Survey: make life easier for foreigners in Taiwan

Be careful what you wish for…

I am being careful what I wish for… I have dual citizenship, and 2 passports, 1 African country and 1 European country… Both afford my Taiwanese wife far more rights and privileges than Taiwan offers me… YMMV…

[quote=“Toe Save”]The 2nd thing I’d look into is a revamping of the buxiban system for kids. Make it more experiential. Instead of importing any nose with a BA, they could incentivize English-based social programs such as community sports and arts and all the other special interest pursuits we did as kids [quote]

Well, there are already quite a few people with programs just like that. I know of people (westeners) who run kids hockey and soccer leagues/schools and even a piano teacher who markets herself that way, for having classes in English, so it is happening. :wink:

More trash cans on the street.
More public bathrooms (not for taking baths, just to be clear).

Make teaching kindergarten legal. It has been made illegal by people who have no understanding of the sheer power of childhood language acquisition skills.

Simplify the process through which foreigners may obtain driver’s licenses. This includes producing a written test and study materials in proper, unambiguous English, rather than confusing Chinglish. And study materials should be provided free by the Motor Vehicles Department as they are outside Taiwan
(well, the US, anyway).

Chris wrote: [quote]Make teaching kindergarten legal. It has been made illegal by people who have no understanding of the sheer power of childhood language acquisition skills. [/quote]

Sorry, have to disagree with that. Why have foreigners take jobs that locals are more than capable of doing? There’s a whole new generation of Taiwanese English teachers who really speak English well and can do a better job than whitey.

There’s a glut of local English teachers and an uber-glut of English majors looking for work.

Instill service orientation in the TECOs, so they will help and advise the “with collars” with the documents for applying working visas - their job should be to make it easier, not more difficult.

In short remove the red tape.

As has been mentioned before - access to credit, especially credit cards.

Make it so that drivers licences don’t expire every time your ARC expires.

The process of permanent residency and citizenship should be much easier.

Brian

Sorry, have to disagree with that. Why have foreigners take jobs that locals are more than capable of doing? There’s a whole new generation of Taiwanese English teachers who really speak English well and can do a better job than whitey.

There’s a glut of local English teachers and an uber-glut of English majors looking for work.[/quote]

To a point, almas john. In the bigger cities, sure; there are plenty of locals who speak English well and can teach. In smaller cities and towns, it can often be very hard to attract Taiwanese teachers who have a good grasp of English. As a case in point, there’s a couple of TW English teachers that I work with who I cannot really have anything more than a very basic conversation with in English - they just don’t have the skills. And they were the best of the applicants for the job.

TC made a great point earlier about children picking up so many bad and dangerous habits from their elders.

I’d say that life for foreigners would be much better if the police/govt would ensure that TW people followed the law instead of ignoring it at their will. Children without helmets on scooters is probably the most frustrating thing I encounter here, even though it doesn’t directly affect me.

Suggestions would be - red light cameras installed on all traffic lights - anyone running the red would find a fine and some demerit points arriving in the mail a few days later.

Cops outside schools at closing time - for the first day or two, everyone not wearing a helmet on a scooter, or seatbelt in a car would be given a formal warning. After that, fines would be handed out, small for a first offense but quickly becoming substantial amounts for future offenses.

They’d only need to do it everyday for a week or two (not announced in advance) and then follow it up with random inspections over the next 6 months to change the habit of not wearing a helmet. As soon as TW people start getting hit in the hip pocket for it, they’ll change very quickly.

[quote=“Incubus”]More trash cans on the street.
More public bathrooms (not for taking baths, just to be clear).[/quote]
Oh, I SO second both of these!

The ARC process has to be tackled. Having to leave every six months just to ‘renew’ your visa is costly and time consuming. And IMO just rude to someone who’s $$$ is a form of investment in the GNP.

Ease the business regulations allowing more foreign investment, or allowing foreigners to open up small business in their names.

Set up an EEOC.

