I am currently in Taipei with an ARC through my old school, which I managed. I will not continue with this school and my ARC expires on August 15.
I am planning to enroll in university to study Chinese. Does anyone know the procedure for applying for a student ARC (extension) ? Are some universities better than others in this regard? I live between Shi Jr and Dong Hu. Does anyone know of a decent university in that area?
TIA for any information.
Well, you’d have to find a place to study and get a letter of acceptance all before your current ARC expires. Then you’ll need to leave the country and get a new visitor’s visa, then come back … then after 4 months you’ll be able to apply for an ARC (that is, if the program you’re in can offer them). The problem is, if you apply to a new language school, you’ll most likely have to get another health exam, and it’ll take a week to get the results, so it looks like you may not have enough time. So, just get a flight out of Taiwan, get your new visitor’s visa, come back, and then you can work on the stuff for getting a new ARC.
Thank you littlebuddha,
I have actually done my health test, so if I get a letter of acceptance and/or proof of paid tuition, could I not conceivably receive my student visa when I leave the country. I plan to go to Thailand on Friday morning, give my application friday afternoon, then pick it up on monday or Tuesday. I guess I need to know which universities are able to offer an ARC. I am thinking of Academia Sinica in Nan Kang. Any further info.?
Cheers.
Hi,
I am in Taiwan now for almost 14 days on a 60 day visitor visa.
I found a good IT company that offers me a part time job, allowing me to study Chinese in the mornings (I think Wen Hua (CCU) or maybe CLD; other suggestions?).
But so, beginning of May, my visa will expire. Can someone tell me what kind of visa extension I need to get in Hong Kong? Extend the visitor visa (+ 60 days?), or get a student visa?
If student visa -> what do I need to show them, that I have sufficient funds? Any other important things?
I want to find out what I need before my current visa is finished! Please post some info even though this information is chewed over again & again (probably). Thanks a lot.
My suggestions:
Search the archives; as you say, this has been chewed before.
Ask your school. At the end of the day, it would be their responsibility to make sure you know what you need. Which school are you at?
Totally agree…the school should know.
CLI was da bomb, some good memories there…
damn cheap too, $5,000NT for 2 months…
[Moderator’s note: this and following posts were split off from “List of Approved Chinese Schools”]
I have a related question about language schools and visas. Here is what ShiDa’s Mandarin Training Center says in its brochure:
“After four months of consecutive study at the MTC, students in good academic standing who plan to continue studying at the MTC may apply to change their visitor visa to a resident visa, with which they can apply to become a registered alien.”
I had assumed that if a school accepted you it would get you a visa quickly. In this case it means the student (spouse) will have been here a month when she starts and won’t even be elliglble to apply for an ARC until month 5? Does that sound right? How do other schools do this? Thanks!
[quote=“taipeijon”]I have a related question about language schools and visas. Here is what Shi-Da’s Mandarin Training Center says in its brochure:
“After four months of consecutive study at the MTC, students in good academic standing who plan to continue studying at the MTC may apply to change their visitor visa to a resident visa, with which they can apply to become a registered alien.”
I had assumed that if a school accepted you it would get you a visa quickly. In this case it means the student (spouse) will have been here a month when she starts and won’t even be elliglble to apply for an ARC until month 5? Does that sound right? How do other schools do this? Thanks![/quote]
Schools do not get your visa for you. You have to do all the foot work for this. The school will provide you your enrollment papers, attendance records, and grades when you request them. You then have to take them to the appropriate government offices to apply for the correct visa.
If you are starting a new school:
1st month = Extendable Multi-Entry Visitor Visa [color=red](DO NOT SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS!)[/color]
End of 4th month = Apply for a Resident Visa
After Receiving Resident Visa = ARC [color=red](Required to get an ARC within 15 days of getting your Resident Visa)[/color]
If you are currently are in Taiwan on an Entry Visa, You MUST leave Taiwan and apply for an Extendable Multi-Entry Visitor Visa (For study) at a Taiwanese consulate, embassy, economic relations office, etc outside of Taiwan. Then you can re-enter and go to school.
When you arrive in Taiwan with your Extendable Multi-Entry Visitor Visa (For Study) you MUST start school within 30 days of arriving. If your attendance records show you started after 30 days of arriving, there is a VERY good chance government officials will NOT renew your Visitor Visa.
Good Luck!
In this case she came with me on a renewable visa and will leave mid-summer anyway. It just seemed bizarre to me that the govt would want you on a visitors visa for four or five months while you are a student.
It won’t be a problem for us, it just seemed to me that you if you are an enrolled student on an exchange program you should be able to get the visa immediately.
