Hopefully easy Visitor Visa question

Oh Visa Gurus of Formosa, answer this simple American traveler’s question…

I and my busty companion (Also American) each have a 60 day multiple entry Visitor Visa. In Hong Kong we were told this visa could be easily renewed twice without leaving the country. We believed them. :loco: Those were simpler days, when we had only begun to suspect how much we would one day fear and loathe the word “Visa”.

Fast forward to NOW. We have 21 days left on said visas, have learned to love Taiwan. So we have resolved to find jobs and stay. Our origional plan was to simply extend our visas for another 60 days so as to have a relaxed amount of time to build a life here. But I have now read in several places, both in this forum and others, that if we go to the Taipei Foreign Affairs Police Dept. they will laugh at us and not extend our visa.

S0…

If they laugh at us can we simply go to another Dept in another city and try again there?

Is there a simple way to make this work? Outside of a visa run?

Should we start by extending it in another city. If so, what do you reccomend? Do you have an address for the FAPD there?

Am I unduely worrying?

How shall I refer to you when worshipping you for answering? :notworthy: Is “exhalted” too strong a word?

Trep

Sign up for “Chinese lessons”. You’ll have to pay, but you’ll be able to stay here. You can choose “real” or “not-quite-so-real” schools.

Any chance of a simple visa extension? Will trying one cause some mark to be put on my “Record” so I will be unable to try other methods?

I’d say no. Not unless you have a really good reason, and even then it would only be for a day or two.

Trying one what? A school? Enrolling won’t prohit you from anything in the future. Pay for the papers, take them to the police station, get a 30 day visa extension stamp. Repeat process at end of 30 days. Easy, quick.

You need to show them (FAP) that you have a valid reason for staying. You will also require the paperwork to prove it. This can be proof of enrollment at a Chinese language school or a work contract. If you can’t produce any of these… get ready for a visa run.

Sorry, I occasionally expect the rest of the world to be able to read my mind as well as I do… :unamused:

My question stated fully: Will trying for a simple visa extension (i.e. walking in and saying I spent my first 45 days seeing Taipei, and I’d really like to see the rest of this bootyfull country so can I have 60 more) and failing to obtain one cause some mark to be put on my “Record” so I will be unable to try other methods?

That said, the language school option sounds good.

Where do I find such a school? What do they charge?

I am actually taking 1 on 1 lessons in Chinese now, will these work? They are mondo informal, and I am not even paying for them in anything other than reciprocal teaching in PC repair.

Do you kind people prefer exhalted before or after your name?

No, there will not be a mark on your record. They will just tell you “no”, and you will leave the police station with a sad and heavy heart.

And the private lessons won’t work, it has to be a government approved school.

It (your visa) should be marked with extendable or non-extendable 60 day visa, multiple entry.

If marked extendable you can extend it for twice 60 day’s,after done that twice you can leave the country and just re-enter, if it’s within your 6-months, 1 year visa validity. this way I secured with a one year visa a 14-16 months stay in Taiwan by returning just before the validity ran out (ie. one year). I must say it’s a few years ago as I have an ARC now.

If not extendable you could try signing up for Chinese classes. But be sure to sign in everyday for class, police will check the lists regularly. Than leave the country and before it runs out re-enter.