Do you know if the one-year remaining ARC validity thing is a legal requirement, or should this refer to the total validity period of the ARC? I guess this is annoying for people who get their ARC/work permits renewed every year. (Some discussion of this in the Richart thread, I think.)
Would change this to “functional online banking”. At Mega Bank, they enabled online banking when I opened the account, but I found out months later that my transfer limit was NT$0, so I had to go in a second time to fix that to be able to actually make a transfer.
I feel like this may be dreaming…
#10. Staff are made aware of the CRS rules for foreigners, i.e., that it’s possible for us to be exclusively tax resident in Taiwan and not need to enter any details for our TIN in another country.
This has not to be a requirement to apply. Guarantors only need to asked for if the applicant is too high-risk creditwise, however this have to be proven after the due review of the application document.
If you ask me for a guarantor just to apply since I’m a foreigner, you are discriminating and not complying with the law.
Information easily updated when progressing through immigration (no arc - arc - tarc - shenfenzheng). How to go about this and the required documents are clearly specified on the website.
Account opening easily accessible for those without ARCs eg:/ working holiday visa holders, work permit holders yet to apply for ARC
沒辦法 is removed from all staff member’s vocabulary
Staff members are also aware of what’s required and do not arbitrarily request incorrect/unnecessary/ non-existent documents. (For example I have been asked to provide an Australian national/citizn ID card many times, this does not exist)
Staff member’s are aware of and follow policies and procedures, they do not arbitrarily make up rules.
Staff member’s are honest and when they are unaware of how to do something , immediately try to help rather than throw the customer out of the bank.
Staff who do not speak English (or when dealing with foreign customers who do not speak English) do their best to assist ALL customers using translation apps, sign language, visual cues and other non-verbal forms of communication.
That I wouldn’t know, as I don’t hold money in different currency’s I have bank accounts in the country’s I use and just transfer direct if I need to top up one or the other.
Holiday is different I will get cash, but if I can just go to my local Marks and Spencer and get my dong over the counter, some one must have it in some account.
All those options are readily available in our home countries I hope can be replicated.
I opened a business account with Cathay the account manager was really good, I spoke to him about how it works in U.K. and how complicated it was in Taiwan.
He listened, he emailed regularly to see if I had any problems, he happily explained certain options to me, spoke directly to my CPA on my behalf.
I had to go back home for family reason, due to Covid was stuck in U.K. for 10 months. I returned to a new young manager! What a difference, speaks very little English, incredibly unhelpful, looked bored when dealing with me, insisted I came with my Taiwanese partner so he could talk to her, doesn’t reply to emails, locked me out of online banking supposedly trying to help me out, still unavailable.
Richart bank could be my saviour on this front, all online like home and no dickhead manager.
Unfortunately the government agency has taken the position that it’s the bank’s right to discriminate since it’s their money, regardless of the laws against that.
Just to clarify a bit on my personal views and frustrations.
English service is the bottom of my priorities to the point where it is meaningless to me.
I’m an immigrant. I’m well aware that the language of my new country is not the same as my previous. And that’s Ok.
Also I mystery shopped all the ‘bilingual branches’ of First Bank from Hsinchu to Yuanlin. None had anyone who spoke English fluently. Only one was friendly to me. Several couldn’t speak English at all. And every. Single. One. Provided incorrect information. First bank didn’t care that the banks provided incorrect information, only that they could say ‘we speak English’… the mystery shopped was designed so they passed the shop if there were English signs and name cards. ‘Bilingual Branch’ is just a facade.
I’m interested in meaningful, practical change. Change is always easier when it’s simple.
While @fifieldt is doing an awesome job, it sounds like the stakeholders need to simplify their thinking.
In a sentence ‘treat foreign customers as you would Taiwanese customers’.
Pretend I’m an 80 year Hakka woman who can’t speak mandarin and the staff don’t speak Hakka. A bank would definitely go out of the way to help them open an account and apply for a credit card if they wanted. They would never force her to sign a fraudulent CRS declaration. they would never ask her, as a non-American, to sign a FACTA declaration. They would never say 客家人沒辦法 to them. They would never ask her for a 苗栗國身分證卡
They don’t need to ask themselves ‘What do foreigners want?’ They need to ask ‘what do we currently offer Taiwanese and refuse foreigners?’ Then work on making that list smaller
The banking law allows banks to treat us the same, they just need to do it. Whether that’s by improving training. Hiring a foreigner to take the complaints from foreign customers who can make branches do their jobs (I’d do this job), or being fully online and adding ‘ARC number’ alongside 身份證 every where. Or by being tougher on their staff. A teller forcing a false CRS declaration in Australia would likely be facing unemployment shortly.
If they want to have bilingual branches they need to fix all their other problems first. There’s no benefit to have a bilingual branch refusing services to the speakers of that language.
Stock trading account with basic index ETF funds on offer or (robo advisers like what Cathy offers Taiwanese) would be a plus.
Nice little way for some to save money while living here and incentivise “foreigners residing in Taiwan” to keep funds in Taiwan rather than send home.
Do you mean people “not resident in Taiwan?” I think you got the wrong terminology…
I suggest you change it to Non-citizens residing in Taiwan or non-citizen residents.
The problem is this misunderstanding of those on APRCs as being “foreign residents” and being treated the same way a bank in say Australia would treat a “foreign resident.”
They are not “foreign residents” they are “domestic residents!!!”
Here’s what I’ve got so far - please criticise and help me add more:
