Renewing work permit and ARC

Legal Legal - Work
1

It’s the first time for me to renew my one-year ARC and work-permit soon, and I don’t really know what’s involved. I don’t think my boss does either because he’s never done it before.

Do I need another health check?

Do I need to leave the country?

Should I start the whole process a month or so before it expires? How long does it take?

It’s the Ministry of Education by the way . . . . .

2
  1. Get a new medical certificate
  2. Give it to your boss
  3. Boss goes to Dep of Ed and renews your teaching permit (as far as I know you he does not have show them your degree etc, it is a simple renewal)
  4. You take your new teaching permit and a copy of it, passport, ARC, passport photo and $$ ( can’t remember how much, about $1200 I think) to the foreign affairs police, fill out another form.
  5. Foreign affairs police will take the copy of your teaching permit and check it against the original (which you give back to your boss. They will put a new stamp on your multiple re-entry visa (in your passport), and they put a stamp on the back of your ARC. This should all happen on the spot (For me in kaohsiung this took about 10 minutes).

And you are done, compared to the first application, this process is very painless, and you also do NOT have to get a new work visa in your passport, so that is one department less that you have to go to:-)

You should definitely get your medical about 2 months before your ARC expires.

Whatever you do, DON’T turn up at the Foreign Affairs Police with an expired ARC (not even 1 day!) because they wil make you leave the country and re-apply for everything.

I suggest going to the police about 1 week before the ARC expiry, this means your boss should be getting your teaching permit renewed about 6 weeks before expiry, because this can take the longest. Your medical should be back in 7 working days.

3

Note: “The early bird gets worms”.

Hi,

I definitely recommend that you get in early. I went through this process last year, but with only about one month left on my work permit (& ARC). My employer stamped his “chop” on the wrong place of the application form, so the application was rejected. The turnaround process was slow (about 3 weeks), so time was fast running out! The Visa Police were friendly about it, but could only help me with a one-month extension of my ARC ($1000). The next problem resulted from a miscommunication between my employer and one of the govt. offices (application rejected again), so I flew to Hong Kong to get my worms.

I have since been “advised” to renew when I have 2 months remaining on my work permit / ARC.

I love bureacracy. I hope you do too.

Good luck & regards,

Babou.

4

Thanks guys. I’d better get doen to the hospital quick.

Bri