apply for the resident visa then the ARC. I was under the false impression they were one and the same. Whoops
What is the cost of the resident visa?
Oh and my work permits states that I commence work on the first so I take it to mean that I cannot start this process until after that date?
Are there any sites that have the process nicely mapped out for non teachers for other people who aren’t teaching?
Many thanks for the input
depends on your actual visa. if it’s renewable, it can work. if it’s a simple tourist visa, it may not(to be sure, if you have some time, go to the NIA ask if your visa is valid for ARC). so for the visa, it’s not the National Immigration agency, but the Bureau of Consular affair. Here is what you need for the visa : boca.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=146 … e=540&mp=2
once you get it (~10 days) and that you have an employment certificate(original, within 1 month ) you can go to the NIA. be careful to apply before in the two weeks after getting your new visa.
references : NIA = immigration.gov.tw/
BOCA = boca.gov.tw
everything is on these websites.
when you start working, don’t forget to ask you company to apply for the Health Insurance card. I thought they would do it by themselves, but did not, so I spent some time waiting for it when nobody had applied for.
Yep had to go and get a renewable visa. Bit of a pain being told by the most disillusioned girl I had ever met after waiting for hours to be seen. She had just been dealing with a 35 yr old with a skate board though! It wasn’t too far from the MOFA though. Just a couple of MRT stops. Went up to the 3rd floor and filled out a form. Supplied a couple of pics and they took my passport then charged me 2400 for a single use visitor visa. Having a 90 day landng visa is nice but if you intend to work here then get a visitor visa I guess is the moral. Told to collect it after 4 working days.
Stage 2 will be the arc application process.
You know what would be nice. A sub forum for non teachers. Not just for visa things but also so we can get together and whinge about office life in Taiwan 
Thanks for the help guys - I just couldn’t put together a search term that gave me the info I needed! The links and prods in the right direction are a great help.
Mmm NHI, I suppose waiting until my trial period (3 months) is up is the thing to do or is there some law that I can quote to get them on it asap? I kind of feel like they should sort ot from the word go. Bit of an assumption thinking that I’ll be in perfect health for 3 months, no accidents on the road etc. Be nice to force their hand.