I don’t want to enter with my resident visa

I am going to enroll as a student in Taiwan. The registration day is on September 7th 2018.

I have my resident visa in my hand now. But with a resident visa you have to apply ARC within 15 days after you’ve arrived in Taiwan. That means I cannot go earlier this week (have to wait until at least last August).

Can I enter Taiwan with Visa-Exempt first? And then in Taiwan I’ll use the resident visa to change for ARC? (I have my resident visa already in passport)

why should you wait until last August?

Because I’ll get my student card on Septembed 7th. That student card I’ll use as a requirement for making ARC.

cannot you apply for ARC with the enrollment certificate you used to get your resident visa?

For making visa I used a Letter of Acceptance. But for making ARC, I need to have my Enrollment / Student Card (which prove that I’m really a student).

But I don’t know :cry:

sorry, I confused acceptance letter and enrolment certificate. they are different.

I think you need to use the visa to convert it to ARC, but it will be no harm to ask about it to NIA in Taiwan or TECO in your country.

If money is not an issue, 1-day trip to HK will solve the problem.

Oh, okay then, definitely. Thank you for your info! :blush:

If you don’t want to use the visa when you enter, tell the immigration officer that you want to use it later.

Switching from visa-exempt to (pre-existing) visa without leaving and re-entering – is that possible?

Not sure. Depending on the wording on the visa, technically you might be able to simply just do it.