[quote=“Namahottie”]The ARC process has to be tackled. Having to leave every six months just to ‘renew’ your visa is costly and time consuming. And IMO just rude to someone who’s $$$ is a form of investment in the GNP.

Ease the business regulations allowing more foreign investment, or allowing foreigners to open up small business in their names.

Set up an EEOC.[/quote]Fair enough about the business regs, but I don’t get your specific gripe about ARCs. Sure, the ARC system could be improved (ideally along the lines of what Maoman suggested), but if you’re on a working visa you don’t need to leave every six months. If everything is renewed smoothly you don’t need to leave at all.

[quote=“Jaboney”]Actually, there’s a particular interest in eliminating obstacles to attracting more white collar talent behind this, so go nuts.
Ok, not too nuts. Themes are fine, specifics better.[/quote]
Ohh…so this is what this is about.

Maybe point out how underhanded it is in business to claim the work of others as your, or your companies, own work.

And don’t forget those big bags of potatoe chips.

They’ve already done that. Most sidewalks now have to have a straight dedicated lane free of scooters, or shop stalls. I see this everywhere now. You can actually look down a street and see a clear walking path down the sidewalk. Yes, there are scooters but they are all to one side.

Hmm, you must live ina bad neighborhood. :wink:

[/quote]

You mean the other 98% of Taiwan outside of central Taipei?

Sorry, have to disagree with that. Why have foreigners take jobs that locals are more than capable of doing? There’s a whole new generation of Taiwanese English teachers who really speak English well and can do a better job than whitey.

There’s a glut of local English teachers and an uber-glut of English majors looking for work.[/quote]

That’s not necessarily true. The last kindie I worked in, only one of the local teachers could speak anything more than very basic English. In fact, now that I think about it, that’s been true of just about every kindergarten I’ve worked at - practically none of the local teachers could speak English better than a 3 year old.

If you’re talking about local teachers at buxibans, that’s a different kettle of fish.

I know you’re joking and all, but I live next to the XinYi Eslite. ‘THE’ nice neighborhood in central Taipei. And here people drive their motoscooters on the freaking sidewalk.

[quote=“citizen k”][quote=“Toe Save”]The 2nd thing I’d look into is a revamping of the buxiban system for kids. Make it more experiential. Instead of importing any nose with a BA, they could incentivize English-based social programs such as community sports and arts and all the other special interest pursuits we did as kids [quote]

Well, there are already quite a few people with programs just like that. I know of people (westeners) who run kids hockey and soccer leagues/schools and even a piano teacher who markets herself that way, for having classes in English, so it is happening. :wink:[/quote][/quote][/quote]

CK, I get what you are saying about there being a grass roots movement afoot already. I got involved as a roller-goalie coach for a brief period a few years back, so I know it’s out there. But it is still quite selective and the parental thinking more along the lines as skill-specific training with a bonus of English environment. I am more envisioning a massive campaign towards the eventual destruction of the bootcamps that are currently passing for classrooms*. I’m suggesting a more comprehensive, heavily subsidized, professionally accredited set of options. The parents need to see it to be as valuable as they see the standard stuff we cram into their kids’ noggins now. The parents won’t budge unless they see cash savings, so what I am suggesting for this survey of how to make Taiwan whatever…is to get full government backing for overhauling the system and making these binary environments the standard for the financially erm… aware parents to explore.

*A truly regrettable side effect of my idea would be, (in my utopian vision), that Maoman and all you other cram school O/Os would be forced to adapt or perish… :smiling_imp:

Definitely open work permits for foreigners. And while we’re at it, could we make it just a little less onerous to get a work permit if you’ve been in Taiwan for a long time, paying more taxes than many of the locals, but have not married a local? I’ll be happy to talk to whomever if they like – but if I was more or less forced to leave Taiwan after so long because they would not give me another work permit of the type (Article 51) I already held two (recent ones) of, because they claimed I was “no longer eligible” – WTF?

