Receiving work permit, change Working holiday visa to resident visa

Legal Visa & Residency
1

Hello, I’m a Canadian with a working holiday visa that is expiring soon. I recently got a job offer in Taipei and they have applied for a work permit for me.

I understand that once I receive the work permit I need to apply for a resident visa. I keep reading that converting from a visitor visa(working holiday) to a resident visa is different but I never found the steps to follow in order to do so. Also where do I need to go in order to apply? Is it at 135, Min-An Street, Jung-He District, New Taipei City?

After the resident visa I need to get an ARC and as far as I found that is very easy. Do they still do that at the local police station?

I was reading on this forum that people with a visitor visa and a work permit can directly get an ARC without applying for a resident visa.

Thank you guys for your help.

2

ARCs are processed at the National Immigration Agency (NIA) office. According to the link, the address you wrote is correct.

That seems to be the consensus. I believe that when you apply for the ARC you technically still pay for the resident visa, but it’s not a separate step anymore.

Best bet would be to visit the NIA and ask them directly. I say ‘visit’ because sometimes a phone rep won’t really know what s/he is talking about :s

3

I just found on the Boca website that I need to apply for a resident visa with them and then go to the Nia and apply for an ARC using the resident visa. So much confusion.

BTW Working Holiday visa is not an extendible visa.

4

From what I know you can’t change. You have to exit and reenter. I asked the TECO office in NZ a while back, they replied with this:

5

I just got back from Boca. They also told me that I need to leave Taiwan then come back visa exempt and apply for a visitor visa using my work permit and then apply for ARC. Boca thinks that I overstayed my Working holiday visa so I may have to bring my work permit to hongkong and apply for my visitor visa there. I came back from a trip to the Philippines on Feb 10 and Nia said that I have until Oct 25. I’m going to Nia now to check.

6

The NIA says that I overstayed. That means that I need to pay a fine at the airport and apply for a visitor visa in Hong Kong with my work permit. They said that I don’t need a medical but I need to find out the requirements for the application if somebody could link me to it please. The paper with the fines says something about an exit permit, what is that?

I was wondering if I should try to apply for a Resident Visa in Hong Kong instead of a Visitor visa, or should I just stick to doing the Visitor Visa with my work permit? If I should go the resident route, can somebody link me the requirements please?

Thank you guys. You are awesome. Once this process is complete I will be making a how to post about it.

7

Again, this is what they emailed to me from the TECO office.

[quote]I would suggest calling the Immigration Agency first to enquire about your situation (immigration.gov.tw/mp.asp?mp=2).

Please note:
For work permits – Contact the Council of Labour Affairs
For Visa transfers – Contact the Immigration Agency
Applying for a Visitor/Resident Visa overseas – Contact the Bureau of Consular Affairs (boca.gov.tw/mp?mp=2)
For the contact details of ROC missions abroad - boca.gov.tw/lp.asp?ctNode=80 … SD=18&mp=2[/quote]

8

Also, I kind of know the whole process and what you need to fill out, but I really don’t have time to link them all to you sorry.

But check this thread out, it has everything you need to know.

forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … 5&t=103343