I was hired by a school and am pretty sure that in my interview my employer stated that they would pay for my ARC and work permit. I made an effort to ask this of every school that I interviewed at. I have already signed the contract and now I am being asked to pay up for the fees. I am having trouble finding information on this topic on Forumosa or Google.
Also, even if they require me to pay for my ARC (which I have read depends on the school) isn’t it customary that they will pay for the work permit? (It is, afterall, the school that requests it!)
I have heard that if I press this issue too far I may seem like I am a “difficult” employee and may lose some of their good graces. Should I just let it go and pay up? This is a huge chunk of my first week’s pay and I have been searching for a job for a while so it is a big expense for me. :s
Thanks for your help and I apologize if this is repeating a thread. From what I have already searched on the Forumosa boards, I haven’t gotten an adequate answer!
The work permit belongs to the employer, but it doesn’t cost anything, as far as I remember. The ARC and resident visa, on the other hand belong to the employee, and they DO cost money. Why on earth would the employer be bound to pay for it? I’ve never had any employer agree to pay for my ARC, visa, health check or anything else like that.
I guess its a grace and favour kind of deal. Some employers do it, others don’t. Although if they said they WOULD pay and now aren’t, then that’s pretty shabby of them and probably a sign that you’ve signed a contract with some pretty shady scumbags.
[quote=“sandman”]The work permit belongs to the employer, but it doesn’t cost anything, as far as I remember. The ARC and resident visa, on the other hand belong to the employee, and they DO cost money. Why on earth would the employer be bound to pay for it? I’ve never had any employer agree to pay for my ARC, visa, health check or anything else like that.
I guess its a grace and favour kind of deal. Some employers do it, others don’t. Although if they said they WOULD pay and now aren’t, then that’s pretty shabby of them and probably a sign that you’ve signed a contract with some pretty shady scumbags.[/quote]
Thanks for the response. The work permit now costs 500NTD – it used to be free. I’ve been in contact with a few other teachers in the area who advised me to find a school that does pay for an ARC/work visa. They also assured me that it shouldn’t be hard to find a school that pays. I guess this is not, in fact, the case?
I understand that the ARC belongs to the individual, and logically they should pay for at least some of it, but I was just acting on advice that was given to me. I didn’t want to get the short end of the stick just because I was new to the game.
It’s good to know more about it (I’m a newbie), thanks for your input!
ARC is $1,000 per year, so cost will depend on how long your work permit is for. usually one year.
I would explain it exactly like this and be ready to compromise to sharing the costs. Don’t frame as 'you promised me X and I have a right to is." b.[/quote]
Thanks for your input as well! Wow, the work permit and ARC should only be costing 1,000NTD? Why were they asking for so much? Hm. I will ask for a receipt. Looks like I will just go the route that you suggested, maybe try a compromise. Thanks!
That’s not normal in most countries, and probably why it seems so strange to people who have just arrived in Taiwan to work. In every other country I have lived and worked in, the employer has carried all of the costs associated with the requirements for employment. Fortunately, in Taiwan the costs are very low so it’s affordable even to newbies on the island.
It’s the cost of hiring a foreign professional, that’s why! When I was hired by my former employer, he had to pay for my plane ticket to Taiwan, my medical health certificate, visa fee, my ARC when I got here and provided me a monthly housing allowance. These are extra perks that a local does not enjoy. Granted that I may be on a different field (graphics design back then), but a teacher is also a foreign professional right? Same white collar job IMHO. Now, if I was the one being employed by a school that would cheat me for a pittance (couple thousand NT$ at the most, annually!), I would be looking for a new job ASAP!
I always thought it was standard to pay for your own. At least that’s the way I did when I needed them. The first year I think my employer may have paid upfront and then deducted the cost from my first paycheck or something like that. It’s not a huge amount anyway - on average teachers wages it’s only 2 1/2 hours work.
And you do know that it’s illegal to work before you’ve got those permits, don’t you?
It’s the cost of hiring a foreign professional, that’s why! When I was hired by my former employer, he had to pay for my plane ticket to Taiwan, my medical health certificate, visa fee, my ARC when I got here and provided me a monthly housing allowance. These are extra perks that a local does not enjoy. Granted that I may be on a different field (graphics design back then), but a teacher is also a foreign professional right? Same white collar job IMHO. Now, if I was the one being employed by a school that would cheat me for a pittance (couple thousand NT$ at the most, annually!), I would be looking for a new job ASAP![/quote]
I’ve only heard of those kinds of deals for foreigners coming over here on expat packages, not teachers.
It’s the cost of hiring a foreign professional, that’s why! When I was hired by my former employer, he had to pay for my plane ticket to Taiwan, my medical health certificate, visa fee, my ARC when I got here and provided me a monthly housing allowance. These are extra perks that a local does not enjoy. Granted that I may be on a different field (graphics design back then), but a teacher is also a foreign professional right? Same white collar job IMHO. Now, if I was the one being employed by a school that would cheat me for a pittance (couple thousand NT$ at the most, annually!), I would be looking for a new job ASAP![/quote]
If they are locally employed then the extra benefits one has an expat do not exist. Some school management ask teachers to pay and some school management pay for the teachers.
