Asking for a friend. She’s undergoing a mid-life crisis and wanted to move to Taiwan for about 1.5 years. probably just keeping it chill and take some mandarin lessons while dealing with her mental health. would it be possible to be a language center student for that long and stay in taiwan on student visa?
anyone who has gone through this process? would be so thankful if you can share your experience.
Yeah have a mental health crisis, then think cure that by moving to a foreign country to learn a foreign language in a foreign culture.
People who already have health issues only find they exacerbate them by doing this. People do often study Mandarin for two or more years. The added stress of doing that won’t make life easy.
How come mandarin and how come taiwan?
Other options that would be more laid back and chill is Thai and Thailand for example
for some additional context: she’s ethnically chinese, 3rd generation. so food-wise and culture-wise, taiwan is an ideal place for her to recover and chill.
I’ll answer your question directly. Your friend can stay several years as long as she is paying the tuition. One and a half years is easy to do. I don’t know if it exists but try to find a school on the east side of Taiwan or come down to Tainan and study at NCKU. IMO, the south is much more chill than the north. If I was in Taipei I would prefer to live in Tamsui. I like being by water. But everyone has their own opinions.
But not culturally or linguistically Chinese. She will struggle as all foreigners do and more so if already mentally ill. She needs to make sure she can access help here where every she decides to study.
she can speak basic chinese so the struggle is less. and she’s deciding to come to taiwan to recover after several extended visits on tourist visa. but thanks for the reminder about access to help.
If she is ethnically Chinese, she might even have the chance to have the NWOHR passport and fewer visa restrictions
She can do visa runs every 3 months and learn to surf. Much more chill.
Visa info: Talent Taiwan
“Stay for the length of your course”
Dunno if something changed since 2021, but max 2 years if you talking about the one that comes with arc . (15h/week to be eligible for arc btw)
Number one best wishes to your friend dealing with stress
If her mental health situ is mild and she just needs to be ina different place Taiwan can be quite chill
South Taiwan is more laid back the east coast may be too laid back
Taichung could be quite good too
I’d probably avoid Taipei too much going on
But yes Tamshui will be a good option if living in Taipei is the top choice
As long as she doesn’t have financial stress too Taiwan is much less expensive than the U.S. as a comparison
So it could work out
Maybe I should do this too to hang out in Taiwan longer than 90 day runs
As long as she’s not holding a PRC passport
That may have limitations
There is a 2 year language learning visa. I got one and it was not hard. Apply to any certified language center, acceptance is automatic it seems and use that letter to apply for the visa and then fly.
As for the mental health, that seems to be an entire other subject.
Did your friend move to Taiwan already. Im trying to move there for the same reason
yes! enrolled in language course and still Taiwan. classes are 3 hours a day, and attendance is required 80% of the time. she got a student ARC after 6 months. do you have other questions?
I have limited funds and need to start working as soon as I arrive in Taiwan. While English is not my first language, I can speak it well. I don’t have specific professional skills at the moment. Given my circumstances, which city in Taiwan would be the best option for me to study and work? I would prefer to live in a place with a large population of foreigners.
Given that you have limited funds, but you need to find work and be around other foreigners, you should consider living in New Taipei City and finding work in Taipei City. Taipei City easily has the highest concentration of foreigners in the country, but it also has the most job opportunities, both skilled and unskilled. That said, if you want to find a cram school that might turn the other way if you aren’t from a native English-speaking country, you might want to look at more out-of-the-way institutions in New Taipei City that are desperate to hire whatever foreigner they can get their hands on.
Compared to any major city in the world like London or Tokyo, Taipei City is tiny, so you can easily live further out in New Taipei City (even somewhere way out like Danhai New Town) and commute to Taipei City every day in a reasonable length of time to save significantly on rent. There are Chinese language centres in New Taipei City too.
You are not allowed to work until you get your student ARC, which comes after 6 months. My friend didn’t consider other cities other than Taipei. Tainan could be cheaper but as a foreigner and new to the country, I would suggest to go to Taipei so you can adjust better.