Odd ARC/Work permit situation - need advice!

Legal General Legal Matters
1

This is a long story, so I’m going to shorten it as much as possible.

I have been teaching at one of the big cram school chains for about 6 months. I took a few days off work at the beginning of November, which I had asked for a month in advance (and was approved). While I was away, my boss decided to transfer me to one of the other schools he co-owned. Frankly, this was fine with me, as I was not particularly fond of the man. He told me about this the night before I was supposed to go back to work. Typical. However, he did not seem to communicate this effectively with the hiring manager at the other school, who hired someone the morning I was supposed to go there. So, I was pretty much scheduled out of a job. Which, honestly, is just fine with me, becuase I really didn’t like the job much, and had been planning on breaking my contract in February to go work for the school my boyfriend works at.

My ex-boss said that he wouldn’t cancel my ARC until I found a new job. Since he broke the contract, he has seemed like he will be pretty good about transferring it, and not making me suffer. Part of my contract there was that I got a scooter as long as I worked there, and he has let me keep that for the time being, too. This all transpired around November 15th, so it has been almost 3 weeks. He called around to all the other branches of the chain school and told them that I was a great teacher and available, and I went to a couple of the schools, but their offers were horrible (one was for $480 per hour!!!). And since I’m planning on quitting in February anyway, I don’t want to sign another contract - especially when they have 1 month penalties for leaving.

So…

The new school that I will be working for has offered to get me a working permit and ARC early, but they only have approval for their two current teachers, so they have to get approved to have a third foreign teacher. I don’t know how long this takes, and neither do they. I’m guestimating that it will take about 2 months, becuase everything in Taiwan takes two months! And it may take another 2 months to get my work permit and ARC transferred (or get new ones). I am not real comfortable with my ex-boss having control of my ARC, as I suspect he might be the type to just cancel it without telling me.

So, I need to know what my options are! Since I am now unemployed (I worked one day in November) I don’t have money dripping from my fingers. Visa runs are expensive, and I want to avoid them if I can! Are there ANY other options? Does anyone know about transferring ARCs? Will I have to leave the country anyway?

Does anyone have any similar experiences with this?

And, if I do have to do a visa run, can I go to Bangkok instead of Hong Kong and still get a 60 day visa? I’m from the US, and I would love to get my hands on a multiple entry visa again, if I have to go that route.

Thanks!

Karen

2

Bad situation dear, and $480NT/hour, please!!!

Anyway this is what I did and it might work for you. Look in your passport, you should have a 1 year residence visa. This is pretty well good till you leave. Now this may be in that grey area of legality, but it worked for certain nameless people I know very well.

Now how to get around all those annoying petty laws. I would recommend the visa extending, but voluntary classes at say CLI. They’re in all the newspapers and do a search for their address here or on tealit.com. If you do a visa run, please avoid Hong Kong. I would suggest Thailand, Japan, or Singapore. The cost is the visa run+ $9000NT for the 1st 3 months and if you want to extend the visa out 3 more months that will be $6700NT.

I’d have to say you were set up, this sounds too fishy, but as it was a job you didn’t like, oh well. I would look into subbing for other teachers and taking up some part time work to support you till everything works out.

For the ARC transferral there is a form for that. Go to the FAP and ask for it. If you’re in Taipei, go to 98 Yenping Rd, near ximending. Get it filled out and have the FAP verify it is filled out correctly before you use it. I’m guessing your boss will forget something trivial like using his chop on it or some other BS.

I have a 1 year multiple entry visa, but you seem to have to be lucky or have some reason. Hong Kong said I could only get them in the US, but answers change depending on who you talk to. You only get 60 days at a time, but can extend it out to 180 days.

Your options on working are to work illegally(and join the ranks of cowboys) till you find something legal or just be a wetback; remain unemployed till you find a legal school that will employ you legally.

Good luck let us know how it goes

CYA
Okami

3

I am quitting my job with a well-known employer, and planning to come back on a student visa. Can I register for classes and then get the visa in Kyoto, where I can also visit a friend? And can you legally teach PT at another school in Taiwan on a student visa?

Anyone know?

thanks for the info.

4

Here’s my chance to end the confusion around student visas. There are no student visas (if I’m wrong someone please correct me). A person can get extentions based on being a student (up to 180 days) or a resident visa based on being a student. The student resedent visa thingy allows a person to work 12 hours/week.

If your getting a visitor visa extended, no you can not work (and be legal).

Hope that answers your question.

One more thing, the resident student visa thing can’t be had until one has completed 4 months of school on an extendible visa.