Some questions about applying for a visitors visa

Legal Visa & Residency
1

I’m leaving for Taiwan in about two weeks, and am getting a bit nervous about the visitors visa.

I’ve been there before and was teaching. I’m home in the US to visit, and then going back to start a new teaching job (already have the job lined up, and they’ve told me I need to apply for a visitor’s visa and can’t get the work visa processed until I’m back in Taiwan, even though I’ve already signed the contract).

I was at the TECO office in New York a few days ago, with all my paperwork, and the woman at the counter turned me away, saying that I needed letters of invitation from some friends, stating that I was coming to visit, otherwise they’d think I was going to look for work. (Kinda ticked, because I looked up visa requirements on about a dozen different websites, and none of them mentioned letters of invitation for a visitors visa)

My questions are:

  1. I’ve heard that the New York office is a bit tougher with granting visitors visas. Anyone have any experience with this? Last time I went to DC, but was told that I should have gone to NY (they gave me the visa anyway). I’m wondering if I’d be better off going to DC again.
  2. I already have a “cancelled without prejudice” visitor’s visa and a resident visa in my passport from when I did the whole visa game with my first job. Are they going to see that, and see that I’ve worked there before, and be more likely to reject me?
  3. I have proof of funds showing about $2000 in my US bank account, a credit card with another few thousand of credit. Is that enough proof of funds? I have another 50,000 or so NT in a Taiwanese bank account, but would it be a good idea to show them that, or might it just hurt my case that I have a Taiwanese bank account?

I’ve got a couple of Taiwanese friends writing me letters that I’m going to include, and I’ve got a ticket from Taiwan to Hong Kong to show them that I’m leaving.

I’m getting kind of worried about my visa application being rejected, and about how that will affect me being able to start my job on time, and how it might affect me getting a visa altogether. Any advice or tips on where to go or what other things I might need would be appreciated.

Thanks!

2

Well, I don’t see why they would give you the visitor’s visa if you couldn’t show proof that you WEREN’T going to work.
Hence the letters from friends.

3

I’m not an expert of such things but as far as i know (reading forums etc) PRC has changed his policy about the matter of foreigners who assume to be visitors but they work as teachers.
In fact dozens of those who ask for touristic visa keep working as teachers once arrived in Tw. No need to mention the fact that they do not pay the taxes which makes em “illegal pushers of culture”. :laughing:
As far as i know if a person gets caught teaching english this way, he will get kicked out of Tw without the possibility to get back again in the future. :blush:
Well, best you can do imho is to check better if the contract of those who required your professional services (as teacher) is regular and fullfilled correctly.