What would happen if you got caught in a raid and then left the country of your own free will the next day? It seems you would avoid the “deported” stamp in your passport, as technically, you have not beed deported, but rather left of your own free will in anticipation of being deported. Basically, you’ve escaped with a “clean” passport.
Suppose then you waited a few months and applied for a tourist visa and tried to get the ball rolling again. Isn’t it possible that when you apply for your new visa, the Taiwanese visa office will never find out about this raid? When you apply for a visa, do they check your information against a database of people caught teaching illegally in Taiwan? Or is it only the “deported” stamp that tips them off?
Suppose after you left, you had your school contact the police stating that you are gone. Keep in mind, this is day 2 or 3. The police probably haven’t even begun filling out the paperwork. When they get word that you have left (is there an easy way to prove this? Airport records or something?), will they continue to process the paper work and send a deportation notice to your last known address, add your name to some list of the damned, etc.?
Finally, most people are probably not in a position to settle their affairs and leave on day 2. So, we’re just talking hypotheticaly here.
Were you formally identified in the raid, or was your name supplied to the cops by the school? Do the cops have a copy of your passport? If so, you might want to get a new passport.
Getting a new passport used to work as everything was based around your passport number.
Nowadays your passport number, surname, and birth date are all recorded and checked. So in order to get a clean slate you would need to have a name change and get a new passport under that name which is probably not worth the effort I wouldn’t think.
It seems to me that the fact you were caught working illegally will not escape the authorities regardless of whether there is a stamp in your passport or not. I expect that the record will be kept on the computer as standard practice as anyone with a deported stamp in their passport could just lose their passport if the paper copy were the only one.
Seems to me you are going to have to wear the fact that you caught working illegally and accept the consequences.
With the way laws and business practices are set up in Taiwan, that is almost impossible. Of the very many working foreigners I have known since I first came to Taiwan in the late 80s, I know VERY few people (actually, I’m not sure I know any) who haven’t worked illegally, even if it was only for a matter of days.
First, this was all hypothetical. Actually, no one I know has ever been involved in a raid or deported (I’m not in Taipei). I’m sorry if I didn’t make that clear enough.
Brian, I agree that it would make sense for Taiwan to check all that info before giving a visa. But I would not be surprised to learn that Taiwan did not check everything so thoroughly.
Finally, I was really trying to get at a more subtle point. That is, there is an argument that if you leave of your own free will, you are not really deported. Again, I am asking for clarification, not claiming to know how this works. But isn’t deportation essentially the end result of a legal proceeding? The raid is a police proceeding that could be viewed completely separately from the subsequent legal proceeding.
So, the first step in the actual legal proceeding is the police sending information of the raid to whoever prosecutes these cases. I guess “prosecute” might not be the right word, as it appears you are not given a trial. But still, by the time the actual legal proceedings have begun, you are out of the country. If whoever prosecutes these things was aware of this, might their be a chance that they decide not to waste any more time on it? Further, in the West, this legal proceeding would be void, as you never received notice (you are long gone by the time the deportation notice shows up in your mail box).
With the way laws and business practices are set up in Taiwan, that is almost impossible. Of the very many working foreigners I have known since I first came to Taiwan in the late 80s, I know VERY few people (actually, I’m not sure I know any) who haven’t worked illegally, even if it was only for a matter of days.[/quote]
Actually, I wasn’t referring to working while the paperwork for an ARC is being processed. We all know the authorities wink at that (or at least I think they do). I was thinking more of someone who either takes a second job (not specified on their ARC) or works at a kindergarten.
You are right that Taiwan is not at the forefront here, but they have certainly come a long way. I would be surprised if someone were deported (even if there was no stamp in their passport) and the immigration authorities at the airport on arrival did not know this!
It only enters the court system if you lodge an appeal from what I understand. The FAP are tasked with monitoring foreigners in Taiwan and they can apply for a deportation order. I assume that the deportation order is then added to the BOCA database so that any future visa applications will be flagged accordingly.
It would be interesting to hear of any personal experiences here.
This wouldn’t make sense. You don’t have to be present for this information to be entered onto the computer and I can’t see why the clerks doing this would care where you physically are. The stamp in your passport is just the most visible part of your deportation – a lack of a stamp does not mean the lack of a deportation.
I don’t know that this is true. Again, your passport and personal information would be flagged such that you would show up when they scan your passport at the airport.
Right. The passport stamp is just a heads-up reminder for the holder and the immigration officer. Any restrictions on entry come up on the computer when the immigration officers scans or keys in your passport number.
I got busted at a raid about 5 months ago. My boss paid a heavy fine, and I was in contact with the police who assured me that I’m OK, and when I told them I will stop working for my boss, they told me no, he is a good guy, just make sure you only work at his anchiban.
I quit my job, moved out to Hsintien, got a new job etc. But now that other people that got busted months ago are getting letters in the mail…how do I know my name isnt’ on some list too? I have moved since…I may not get that letter!
Is there anywhere I can go to find out if I’m on that list? I’m leaving to go to SA in Chinese new Year and will have a complete meltdown if they don’t allow me back in!
Did you update your home address with the foreign affairs police when you moved (you are required to do so within 15 days of the move)? If so then they will know how to contact you. If not, you might want to get that taken care of.
It took a long time for my ARC to be processed…and I moved just after my papers were sent in…and by the time everything was settled I already missed the date. So I owe them NT$ 5000. I thought about taking time off work and paying the fine, or just paying it when I renew my ARC later…missing work will be more expensive.
but, I will go do the right thing…not that I want to be found! I love Taiwan!!! I will do community service in Ma Ing Jous bathroom if I have to to stay here!!!
