So my girlfriend and I are coming over the third week of Jan but can only come for six months (for now). We’ll probably get off the plane with about 5k USD between the two of us. So I got a few questions that I’ve been trying to dig up answers to:
What are the chances that we could recoup that 5k American (both of us working say 20-25 hours per week) within six months?
How should we go about getting a job if we can only be around until late June?
We’ll get there about the 24th of January - how easy would it be to find two jobs (not neccesarily at the same place) in Taipei or Taichung or out of either city somewhere?
if you work 25 hours per week at $600nt/hour then you should be able to make just over $10k US in 6 months - not including expenses. Let’s hope you get 600nt/hour, that’s about the average salary, but you may start with $500nt/hour, earning you just over $9k US in 6 months.
(exchange rate used: 1US$ = 33nt$)
Recouping your $5k US should be no problem.
And finding employment may only take a week, if that.
But you say you’re going to stay for 6 months - what kind of visa do you have?
I’m a little concerned that you may have to do visa runs in order to stay in Taiwan for that long. (visa runs = going to HK or somewhere close for a day or more to renew your visitor visa) Not a problem if you’re not worried about this. (please note, working without an *ARC is illegal, you can get an *ARC if you have an employer apply for one for you) The chances of being caught are next to none though. I’d say about 60% of foreigners here work without an ARC. I don’t recommend working illegally, but that’s your choice.
*ARC = Alien Resident Certificate
EDIT: I forgot to mention, if you do work illegally (as many of us do), you will not pay Tax. If your employer takes Tax out, they are actually putting that money in their own pocket.
Of course there’s the other problem, some schools will not employ you under a 6 month term. They prefer 1 year contracts, that way you can get a visa and ARC to last you the contracted employment.
Easy enough. There’s jobs everywhere!
I hope I have been of some help to you.
Btw, always visit as many schools as you can. Don’t accept the first job offered to you, it’s always a good idea to shop around (especially in Taiwan).
Good luck and be careful!
p.s. Search the legal matters forum for any legal questions - they have all the answers to your questions there.
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]January 24 places slap bang in the middle of the Chinese New Year holidays. You won’t find anything or anybody for at least a week or more likely two.
HG[/quote]
Ditto, so during that time, you can enjoy the vacation like the rest of us!
Lewt me stress that to get a legal work permit and residency visa you must sign a one-year contract. That’s law, not just schools saying “we want you for a year”.
I heard that the market in Taichung had dried up due to oversaturation? That’s what the teachers in Taichung were saying all over Dave’s ESL Cafe about a year or two ago, warning people not to come. Perhaps things have changed? Your best bet would probably be Kaohsiung - it’s almost as big as Taipei but only has a fraction of the foreigners, not to mention half the living cost. Taipei is very expensive to live, especially the rents. You’d most likely have to work around in one of the surrounding cities or suburbs of Taipei county, such as Taoyuan or Keelung.
