Hey guys, I’m in a bit of a complicated situation and was hoping someone could help as I can’t find an answer online anywhere.
I got Job A (company job) and received my work permit while abroad, but was told to enter Taiwan on a tourist visa. I entered on May 10th as a tourist and received my ARC about ten days later.
However, the job has not been as expected and the pay is absolutely unliveable (didn’t realize Taiwan got so expensive since my last visit ㅠㅠ). I have received an offer from Job B (teaching job) and they want me to start next week. However, I know I need to switch my work permit to the new employer first.
From what I understand, I now just need to tell Job A that I resign and need a Letter of Release from them so that Job B can file for my new work permit. If I tell them I quit this week and start work at the school next week, is that allowed? Do I need to exit the country and re-enter as a tourist again? But I already got the tourist visa on May 10th, so would it still be active or has it been cancelled since I have an ARC now? The school has never had this situation either so they’re also not sure about the process.
Check the Labor Standards Act. I’m not sure if it’s possible to quit without notice. You are under a contract which may specify a notice period. Most will.
No. You need the notice of release you mentioned. The 1st school will need to cancel your work permit, then your new school will need to apply for a new one. That can take time, especially if your 1st school moves slow, so you should apply for an ARC extension at the NIA. You may need a signed contract with the new school if you give that as the reason for the extension. You can get a 2 month extension for free, I think the 6 month one is $1000. You may also need the notice of release, I did it once but I can’t remember. Once that is done, your new school can apply for a work permit and when you have it you can update your ARC.
Processing your first work permit usually takes around 2~3 weeks. After that, subsequent permits for when you switch employers should be faster (12 days tops).
Sorry there are a few errors in my previous reply that I would like to rectify.
All work permits are processed in the same way and take the same amount of time.
I phoned the WDA and they clarified that, contrary to popular opinion, there are no limits to how many work permits you can hold. You just need to have one for each job that you do.
When you resign/get fired from your job, your work permit is cancelled. According to my call with Immigration, you have 30 days to update your ARC with another work permit (tied to your new employer) or a job-searching permit.
I’d suggest anyone unhappy with their job and still within the three months of service to have their new company apply for the work permit first. Then once your new work permit is out, you can make a beeline for the door.
