I am planning to relocate to Taiwan from the UK and having read your messages and various sites regarding visas, I am still a little confused. I plan to work as an ESL teacher (I have an English Degree and TESOL certificate). Can anyone answer the following :
(1) Is my best bet to get a visitor visa while still in the UK, and get it converted to a resident’s visa once I (hopefully) get a job ?
(2) If so, how long does it take for them to process these (ie. how long before leaving should I apply) ?
(3) If not, what else would you recommend ?!
(4) I know that I need to provide some proof of onward travel from Taiwan, but when should I book this for given that I expect to have to extend the visitor visa (also given that I plan not to use this ticket !)
(5) I have heard that the authorities will accept a boat ticket and this sounds cheaper - true ?
(6) Is Taiwan really worth all this hassle ?!
First of all, you are not a ‘gweilo’ in Taiwan. That’s a Hong Kong term. In Taiwan, you are a ‘laowai’ or an ‘adogah’.
I think most people still sort out their visa situation after they arrive iin Taiwan. That’s because it’s better to turn up here and look for a job than to accept a job from overseas. Getting the whole visa situation sorted out usually takes a couple of weeks though it can take longer if you are missing documentation and the like.
Is Taiwan worth it? I think so, but you will have to decide for yourself.
Regarding the visa issue, that is different to what I’ve read elsewhere. Are you suggesting that I just get a landing visa on arrival (rather than an advance visitor visa), isn’t that a very short term measure ?
Also, forgive my ignorance of appropriate Taiwanese terminology, I have never been to Taiwan (only HK) so please be gentle with me. I obviously hit bit of a raw nerve…consider me chastised !
I think you want to get a visitor visa in advance. I don’t think the landing visa can be changed to anything else.
‘Gweilo’ [Cantonese] is only a minor irritation. No worries there.
Actually the term suggests one of the differences (or so I’ve heard) between Hong Kong in Taiwan. In Hong Kong, there is very little interaction between locals and foreigners outside of work. This state of affairs is perhaps reflected by the rather ugly tern ‘gweilo’ or ‘foreign demon’. [pet peeve: I dislike translating ‘gui3’ as ghost or devil]. Taiwanese, who are for the most part friendly to a fault, have much milder terms for foreigners such as Laowai [Mandarin] or ‘Adogah’ [Taiwanese].
I argue that Laowai is mildly impolite when used to your face. Many foreigners in Taiwan take more offense to ‘Adogah’ thah I do–probably because it refers directly to our physical appearance. It means something like ‘pointy nose’.
Disclaimer: these are a few of the rules as they were explained to me. If you plan to use any of this, you should verify it yourself before you finalize your plans, in case anything is different for Brits or in case I was misinformed.
Also note: the Taiwanese consulate in the U.S. which issued my visa was adamant that I could NOT show up and then look for work. If you mention that this is your plan, odds are that they won’t give you a visa. (I myself am here primarily for the cuisine. )
I don’t know what the price would be for a tourist visa in the UK, but it was US$100 for one in America (because that’s how much the U.S. charges Taiwanese to apply for one to the U.S. – visa prices are set on a per-country basis, often in a retaliatory way). This gives you sixty days instead of the landing visa’s 30 days. I think the landing visa costs around US$30 (again, might be different for Brits).
Also, with a tourist visa, you have a shot at a multi-entry. Be nice when you apply and they may give you one; they did to me. With a multi-entry, you won’t need to show a round-trip ticket, as long as it’s good for more than six months more at time of entry, which (if you’re planning to stay a while) could save you more than the visa cost. Of course, if you don’t get your ARC sorted out within 60 (or 30 – whichever time limit you have) days, you’ll have to take a “visa run” to HK or Japan or wherever, which will set you back about as much as the return leg of the roundtrip.
Don’t know about the UK offices, but they kept my passport overnight to put the visa stamp on it. I dropped it off around 4pm; they told me it would be ready late the next morning. The office can tell you how long it will take to process.
If you marry a Taiwanese, you can stay and work at any job. If you marry a foreigner with an ARC, I’m pretty sure you can stay, but I don’t know if you can work here. These are always options if you get desperate.
quote=“BritishVick” I know that I need to provide some proof of onward travel from Taiwan, but when should I book this for given that I expect to have to extend the visitor visa (also given that I plan not to use this ticket !)
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BTW, on the “multientry/no onward ticket” bit, your airline or travel agent might try to insist that you need a roundtrip – I spent hours arguing with one agent about that, because it showed up on her booking screen that I had to, and she wasn’t willing to sell me a one-way as a result. I guess it’s a rare enough event that they don’t know the loophole. If you run into one who won’t listen, ask them to call EVA Air and talk it over with the airline; they corrected my travel agent’s misconception.
A cruise is probably more expensive. If you mean the “out to international waters and back, cruise to nowhere” boat trip, that would only be an option if you have a multientry. There were posts about the price going up recently, IIRC.
Just some info from my experience. I came out with my company over 3 years ago but returned to the UK last year. I came back without a job etc. in December (working again now - sigh!) You definitely cannot change a landing visa into a resident visa. Therefore you are best going to the Taiwan office in London and to apply for a visitor visa. The easiest way to do this is to get a Taiwanese to write a letter inviting you to stay (my girlfriend did this). That way they are more likely to give you 60 days rather than 30 days. This visa will not be able to be extended though. Also, be aware that you will have to pick it up 24 hours later unless you turn up very early and pay extra. Even if you find work quickly be ready to do a visa run abroad, especially since the government here changed the process for issue of resident visa / arc it has been a bit of a mess. I would suggest, if you have the money, to go to Singapore for a few days. The Taiwan office is outside the city, but it is a 10 minute job and back tomorrow to pick up. If you go to HK then be prepared to wait in the queue for hours and also for the attitude. They can be very difficult. As regards the ticket, you’ll find that a return from the UK is very little different in price to a one-way ticket. Buy one with a years unspecified return, and ensure you can sell it back to them should you not use it. Hope that helps.
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