Has anyone gone through the experience of [color=#400040]switching from a Language Study student visa to a University Degree student visa? (different schools) [/color] （華語中心 －》大學）
It seems I can do it domestically as long as I present both
1。 a valid, unexpired ARC; and
2。proof of paying tuition at my new school (university).
a) Is this true?
b) Is it similar to applying to an ARC for the first time - eg. do I need a new health check?
c) Do they want to look at my attendance record up to that time from the Language Center? I’m going home for almost a month before I can pay tuition at my new school, so I’m gonna have a lot of missing days.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! for any and all clarification
I was in an exact opposite situation as you are now–> i.e Switching from a University course to a Language Course in ShiDa.
AFAIK, you will need to have to leave the country and enter back on a new Visa…This rule seemed rather weird to me but when I talked to the Dean of ShiDa, he said I definitely needed to make a Visa run as the “purpose” of my Visa has changed from “University Study” to “Language Study”…and for this, I must leave the country, come back in on a new visitor Visa, then have it changed to a Resident Visa and finally use that Resident Visa to get an ARC. So even if you still have an unexpired, valid ARC, you will still need to leave the country (My Univ ARC still had 8 mths left on it).
[quote]a) Is this true?–> [color=#FF0000]From my experience, it would say, not true…but things might have changed. Better to check with NIA or someone in your University who handles all the affairs of foreign students. [/color]
b) Is it similar to applying to an ARC for the first time - eg. do I need a new health check?—> [color=#FF0000]I had to to my health check all over again to get the new ARC for ShiDa.[/color]
c) Do they want to look at my attendance record up to that time from the Language Center? I’m going home for almost a month before I can pay tuition at my new school, so I’m gonna have a lot of missing days.–> [color=#FF0000]I don’t think they will be interested in your attendance record for the Language study as you are a) Changing schools b) Will be getting a new Resident Visa i.e new purpose for stay in Taiwan. They check attendance only if you wish to continue studying at that same Institution for the purpose of renewing your ARC.[/color][/quote]
Has anyone gone through the experience of [color=#400040]switching from a Language Study student visa to a University Degree student visa? (different schools) [/color] （華語中心 －》大學）
It seems I can do it domestically as long as I present both
1。 a valid, unexpired ARC; and
2。proof of paying tuition at my new school (university).
a) Is this true?
b) Is it similar to applying to an ARC for the first time - eg. do I need a new health check?
c) Do they want to look at my attendance record up to that time from the Language Center? I’m going home for almost a month before I can pay tuition at my new school, so I’m gonna have a lot of missing days.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! for any and all clarification [/quote]
Back when I did it, no need to leave the country, and I got an extra month of vacation, no lessons on either side.
I did not need to get another health certificate nor was I given the free health exam they gave all my fellow international students at school.
You may not have to show paid tuition -they need your courseload to calculate that- so the letter of acceptance plus the enrollment certificate from them should be enough. Oh, and proof of funds and/or scholarship paperwork.
Nobody asked me for the attendance record -which was less than spotless, I may say. I reccomend you to get your grade records, might come handy.
7/15 Update: a very nice Miss Yang at NIA actually called me back after doing some research and gave me this LOOOOONG list of things I need to go from Language Study to University Degree without leaving Taiwan:
application form
2 passport-sized photos
passport
acceptance letter to university
proof of registration and student ID from said university
financial statement
authenticated diploma & auth. transcript for highest level of study previously completed (minimal is high school, this’ll be the same thing you showed university to apply)
health check
student card, attendance record, and grades for the entire duration of study at Language center
AND they need at least 7 days before your current ARC expires to process this.
She also gave me a slightly shorter list of documents I need if applying for a new resident visa in Canada, but I highly recommend you research this part directly with the Taiwan representative office in the country you would apply in, as I found out this list is inaccurate and I didn’t need a medical exam after I’d already gone and paid for it… boo-urns…
Anyway, hopefully it’ll be a nice smooth process of getting a new resident visa for the purpose of study at a Taiwanese uni when I’m back in Canada in a few weeks.
That was a year ago, but I think I’d basically decided to do it back home, then before leaving called my TECO office in Canada, who said that list I was given was way too long and just a few basic documents would suffice. Although it’s funny how nit-picky they are as I was told to go get photos and recommended a nearby portrait photographer who said Taiwan of all places went from being super-easy-going to super-anal about the headshot specifications, more than any other country at the moment and the photographer wasn’t quite sure why, as Taiwan’s not exactly a superpower on the world scene or housing high-security criminals or anything like that.
Anyway, I feel like it was all worth it since I love my Chinese Language & Culture Program for Waiguorens at Shida, great teachers, classmates, material, the works. And now I just have to renew the visa once a year. YAY!
Sounds interesting.
If i may ask, how man hours per week are your classes? And what is the tuition fee? (per term or per month or however else they do the accounting at Shida…) Thanks…
as I was told to go get photos and recommended a nearby portrait photographer who said Taiwan of all places went from being super-easy-going to super-anal about the headshot specifications, more than any other country at the moment and the photographer wasn’t quite sure why, as Taiwan’s not exactly a superpower on the world scene or housing high-security criminals or anything like that.