Just returned from HK the other day and yes, I did get my new visitor’s visa but it was not cake walk. Of course, they are still grilling people like everyone’s a criminal, but this time they waited until AFTER I had submitted all of the necessary paperwork.
So I get back to the office at the designated time for the same-day pick-up, which costs almost 3,000NT$ by the way, and they say there’s a problem.
The first thing they do is show me a piece of paper that states the “problems” on my application. 1) I have to prove I have a return ticket ot Taiwan :loco: . 2) I have to show them my ticket out of Taiwan after I get back. That one I was ready for. I had my TA reserve me a seat on a flight to VCR on June 15, and she gave me the itinerary on China Airlines letterhead. All of it legitimate of course. 3) They want to know how I will be supporting myself in Taiwan.
What a frickin’ joke! These idiotic and totally useless visa policies are baffling and time consuming. Why do they treat everyone like we’re out to form a revolutionary government? I mean, if I wanted to work illegally I would just do it! Yet here I am trying to play their game, and they’re still treating me as if I could be planning some monumental political crime.
Sure I’ve been warned about HK, but I’ve got nothing to hide and am in good standing here in TW and had all the required documents. Not only that, but the staff in HK say they have to “wire” all the documents to Taiwan immigration for their approval. After all of the above transpired, they again to sit down and wait until they had sent the documents through, yet they returned with my visa in less than 10 minutes. Way to quick to get approval from Taiwan. This proves the staff in HK make all the decisions.
That’s it. Now I will make damn certian my ARC does not expire simply because I am changing schools and have a lapse in employment.
Never again will I let myself be subjected to these people. :fume:
