Is it possible to obtain an new ARC while my current ARC is still valid?

I am currently employed and have a current ARC which expires at the end of June. I have found new employer willing to provide me with a new ARC but, they think I will have to exit Taiwan to obtain a Visa that can be converted into a new ARC. Is this really necessary?

No need to exit. It’s normal to apply for the new ARC/visa one month before the old one expires.

It depends.

If you are changing from business to teaching or vice versa you will need to exit. The same goes for student to teaching etc. Also you need to make sure the old one is cancelled before you leave the country so the overseas office can issue you with a visitor visa. If you are changing from business to business or teaching to teaching you should not need to exit.

Are you ABSOLUTELY sure that this is the case transferring an ARC from business to teaching? If it is, could you post where you got the info from? I would really appreciate it as this is my exact situation. I have a business ARC (obtained through my boss…but I work at a school as a teacher…(just the way things worked out). I was hoping they could just transfer one to the other without my having to leave the country and I was told it was possible. My ARC does not expire for almost a year…I’m quitting though for personal reasons and transferring to another school. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks in advance. I’ll check here for responses.

To answer your post (I’m up to my ears in visa problems too at the moment)

I am pretty sure that you must exit because you are changing ministries. Your business ARC was issued by the Ministry of Economic Affairs while the teaching ARC is issued by the Ministry of Education. It is a fairly simple matter to change from a teaching ARC to a teaching ARC, no need to exit. However when changing from teaching ARC to business ARC you must leave (as I was told before, because you need to go back to a visitor visa before you can get a resident visa and hence a new ARC). You have to effectively ‘reset’ your visa status back to visitor before reapplying for a resident visa. This I am not ABSOLUTELY sure of but is the procedure I have been told by a few people and which I had to go through.

Thanks so much for your help! I guess I will just suck it up and take a vacation to Thailand. I wonder if they’ll let me not leave the country on account of SARS? Hmmmm…Anyway, I’ll be going through all this crap in the next few weeks, so I’ll keep you updated on what happens. Seems like a lot of trouble for nothing though. At least I’m moving on to better things! Thanks again for the help. It’s much appreciated. Cheers!

FWIW, I didn’t have to leave the country when I changed my ARC, going from the Ministry of Education to a different ministry. That was around 1997, though, and I’ve forgotten the details.

[quote=“headhonchoII”]It depends.

If you are changing from business to teaching or vice versa you will need to exit. The same goes for student to teaching etc. Also you need to make sure the old one is cancelled before you leave the country so the overseas office can issue you with a visitor visa. If you are changing from business to business or teaching to teaching you should not need to exit.[/quote]

Based on personal experience, I would agree with others and say that the above comment is not true, or at least for me. My “teacher’s” visa expired last year after which my new company gave me a business visa, with the job title of consultant, without my needing to exit the country.

Thanks to everyone for all the help. Apparently, my new school has found a loophole so that I won’t have to leave the country. No idea what it is, but I’m happy they found it. For anyone in the same siuation (tranferring from business to teaching visa) just post here and I’ll see if I can find out the loophole. Thanks again everyone! Cheers!

is your new ARC valid from where your old one expires or two weeks after you apply if that date is after your old one expires. Why does a an ARC take two weeks?

Two weeks is the basic processing time. They’re probably just making sure you’re a good boy. I assume the new ARC doesn’t start until it’s been approved after the processing time. So it’s a good idea to apply for your new one before the old one expires.

damn tomorrow is two weeks as the old one expires 7.31

is tomorrow my last day then?

They can probably process it faster than 2 weeks if you explain your situation.

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Thanks for your help. I managed to phone and my work permit is ready so I can go apply today.

If my current job ends 7/31 and my new one starts the next day, 8/01 do I need a “termination of employment certificate” ??? or another document that says I completed my contract?
I only have 1 day to do this (today), I can’t screw any of it up.

Wow. Your new job begins one day after your old one ends? :flushed:

Anyway, I highly doubt you need that termination document. You completed your contract, right? So why would you need it? I don’t know for sure 100%, so you should ask immigration. But I think you’re over analyzing this a bit. I’ve only ever heard of people using that when they break a contract. If you have your new work permit/ ARC, then nothing from your previous job should matter (again, as long as it was completed per your contract).

Right, but the new lady at my next job said I need that document.

Yeah… no vacation.

Call immigration. Ask them directly.

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I think I will have to. Thanks again.

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@DrewC Success. Immigration actually didn’t care about a letter of termination/contract completion document. She just wanted the work permit and letter of employment from the new school a long with the regular passport, arc etc.
She also let me keep my old ARC, so I can open a bank account with it.

TOO MANY QUITTERS on here leaving their jobs early and needing letters of termination LOL.

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Glad things worked out for you. I knew they would.