I’m a non-native English teacher who has been in Taiwan for about 5 years. I was so lucky to be able to work legally, because the county I work in accepts Dutch nationality. Unfortunately, all visa applications are going straight to Taipei now and Taipei says ‘no’ to people from Holland. This means that I’m going to lose my work visa later this year.
I like teaching very much and have plans to open a school with friends. The idea was to put the school under the name of my Taiwanese partner and then let the school hire me. But this is impossible now. What I’m thinking about now is to create a special position for me at the school that I want to open. For example: manager or head Research and Development. Does anyone know something about these kinds of ‘special positions’ at language schools? Do you have to be a native speaker to be a (foreign) manager at an English school?
I’m not sure if you have to be a native English speaker to be able to teach English. If your English is as good as natives, I can’t see why people won’t hire you as a teacher, while there are many who don’t have the college degree to be qualified for teaching. But I understand it would be difficult for you if you want to teach.
However, if you want to be a manager for an English school, I don’t see why you have to be a native speaker to be the manager. I’m sorry that I can’t seem to help you a lot, but please ask people around who might be able to help you. 
Why don’t you open a ‘language school’ as you planned?
Then get an ARC to teach Dutch or ANY of the official languages of Holland?
That would be legal, wouldn’t it?
Kenneth
Alternatively, make sure you create a position that ONLY you can fill, otherwise it might be difficult to persuade Taipei dept. of the reasons why a local can’t be hired instead…
Of course, the other way is that you are the owner of the school yourself, and the investment is an foreign investment so you get an ARC, but not one to teach, but to run the company.
Just some ideas.
Kenneth
Thanks for your help. Ken, what do you know about ‘foreign investment’? As far as I know, to open a cram school as a foreigner you need a permanent residence visa. I don’t know anything about foreign investments. How does that work?
foreign investment means
you obtain financing from outside taiwan, apply to open a foreign company here, and so on.
take a look in the legal fora here.
Somebody’s sure to know the answers.
Kenneth
I’ll check it out. Thanks.
It has always been a legal requirement that English teachers be form the US, UK, Canada, NZ, Aus, SA or Ireland. Up until now you’ve just been lucky that the clods at your local office didn’t know the law.
Brian
Also, look up ‘open work permit’ in the legals. If you’ve been here five years you might qualify.
Most cloggies speak better English than many natives.