Does anyone know the rules concerning this particular situation? I left my boss (or he left me depending on how you look at it) in early May. So, I wouldn’t have to leave to Hong Kong, I promptly got a job at a new school with good contacts with the police (my boss is married to one of them). She assured me that I wouldn’t have to leave, and various people in various government offices assured us of this. Everyone knows the drill from here. Tests… copies… certificates, etc. This all took about a month. Then, my new boss left on holidays for a week (not suspicious, these were planned long before May). She came back and told me that I couldn’t get an ARC. Very confused and a little worried… I asked her to find out why. This took another couple of days before Taiwanese immigration authorities gave us the dirt. My old boss has not cancelled my ARC, and I still have it and a work permit with my old school. Now, at this point, I haven’t worked in well over a month… and theoretically have overstayed my visa… but how can I if it is not cancelled? But… I don’t work for him. I have not paid taxes. And, I have not paid medical for months. Now… at this point I had plans to leave to Canada to visit (booked tickets and everything) so my new boss told me that it would be wise to just enjoy this boon… and go to Canada before dealing with my boss when I return.
I checked to make sure that my papers were valid… they scanned my passport when I came back in… and everything is technically legit. I have given up on the dubious advice of this boss with the “contacts”. I have a new school lined up with an official contract, credentials, etc. But, what do I do about this situation? It has now been 4 months (including the holiday) without work in Taiwan… on a working visa, with an ARC. Anyone have any tips or advice? I realize that this has GOT to be pretty unique. Do I need him to cancel it still… or will a trip to Hong Kong do it?
One more needle in the works is that my passport went missing last week. So, I don’t have the visa… to the job… that I don’t have anymore. But, I do have the ARC, thank god.
It’s ok to laugh. I am. But, I won’t be if this counts as an overstay or other such nonsense. And, do I have to deal with my old boss to get the visa into my replacement passport so that I can cancel it and get a new one in Hong KOng??? It’s a bad moon rising.
Technically, what he’s doing is illegal, but my new boss feels that that is a line of questioning I DON’T want to persue, and I can understand why. If he’s illegal… then, so am I. Catch-44.