I mean, I’m not that hung up on my own value, but it seems to me that I was the prototype of the kind of foreigner they would want to have – fairly high income, so high tax contribution, did everything legally, taught a specialized subject (not just English though there’s nothing wrong with that) in their universities, etc. etc.

And…Reciprocity. Realization that you can’t deny foreigners basic rights unrelated to citizenship (financial services, etc.) and at the same time demand that the countries those foreigners are from defend you against big bad China or further your cause on the international stage, particularly when your nationals are enjoying all rights and privileges in those countries.

Oh hell, it’s all been said before.

Lots of gripes here about the way Taiwan IS, rather than the way Taiwan treats foreigners. You really think anybody in power is going to take any notice of a bunch of whingeing foreigners complaining about how Taiwan manages its own affairs?

Traffic, garbage, law enforcement, and all that are part of the scenery and it’s not really on to ask the government to change a system that the actual voters don’t seem too worried about. Better to focus on stuff related specifically to foreigners, and that presumably means rich white folks as far as the people making the rules are concerned. Do English teachers count? I’m guessing not, but even if they do I bet it’s not the MoE that’s asking for advice. Best save the state of the education system for another thread too.

So what are we left with?

Johnny foreigner arrives at the airport without a visa and is allowed in for a month anyway. How does that compare to treatment of Taiwanese visitors to other countries? Pretty well, I think.

Getting a visa is not difficult if you have your shit together. Maybe the hoops are there to weed out the wankers? The only time I had difficulty was when I went into the TECO in HK on my way here for the first time and loaded all MY problems on the poor lady behind the counter. Six months later, after breaking a contract, the FAP called me and asked if I could come in to sort out my inadvertant overstay and also when it would be convenient for me to take a trip to HK to get a new visa, which was issued without a problem. In 2005 I found myself back there after a screw-up relating to tax certificates and work permit renewals. The lady I spoke to (politely) spent 30 minutes talking to me in search of some useful information that would enable her to justify letting me return. I came back here the next day, my tax appeal was upheld (rule of law worked just fine for me) and everything was hunky-dory.

To be honest, I’ve found the system in Taiwan a lot easier to deal with than that in the USA or even within the EU. Theoretically I’m entitled - guaranteed the right - to live and work anywhere in Europe, but you watch the way local officials wriggle to deny you this right. Can’t accept a job without a residents card in your hand, can’t get residency without a job, for instance. The USA demanded a lot of blood, fingerprints, sponsors, personal guarantors, and a whole lot more to allow me to apply for residency. Once granted I was not permitted to leave the country at all for a year, not even an afternoon in Tijuana. And the costs involved were horrific. I came to Taiwan rather than deal with the crap necessary to obtain permanent residency and a green card. Taiwan granted me residency as soon as someone wanted to hire me with no more than a simple medical and a small fee. This as all before the war on terror, and I hear it’s a lot tougher in the USA now.

I don’t really know a lot about how things work for students, but as an employed person I’ve always found it very easy to be here legally. There are few countries willing to offer open work rights to anyone fresh off the boat unless they have special qualifications. If Taiwan is keen to attract suitably qualified people to come here speculatively and look for work (or open businesses) then a suitable scheme would be a great idea. (The UK has one called the Highly Skilled Migrants Program.) But I bet the people in charge aren’t actually thinking in those terms. It’ll be about smoothing the path for the rich white folks sent by big corporations.

Long-term residency is problematical, and the rules for citizenship are obviously designed to prevent anybody trying, so maybe there’s room for some improvement there? I’m a month shy of five years in Taiwan, and pretty much any other country would consider me to be ‘settled’ by now. I would be allowed to vote in local elections , apply for citizenship, and all the rest of it in many places.

I think the problem in Taiwan stems from assumptions about who foreign residents are rather than simple racism. It’s never occured to the lawmakers or policymakers in institutions that anybody would come here for anything other than a year as a teacher or a three-year posting for an MNC. Consequently the laws and regulations are a bit out of step with the real situation.

