For ARC renewal, do I have to do the hospital shite again?

Legal Visa & Residency
#1

My boss said to renew my ARC I need to go back to the hospital to do all the blood tests and stuff. Well, she said I had to go to the hospital, I assumed that meant I had to do the tests.

My girlfriend, however, insists that the website for ARCs affairs says nothing about doing all that mess to renew an ARC. I know as of January, there’s a new immigration office, and there have been some changes made. Is this one of them? Do I need to go to the hospital, or do I just get my contract from my school and go to the immigration office?

Please don’t tell me to do a search, because I just spent the last half hour looking for this. If you know a thread, please point me in the right direction.

Thanks.

#2

I had to do a med check-up every year until I got married. Unless they have changed something I would say that your boss is right.

PS Fortunately, I think the literal shite part of the exam is not necessary these days.

#3

If you are not a teacher, you definitely don’t need to have a medical test. (We used to have to do it, but they changed the rules about six years ago.) I was recently told that teachers have to do the medical every year. I have switched to teaching, so I would like to know for sure, too.

#4

I posted this question on another thread, so I am posting it here too, hoping someone might know the answer to my questions.

Firstly I am not a teacher here, my husband is, and I had to do the medical, even my 6 year old son had to do it! (last year).
I actually had more paperwork than my husband to do to prove I was in fact married to my husband, and our 3 kids are actually ours!

Now my questions are these:

  1. My husband is changing schools - do we just need to do an amendment on our ARC, or do we have to apply for a new ARC?
  2. If we have to reapply, will I need to get all necessary “proof” again from South Africa (such as marriage certificates, birth certificates and such), or will this all still be on file?
  3. And I too am looking for clarity on the medical test

Hoping someone can advise…

Thanks

PS: I have also tried to do a search and came up empty handed, but I am sure there must be people on this forum that have changed schools???

PPS: rmaguir: the website you mentioned for the ARC affairs, would you mind sending me the link?

#5

Just thought I would answer my own questions :laughing:

Went to the new immigrations office today in Kaohsiung - they were VERY helpful. There was a lady that spoke english and gave us all the details as to what we needed to do when we arrive in Yilan (we are moving there in a few weeks).
Basically for myself (not a teacher) and my kids, we need to take our current ARC and our passport to the offices in Yilan and they extend it for us - no medical necessary :slight_smile:

My husband also does the same, but because he is teaching he also had to do a medical (although only blood test, eye test etc, no shite in a bottle :bravo: ).

So hope this helps…

Oh, and apparently the medical is not for the ARC office, it is for the Council for Labour Affairs or something (which is why I suppose only teachers or foreigners who are employed need to do it?).

#6

I’ve had to do three health checks in the past for ARC’s for teaching, and they’ve never made me do the shite test. I think I had to do a pee test the first time I got an ARC, but not the following two times.

Unless it’s changed, the medical test is only to be done on renewal of the ARC, not yearly, Juba. I have a 3 year ARC (as a teacher) and only needed to do the health test before I got it, which only took about 15-20mins (and the closest health check hospital to me is all of a 2 minute walk away from my apartment, making it very easy). I don’t need to do a yearly check.

#7

Not quite… I was employed here on a 3-year permit (in the IT business). No medical was necessary. Something to do with the category of worker I think. Actually I told my employer I wouldn’t take the job if I needed a medical 'cos I’m scared of needles!

#8

To clarify - I have always had one-year ARCs so I had to renew it annually and at the time we (editors) had to have a medical check-up to renew it. Later they decided that editors and other non-teachers would not have to have a medical for ARC renewal any more. People from developed countries have never had to do the shit test, at least not in the time I’ve been here (eleven years). It is for people from less-developed countries like Indonesia where intestinal parasites are more common.