I am trying to get a work permit to work at a Taiwanese University as a research assistant. It seems that I need to attach documents proving that I passed a few medical tests and have received vaccinations. The problem is that I have no idea what kind of tests I have to pass and can not find any pointers on official sites on this matter. Another problem is that white collar workers have to have a minimum wage (47,971 NT?) and that the salary I will be receiving is below that amount. Currently I’m still in my homecountry (the Netherlands). Have any of you had similar problems or know a place where I can get the relevant information?
When applying for permission to employ you, a prospective employer must tell the Council on Labor Affairs what monthly salary they are going to pay you. If it is less than the above-mentioned figure (which came out of the blue a couple of years ago), the CLA will not approve it. Your employer can put NT$47,971 or more on the application just to get approved and then pay you less, but the CLA warned me that if that happens you will still get taxed on the basis of NT$47,971 and they won’t believe that you could be earning less.
The minimum salary for foreign white-collar workers might change from time to time to allow for inflation or the consumer price index or in proportion to the average national wage or whatever it is based on (I have been trying to find out for two years now and nobody seems to know what it is based on or even who made up this particular rule in the first place.)
I don’t know about the medical things - it should only apply if you are teaching. The university should be able to find out the details for you.
I am going to apply for a resident visa and I got a health certificate form from the Taiwan consulate that has to filled out by a physician. The form is only valid for 3 months. The tests include a normal physical exam with the following tests: HIV, chest X-ray for tuberculosis, stool examination for parasites, and a check-up for leprosy.
Not sure if this is required for you since you are in a different country than me, but you should go to the Taiwanese consulate and ask for a health certificate form or what tests are needed.
If possible, get the medical checkup done in Taiwan at one of the larger hospitals.
If it is done overseas then it has to be stamped by the local Taiwan Rep. Office … and in Taiwan, the officials still might not consider it valid …
I would also suggest that (unfortunately) if the university that is hiring you doesn’t know the procedures, then it is probably not a good place for a foreigner to be working.
For example, they give you a two year contract. Then six months into the contract, they say they are eliminating your Dept. What do you do then?
So … if they don’t know the procedures, you should tell them You have to find out the procedures and tell me, it is not up to me to find all this stuff out.
If they cannot get the procedures straight, then I think that is a very bad sign, although for Taiwan it is (unfortunately) often what is typically seen …