After what amounts more or less to a lifetime of preparation, I’ve built up a small media/electronics enterprise in the UK with the sole intention of taking it to Taiwan.
Right now I’m in the UK. I’ve had a considerable number of meetings with MOEA, spoken to lawyers etc. and have all the FIA/residency shenanigans understood.
To cut a long story short, after hearing various horror stories I was going to pay a lawyer in Taiwan upwards of US$5000 to sort everything out for me. I have no intention of working myself silly just so I can hand $5000+ over to some lawyer. However, I speak Chinese, I’ve sourced all the relevant forms and done a lot of research and to be honest, it looks a lot easier than similar UK processes. I’m now confident I can do it myself but will need to be in Taiwan for a while to sort everything out.
Obviously, until I actually go to Taiwan and get FIA etc. I won’t qualify for a resident visa and will therefore have to enter on a visitor visa. This is where some of you might be able to help… while I know the PARC/ARC/resident visa system inside out, I know squat about visitor visas. From what I can gather, I can apply for a multiple entry visitor visa for business (supported if necessary by MOEA UK) valid for 6 months, intially 60 days extendable twice. Is this correct? I can imagine police departments having a habit of not renewing visitor visas no matter what your circumstances or investment in Taiwan (I do have documentation coming out of my backside). Is this so? If extension is refused, can I just hop to Japan then come straight back? I like having a wide berth for problems and 4-6 months would be good. I do know that UK citizens lack some reciprocal benefits given to US citizens for visitor visas but nothing that seems particularly troublesome.
Whew, sorry about the length but I though some background was required BTW, any recommendations for local lawyers/CPAs would also be appreciated.
From my experience, if you have a good laywer that does the work for you, it is worth spending some money on him. You can save yourself a lot of trouble and time. Even if you know all the rules and regulations, there is always room for interpretation. I think if the paperwork is done by a local law agency, chances are higher that everything will go smoothly. Just because it is done by a local law agency.
I am not saying that it is impossible to do it yourself, but I think that you MAY end up spending a lot more than $5000, if you try to do it yourself.
Thanks for the heads up but I’m set on doing this. I have enough contacts and experience to give me some degree of confidence, plus I’m young and stupid and would rather give it a go while I still have the energy. I was always the sort of kid who took the TV apart to find out how it works. I don’t like the idea of handing a bunch of cash and some documents over to a lawyer and having no clue what they’ve actually done. I might not be able to put it back together on my own, but at least I’ll have learned something.
[quote=“rice_t”]Sorry, can’ help you about the visa question.
From my experience, if you have a good laywer that does the work for you, it is worth spending some money on him. You can save yourself a lot of trouble and time. Even if you know all the rules and regulations, there is always room for interpretation. I think if the paperwork is done by a local law agency, chances are higher that everything will go smoothly. Just because it is done by a local law agency.
I am not saying that it is impossible to do it yourself, but I think that you MAY end up spending a lot more than $5000, if you try to do it yourself.[/quote]
[quote=“llary”]
However, I speak Chinese, I’ve sourced all the relevant forms and done a lot of research and to be honest, it looks a lot easier than similar UK processes. I’m now confident I can do it myself but will need to be in Taiwan for a while to sort everything out.[/quote]
One thing about Taiwan is that nothing ever looks as easy as it does on paper. In fact, it’s often more complicated and time consuming. As your time is very expensive, finding help to assist navigating the bureaucratic maze is often a smart investment because you would be free to do what you do best, run your business.
Not necessarily. There are two different categories for business “visitors”. There are those who will be staying “temporarily” and that is defined as less than 6 months stay. Then there are those who will stay longer than 6 months who may apply for a resident visa. Your MOEA business investment issue while related to your visa status, doesn’t have to be the determining factor. You can work backwards based on your stay intentions and get the relevant paperwork sorted out to achieve that purpose.
It’s just as bad in the UK, if not worse - at least in Taiwan you know the rules are screwed up. I don’t see any time in Taiwan as wasted; this is about more than running off to a cheap east Asian country and making a quick buck. I would much rather make use of consultancy or advocacy and do as much as possible myself, not only to save money but to make the contacts and learn about what will no doubt help me in the future. The bulk of my investment capital is specialist recording and EE equipment, so big chunks spent on legal assistance would be a drain on the cash portion.
Can you get resident status without prior FIA? I was under the impression that no FIA = no ARC/PARC, unless both applications were parallel filed. If it’s possible it would certainly make my life easier and avoid visa run nonsense to return on the resident visa. Like I said, I understand everything after FIA but I would rather be there while the bureaucracy is going on.
I guess this means I have to call you and ask for rates, right? [/quote]
I know that you can get an ARC related to doing concultancy work for an offshore company in Taiwan, it’s been done before. The business/company can be based in UK and they send you here to do this kind off work, but you’ll be paid in th UK.
Incredibly, it seems I need to consult with an extraordinary number of young female singers
Setting up a branch seemed harder than a proprietary company
[quote=“belgian pie”]I know that you can get an ARC related to doing concultancy work for an offshore company in Taiwan, it’s been done before. The business/company can be based in UK and they send you here to do this kind off work, but you’ll be paid in th UK.
Setting up a foreign owned company in Taiwan is not trivial. This is opposite to other countries such as the US where you can set one up in 48-72 hours. Here, it’ll take you a few weeks if it’s “basic”, not subject to any special industry rules and regulations.
Lots of people coming into Taiwan don’t realize that.
The US?! You’re kidding, right? Compared to US immigration, Taiwan is a picnic. US immigration offices have given me time scales in units of months or even years and generally treated me like dirt on their shoe. And the forms! I felt like I could have had someone popped off with less effort (mm, tempting…)
To sum up - I know that immigration to any country is difficult. I know that setting up companies anywhere needs a thorough understanding of the spoken and unspoken rules, not to mention a lot of masonic hand-shaking. I’ve never known any other way and that’s why Taiwan suits me down the the ground. I appreciate the warnings but my giving up a successful life and business in England for limited rights and high risks should tell you that a few weeks, months or even years work isn’t going to put me off.
BTW, I have found a much more reasonable local lawyer and CPA through recommendation than the US$5000-$10,000+ quotes I was getting from international firms.
[quote=“ML McLean”]Setting up a foreign owned company in Taiwan is not trivial. This is opposite to other countries such as the US where you can set one up in 48-72 hours. Here, it’ll take you a few weeks if it’s “basic”, not subject to any special industry rules and regulations.
Lots of people coming into Taiwan don’t realize that.[/quote]
Who is comparing US and Taiwan immigration? Not I.
[quote=“ML McLean”]Setting up a foreign owned company in Taiwan is not trivial. This is opposite to other countries such as the US where you can set one up in 48-72 hours. Here, it’ll take you a few weeks if it’s “basic”, not subject to any special industry rules and regulations.
Lots of people coming into Taiwan don’t realize that.[/quote]
Of course, no one should have to spend that kind of money to set up a foreign owned business. Our rates are much much lower than those you posted. Then again, most people here wouldn’t use international law firms because those firms serve a different kind of business person/entity. Single entrepreneur types, which there are lots of in Taiwan, need a middle level of service. Those folks are/can be served by the likes of Enspyre, ML McLean and others who can speak both English, Chinese and Taiwanese if needed. They will deliver a professional service, as you would expect back “at home”. Then there are the other kinds of entrepreneur business types that make do with their local connections through their significant others, wives, husbands, in-laws, friends of a friend of a … etc. For some types of businesses, that’s fine, for others, maybe not.
BTW, any recommendations for local lawyers/CPAs would also be appreciated.
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