I’m an American and am getting married to my Taiwanese girlfriend. Currently I’m in Taiwan with an ARC sponsored by my employer. However, my contract with my employer is expiring and I’ve decided to move on to another job but I don’t have time before my resident visa expires. So I’m going to need to leave Taiwan and get another visa. I’m thinking of Hong Kong or Okinawa because it’s faster and cheaper than going back to the US.
Is “I am going to get married” a valid reason to apply for a visa while outside of Taiwan? (It isn’t a block on the application form…). Should I just give other reasons for obtaining a visa (employment, ect)? I don’t want to mislead them, but I don’t want to get turned down either. Sometimes these things get tricky. Any advice?
Tell the truth.
Do you already have another job lined up? Or, will you be coming back to get married and to look for another job?
Given the fact that Taiwan has no fiance(e) visa, I cannot agree with Mr. Tigerman’s advice in this regard . . . . . unless I have miscontrued his point of view somehow. I of course realize that he is one of the legal gurus of these forums, and I don’t discount that in any way . . . . . but it seems to me that the old ploy of saying that you want to visit Takoro Gorge and the Southern Tip of the island is far preferable.
In many ways, the overseas representative offices want to strictly go by the book, and if you don’t have your paperwork in order . . . . you can hardly be said to have a solid case in applying for a work visa or whatever . . . . . hence the best “alternative method” is to just go the straight tourism route.
And, in this regard, if asked the question: “Are you planning to work in Taiwan?” I would reply: “I understand that is illegal without a work permit. Since I don’t have a work permit, so of course I cannot work.”
If asked the question: “Are you planning to work in Taiwan?” I would say: “No, but I have a job offer to go work in Korea beginning in October 2004.”