But Derek thank you for the clarification. I had assumed it was something unique to ShiDa. (I had a student visa when I was here only about three months through another school.)
I think this would maybe affect others too. If you show up in April and can’t start classes until June, what happens? I wonder how this will play out…
If you show up in April and dont start until June…you will be arriving on an entry visa or (if you are lucky) your home teco gave you a renewable visitor visa that is multi-entry. 1 problem with this is that the entry visa will require you to visa run at the end of April and May. Entry visa’s are only good for 30 days. Also, if you arrive with a visitor visa (for study) given to you from your home teco, then you can stay 2 months…but when you go to renew, if you havent attended any approved schools, your renewal request will be denied and you will have to leave the country and apply again for a 2nd visitor visa outside Taiwan. Bottom line…you cant apply for a visitor visa inside Taiwan. You can only get a Resident Visa inside Taiwan and for that you have to show proof of legal employment or 4 months consecutive study with good attendance at an approved school.
yes, in order to apply for the student visa you need to be in good standing, 85% or above, and have good record attendance at your government recognized school. you have to have gone there for at least 4 months, and be enrolled in the following next 4 months. Technically it’s 3 months, but I had to fork over another 16000 NT for the semester after next just to make it 4 months because my school is a vulture… so try to coordinate your dates and keep them in mind if you don’t want to be caught spending more. Just to switch to a student visa costs 4400 NT if you’re from the U.S. and applying in Taipei without leaving the country (still not as steep as say, leaving the country… switching to the student visa out of Taiwan costs 3500 NT, minus the plane ticket). It is possible to change over to a student visa within the country, provided that you have the 180 days visa. Other countries only have to pay 2200-2500 NT I think. Then, you should take in to account that it costs another 1500 NT to apply for your ARC.
just a little reminder on the costs of changing over to a student visa …
Be aware when trying to switch over to the student visa (here in Taipei at least) they will ask questions regarding why you want to switch… shouldn’t be a problem, if you can provide a reasonable explaination why you didn’t apply for the student visa first before coming…
This is the way it was when I was a student at NCCU in 1992. Total load of bollocks isn’t it? Good to see nothing’s changed. If they give you any guff just tell them nobody understands these stupid rules and why are they trying to make bone fide students of Chinese go to China to study? (Multiple entry China visa available in Kowloon for NT$2,000 in a couple of hours no questions asked).
I think this is relevant. My wife is on a US sixty day visitor (I think “P”) visa. This is the same type I came on last year before adjusting to a student visa.
It used to be if you were taking classes you could keep extending it for 30 days, up to 6 months, and could apply to have it changed to a student visa. However, at the Taipei police station today we were told now people will have to leave the country and apply for the student visa abroad–her visa couldn’t be renewed beyond the end of March (the date for the new policy).
The good thing is that she was able to get a 60 day spouse visitor extension because I have an ARC. I am assuming this is part of the same change that has happened with the schools. Anyway, for those who hoped to come on a renewable visitor’s visa and get study extensions, it’s worth knowing that they seem to be closing this possibility off.
Hey there. Just like to begin by saying I did search the forum and I did read the rules before posting, so please don’t scold me if you’ve seen this question. I simply couldn’t find the answer I was looking for.
So here it is: How long does it take to get a student visa for studying Mandarin at an MOE approved school? For example, if I walked into NCKU on Wednesday and asked to enrol, would the process be about the same amount of time as applying at a school. Say about two weeks?
And more importantly, could I do it with my existing ARC from my buxiban?
Cheers all. Really appreciate any help on this one. 
No, you’d have to leave the country because you go from working to student. But if you’re in Taipei, you can visit the NIA, they’ll know: Guangzhou street 15, at Xiaonanmen MRT station. Or phone them at 02-23899983.
Id really appreciate a reply as the Taiwan government office website has been of little help. I now work in Taiwan and have an arc whitch will be cancelled in a week. As of September I will be a fulltime student at Tai Da ICLP and not working. Question is do I have to leave the country to get a visa or can this be done here? Also if I do have to go what documents do I have to bring? acceptance letter, tuition recipt ect? If anyone has done this id love to hear an answer. I tried the search function but couldent find an exact answer. [/b]
Yes, when I did similar, I had to leave the country. Your visa now is tied to your work permit, so you have to take your study docs out and apply for an extendable tourist visa.
Thanks buttercup,Problem may be a tourist visa requires a ticket leaving Taiwan no? I have lived here for four years and wont have a ticket leaving Taiwan since Ill be in school here for a year. Anyone know how picky they are about this ? Can I get a tourist visa with all documents but not the plane ticket?