It’s the cost of hiring a foreign professional, that’s why! When I was hired by my former employer, he had to pay for my plane ticket to Taiwan, my medical health certificate, visa fee, my ARC when I got here and provided me a monthly housing allowance. These are extra perks that a local does not enjoy. Granted that I may be on a different field (graphics design back then), but a teacher is also a foreign professional right? Same white collar job IMHO. Now, if I was the one being employed by a school that would cheat me for a pittance (couple thousand NT$ at the most, annually!), I would be looking for a new job ASAP![/quote]
I’ve only heard of those kinds of deals for foreigners coming over here on expat packages, not teachers.[/quote]
Aren’t we all expats here? (Or at least I was until I got my Taiwanese ID). If an employer wants your services so bad, he wouldn’t mind giving you these perks. Of course, if you were the one who applied (vis a vis the job was offered to you), then you’ll have to accept their terms. Beggars can’t be choosers right?
@cfimages and @jerome the point was the employer agreed to pay for the work permit & ARC. This is only NT$1,500 for Christ sake! If the employer can renege on such a small amount, wouldn’t you be wary that in the future the issue might involve a lot more money? You know, like annual bonus maybe?
Consider this your introduction to unnecessary lies made during interviews/contract negotiations. You’ll need to get used to it over here. Anything said regarding contract hours, bonuses, paid vacation etc means nothing. Even when written it often doesn’t mean much - but verbal agreements count for zilch.
[quote=“pqkdzrwt”][quote=“dasaint”]
Aren’t we all expats here? (Or at least I was until I got my Taiwanese ID). If an employer wants your services so bad, he wouldn’t mind giving you these perks. Of course, if you were the one who applied (vis a vis the job was offered to you), then you’ll have to accept their terms. Beggars can’t be choosers right?
[/quote]
Eeer… since when does having some form of Taiwanese ID result in you no longer being an expat?[/quote]
Acquiring Taiwanese ID means you’ll have to call this rock your home, ergo not an expat anymore since you are home sweet home
[quote=“dasaint”][quote=“pqkdzrwt”][quote=“dasaint”]
Aren’t we all expats here? (Or at least I was until I got my Taiwanese ID). If an employer wants your services so bad, he wouldn’t mind giving you these perks. Of course, if you were the one who applied (vis a vis the job was offered to you), then you’ll have to accept their terms. Beggars can’t be choosers right?
[/quote]
Eeer… since when does having some form of Taiwanese ID result in you no longer being an expat?[/quote]
Acquiring Taiwanese ID means you’ll have to call this rock your home, ergo not an expat anymore since you are home sweet home [/quote]
I understand, its just the first time I have heard anyone suggest that “expat” means this. My understanding was that expat meant something like this:
“An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person’s upbringing.”
[quote=“pqkdzrwt”][quote=“dasaint”][quote=“pqkdzrwt”][quote=“dasaint”]
Aren’t we all expats here? (Or at least I was until I got my Taiwanese ID). If an employer wants your services so bad, he wouldn’t mind giving you these perks. Of course, if you were the one who applied (vis a vis the job was offered to you), then you’ll have to accept their terms. Beggars can’t be choosers right?
[/quote]
Eeer… since when does having some form of Taiwanese ID result in you no longer being an expat?[/quote]
Acquiring Taiwanese ID means you’ll have to call this rock your home, ergo not an expat anymore since you are home sweet home [/quote]
I understand, its just the first time I have heard anyone suggest that “expat” means this. My understanding was that expat meant something like this:
“An expatriate (in abbreviated form, expat) is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person’s upbringing.”[/quote]
That might be the correct and proper way to describe an expat, however in the real world which is quite discriminatory, an expat is someone working in another country on a white collar job. You don’t call those Filipino & Indonesian maids expat, do you? Even the factory workers are called Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs) and not expat.
I am not trying to discriminate people here. The OP is about ARC & work permits, what I meant is now I am considered a local and not an expat since I have a Taiwan ID.
[quote=“cfimages”]I always thought it was standard to pay for your own. At least that’s the way I did when I needed them. The first year I think my employer may have paid upfront and then deducted the cost from my first paycheck or something like that. It’s not a huge amount anyway - on average teachers wages it’s only 2 1/2 hours work.
And you do know that it’s illegal to work before you’ve got those permits, don’t you? [/quote]
Thanks for your help with this. I have decided to just pay, because I need to get the ball rolling on my paperwork (it is a such a process to get to the point where you can actually work). And yes, I do know and am not working yet (this is why I am so stingy right now). Thank you for the heads up, though.
[quote=“pqkdzrwt”]Filipino and Indonesian maids living in Taiwan are not expats?
Mind if I ask where you are from originally?[/quote]
Nope, foreign maids and factory workers are not called expats here. They are called OCWs (Overseas Contract Workers) or Migrant Workers. That is why they can’t apply for permanent residency here. Now the limit is 3 year contract renewable a maximum of two times for a total of 9 years. After that, they can’t come back to Taiwan anymore. An “expat” on the other hand, can stay and work here as long as the employer wants.
As to the other question, I myself was born and raised in the Philippines. So you ask why I don’t call myself an expat anymore? Well, the context of the original post is about work permit & ARC. These are requirements/documents that all expats or “aliens” must get in order to live and work here in Taiwan. Even APRC holders must apply for an open work permit. A “local” on the other hand does not need to apply for work permit anymore nor do I have to renew my Taiwan ID. The point being, when I apply for a job in any company here in Taiwan, I am now considered a “local”, not an “expat”.
