Current situation:
I am studyinmg chinese on a student Visa. Now I got my student ARC. Married recently, my original plan was to change my status into a JFRV (going abroad getting a new visitor-visa and back in Taiwan changing that into the JFRV).
Got informed my uni will issue me a scholarchip, starting this September for a year.
It looks like scholarchips are only available for student-visa holders. Therefor I am now afraid to change
my status like originally planed. I don’t have any problem to keep my student-status, as my intention is studying very hard rather legally or illegally working, but someone mentioned I may face a problem to change my visa later in 2008 after my scholarchip will be over, as Taiwan expect me to do this change (change from student ARC to JFRV ARC) as soon as possible …
Is that true, is there any rule like this, or am I free to do whatever I want as long as I stay in this country legally ??
No, because the first 5 years I was married I used a visitor visa to live in Taiwan, I was even on my wifes household certificate. Draw back was that I couldn’t ‘officially’ work and had no health insurance. You already have a student ARC, so some things are easier.
You do not need to be on a JFRV ARC if you are married to a citizen, however there are some advantages to doing so:
JFRV ARC requires no work permit. Work wherever and as long as you like. Student ARC is limited to 16 hours a week of work and you must get a work permit which is hard to get until you have a good academic record.
If you plan to apply for permanent residency or citizenship in the future, then your time on a student arc or blue-collar worker ARC will not count towards the time requirements.
Renewing a JFRV ARC is easy-peasy. Just show up with a current household registration, ARC, passport and some money and you’ll be in and out in minutes. Student ARC renewals can require things like transcripts to prove you are going to class, tax statements to make sure you aren’t working illegally, and whatever other requirements they’ve come up with that week.