The driving license thing is an obvious one. They should be available without any linkage to residency.

The credit issue is deeper than simply having anti-foreigner sentiments. Things might have changed since the last time I looked into this, but basically Taiwan has no proper system for credit scoring or for dealing with bad debt. Money is loaned to, and recovered from, the individual’s family. As a foreigner you don’t have a household registration or real legal existence so it’s very difficult for the existing system to recognise you as someone to lend to. And there aren’t enough of us to make it worth while changing the system.

Some banks even refuse to issue debit cards to foreigners because their computers are programmed to require a valid Taiwan ID card number. Is that racism, or just an oversight by someone years ago who didn’t stop to think about a tiny and unimportant section of the market? In comparison, I was unable to activate my debit card when I first lived in the USA because I didn’t have a social security number. I also couldn’t get a mobile phone without a guarantor, which is pretty common anywhere in the world until you establish a credit history. But in most countries once you’ve been there for a while you start to function like anyone else.

One solution is for Taiwan to join the modern world in terms of financial legislation, but when it happens it’ll be for local reasons, not just to please a few complaining foreigners. And even when it happens, we may still get unintentionally left out.

So I guess my best suggestion is that the government should pass legislation clearly stating that everybody in Taiwan is human, subject equally to the law, and entitled to the same rights, privileges and obligations as local people. This legislation should require institutions to ensure that their systems and policies are inclusive.

This would mean that a newbie with no history would still be subject to the same lending restrictions as they would be in other countries (and a mobile phone account is a credit account, if you think about it) but that over time would be able to establish a legal existence and credit history just like they would in another country. Address the residency issue at the same time so that deportation at will becomes much less likely and ‘we’ become no more of a credit risk than any other person.

It would also strengthen Taiwan’s democratic credentials in the eyes of the international community.

Finally, I hope llary won’t mind me quoting him from another thread:

[quote]I should weigh-in here as a UK citizen who’s experienced both US and ROC immigration. I lived in LA for a while and tried to get residency there - let me just say that if anyone feels mistreated by the ROC immigration system they should try getting into the US as a foreign national. I gave up after two years, 110 pages of paperwork, US$2,500 in filing fees plus god knows what in legal assistance. I even had two guys in Sherman Oaks who agreed to fund a new venture I had proposed, but in the end I came unstuck with the visa process. I was so frustrated by the whole process that I was literally in tears for half the time I was over there. It’s just not possible unless you’re very rich or get married to a US citizen. Even then I have a friend who got married to an American girl and they’re still waiting for approval over two years later. A few weeks for an ARC doesn’t seem so bad now, huh?

When it comes to Taiwan I moan like everyone else and it took a lot of hard work getting here, but like Satellite TV said I never even finished high school yet I’ve come away with a 3-year ARC, full bank accounts with overdraft facilities, credit card, fixed phone lines, cellphone, office, driving license, car, bike, insurance, Taiwanese Girl - all in my own name with no co-signer. I even got 18-months interest free credit on an A/C unit just to see if I could. Yeh, I had to prove I had some savings etc. but then it makes me laugh when I hear people complaining that a bank won’t give them credit cards just because they hold a NT$167 balance. There was no magic to this - I read the rules, follow them and get what I need with a little persistence. I wish people would stop saying ‘you can’t do x’ when they haven’t even tried because reading that sort of crap almost put me off coming here in the first place.

I do feel that Taiwan desperately needs a much firmer sense of social equality, especially with regards to Southeast Asian and black minorities, but this is something that needs to be solved through education. I really think that us white foreigners have got a good thing going on here and that we should be pushing for specific reforms… so compiling a list of sensible things that would make life even better is a good idea but I honestly can’t think of a whole lot that bugs me outside basic social issues (education, policing etc.) And then when that list is compiled - I mean, come on, who’s actually going to read it?[/quote]