Q and A for Foreign Workers - Legality

Work Working in Taiwan
1

evta.gov.tw/foreign/eanswers-1.htm

[quote]Q34: What is illegal working?

A34: Any foreigners who work without applying for a work permit through employers, or work while permit being revoked, or work with invalid permit, or work for non-permit applicant employers, or work for employers other than permit applicants, are considered illegal working in Taiwan.

[/quote]
I guess this rules out substitute teaching or doing something other than your permit states.

[quote]Q45: Can foreign professional workers have part-time job while they working in Taiwan?

A45: According to Article 53 of Employment Service Act, if those foreign professional workers are hired by two or more employers at the same time, each employer needs to present individual application. Hence, if foreign workers intend to have part-time work, they need to wait until prospective employers turn in applications.

[/quote]
As stated before in many posts, second job is ok, get both listed on work permit.

[quote]Q41: What are the punishments if foreigners work in Taiwan without applying for employment permit?

A41: If foreign workers work without employment permit while in Taiwan, according to Article 68 of Employment Service Act, foreign workers shall be penalized with a fine of no less than NT$ 30,000 and not exceeding NT$ 150,000, [b]and be compelled to leave the country without delay[/b]. As to employers, per Article 63 of Employment Service Act, he or she shall be fined an amount of no less than NT$ 150,000 and not exceeding NT$ 750,000. In case the person re-commits the said offence within five years, he or she shall be punished to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years, forced labor-service, or payment of a fine of NT$ 1,200,000, or to both imprisonment and payment of a fine of not exceeding NT$ 1,200,000.

[/quote]
Speaks for itself.

We don’t have to agree with or like these things, but we do have to live with it. Or you could try the “Sorry I’m not guilty because its a stupid law and I don’t agree” defense.

2

Or you could hope that, in time, by speaking out (legally!), writing letters, emails, making phone calls and urging others that believe a more flexible and forgiving system should be in place to join your cause, said system is AMENDED for the BETTER!!!

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I agree with speaking out legally, and many lawyer and legal types do that here. Hopefully they will use a more common sense approach in the future.

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[quote=“bobl”]http://www.evta.gov.tw/foreign/eanswers-1.htm

[quote]Q34: What is illegal working?

A34: Any foreigners who work without applying for a work permit through employers, or ...

[/quote][/quote]

Well, excluded are those poor souls like me who are married here. [Teaching could require a work permit even for married-to-a-local guy however, they told my wife at the foreigners police]

5

[quote=“bob_honest”][quote=“bobl”]http://www.evta.gov.tw/foreign/eanswers-1.htm

[quote]Q34: What is illegal working?

A34: Any foreigners who work without applying for a work permit through employers, or ...

[/quote][/quote]

Well, excluded are those poor souls like me who are married here. [Teaching could require a work permit even for married-to-a-local guy however, they told my wife at the foreigners police][/quote]

Interesting, which FAP office told you that? Is it Neihu? Seems to me that the Neihu folks are running a little hot out there. That’s directly contradicting the main Taipei City FAP at Ximen and the Banqiao Taipei County FAP office. Next time those guys tell you that, tell them to reread the Employment Services Act Article 48 and ask them where does it say that a spouse of a ROC national needs a work permit to teach? It’s not there.

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[quote=“Yellow Cartman”][quote=“bob_honest”][quote=“bobl”]http://www.evta.gov.tw/foreign/eanswers-1.htm

[quote]Q34: What is illegal working?

A34: Any foreigners who work without applying for a work permit through employers, or ...

[/quote][/quote]

Well, excluded are those poor souls like me who are married here. [Teaching could require a work permit even for married-to-a-local guy however, they told my wife at the foreigners police][/quote]

Interesting, which FAP office told you that? Is it Neihu? Seems to me that the Neihu folks are running a little hot out there. That’s directly contradicting the main Taipei City FAP at Ximen and the Banqiao Taipei County FAP office. Next time those guys tell you that, tell them to reread the Employment Services Act Article 48 and ask them where does it say that a spouse of a ROC national needs a work permit to teach? It’s not there.[/quote]

Ah, interesting. Not sure if my wife talked to NeiHu or central Taipei police. But we encountered a lot of false information those days, like I could not get a health insurance the first 6 month (nonsense, as I worked in a Taipei company by then and paid my fees! After phoning them 12 times or so I got the insurance card finally).