If this is a redundant post, apologies. That said, it seems this info changes about as often as the weather, so…
What I’m trying to figure out should be simple (just jinxed myself):
Let’s assume that I have applied for a work permit, and during the work permit processing time AND before the work permit is issued, my visitor’s visa (V V) from the U.S. expires.
Does the mere “process” of applying for a work permit provide some legal immigration status such that a valid V V is no longer required?
If the answer to the above is “no, you still need a valid V V,” then another question. If I go in to renew my V V for another 60 days at the police station (or exact proper location), what am I supposed to say about my reasons for wanting the extension, if asked? I was under the impression that “looking for a teaching job” was an answer that was a sure method of getting a rejection to an initial V V request. Do the “rules” change for an extension request?
In other words, at what point can I safely stop pretending that I’m only visiting here to smell the to-dofu?
I think the police will extend your visa if you can show that someone has already applied to employ you. Bear in mind, however, that an extendable visitor visa can only be extended up to a maximum of 180 days.
When the Council for Labour Affairs has approved you to work, go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to apply to have your visitor visa canceled and replaced with a resident visa. Once you have applied to MOFA you are OK. It doesn’t matter if your visitor visa runs out before MOFA issue the resident visa. As a matter of fact, that is precisely the situation I am in now. My 180 days were up yesterday (Tuesday), but my passport is at the MOFA. No worries - I will collect my resident visa on Thursday.
Do everything as early as possible, because unforseen delays often occur.
MOFA issues visas, the Foreign Affairs Police issue ARCs. The former is on Chi Nan (Jinan) Road just off Zhong Shan, and the FAP is on Chung Hwa (Zhonghua) Road in Ximending.
If you have some bit of paper showing you’ve applied for a job and it’s being processed, the FAP should extend your visa.
If you let your visitor visa expire at that stage (i.e. you don’t get the police to renew it), then you become an overstayer, and you really don’t want that to happen.
If you let your visitor visa expire at that stage (i.e. you don’t get the police to renew it), then you become an overstayer, and you really don’t want that to happen.[/quote]
That happened my in 96 because the MOFA and FAP hadn’t finished bouncing me between one and the other, so I had a one day overstay. So anywhere you go where they can read Chinese they see you have overstayed. It also means you can’t truthfully answer “no” to the question “Have you overstayed…?” even though it’s actually all groovy with the FAP and MOFA and you’ll still get your work permit / resident visa / ARC. Crazy stuff.
So get that tourist visa extended for at least a month. When I got my recent resident visa they banged another two months on my tourist visa, and the resident visa came through the next week.
I have signed a contract with a school and they have begun working on getting my ARC. The problem is I have already gone to the Police Station to get my VV extended and they did so. I had to show them some kind of confirmation form that the government is working on my application. Great no problem. Then the other day the owner of my school says to me that I may have to go in for another extension of my visa. Does the Police Station typically give out extra extensions, and if so what information do you need to provide them? My current extension expires on the 30th of June. Any suggestions would help.
Based on what I was told doing research on this, it depends on the country that you come from and information listed on your original V V.
From the U.S., the V V is granted initially for 60 days. As long as there is no indication in your visa that it is “non extendable”, then it IS extendable for two periods of 60 days each, totaling 180 days duration for the V V from the very beginning until the very end.
If you have a “non-extendable” visa, as I had in 1996, you have to go to MOFA and get them to OK extending it. The logic seems to be that as a subordinate arm of MOFA overseas issued the visa in the first place, MOFA in Taipei can over-ride that. Seems surpirisingly logical. Warning: MOFA can take a long time to do stuff. Getting it all done in advance is the key. Explain your situation exactly as it is and in plenty of time.
Related to this topic, a question about fees for the whole process from nothing to ARC.
So far, my employer told me that there is an NT $500 fee to apply for the work permit (which I paid to the employer). A teacher just told me that there are still multiple fees beyond a work permit on the way to an ARC.
In one case, a single fee of NT $4,000 ??
Does anyone know the full list of related fees and what they pay for?
As for the work permit fee, there are signs posted in my workplace saying that as of February 2004?, there is now an NT $500 fee any time a work permit is “applied for, changed, or canceled.”
Just went through the process of trying to get a non-extendabe extended whilst my work permit application was at the MOE. The better half called up the BOCAs in Taipei and Taichung after I had been knocked back for an extension in Kaohsiung last week. I ended up taking route 2 and got the fax the day before my visa expired.
Taipei BOCA will extend your non extendable if you can give them proof that MOE has your application. :bravo:
Kaohsiung BOCA will not extend your non-extendable (they claim this is impossible) but will process take your passport and begin the process of giving you a resident visa if the MOE fax the permit to them. You have to take the original along as soon as you get it. :s
Taichung BOCA won’t do a thing unless you have the original work permit in your hand and if you expect them to do anything more you can go whistle. :fume:
The summary: I need to change the university name on my ARC into the new university I am attending.
Do you think I stand a chance to get it done in Taiwan?
My new classes began on March 1 (Shi Da), 2005 - and they have put in writing, somewhere on their bulletin board or on the guide book: no refund when our unavailability to attend the classes is due having insufficient papers to stay in Taiwan.