My wife and I are moving to Taiwan at the end of June and are trying to figure out the visa situation. We know that we need to get tourist visas but we aren’t quite sure how the exit after 60 days works. Is it realistic to expect that we will not have to leave Taiwan, assuming we find jobs? If so, can you recommend an airline with a good refund policy? If we do have to purchase tickets and plan to use them should we get one-way or round-trip (basically, will customs look at our round-trip and have a problem with that?) Otherwise, what are good, cheap trips? Also, if (for instance) I find a job and my wife doesn’t in 60 days can I have her on my ARC? How does that work?
So get your 60 day tourist visa before coming here. It seems like you know that and won’t have a problem. You are gonna have to show a flight out of Taiwan, so just buy a one way ticket to Hong Kong departing one day before your visa expires before coming.
It is realistic to think you won’t have to leave Taiwan to do a visa run, but you’ll be in a race against time. I’d say if you find a job within 3-4 weeks the school can apply for your work permit and apply to extend your visa. This way you won’t have to leave the country. If you find a job lets say a week before your visa expires, your employer probably won’t have enough time to file the paperwork and won’t be able to apply for your extension.
If one of you finds a job before the other, you can put your spouse on your ARC. However they won’t be able to work. Only study and live here. If they want to work they will have to change their ARC from a spousal to a work ARC. If you want your wife to be on your ARC just let the school know when they file for your paperwork and they’ll let you know what to do.
As far as recommending cheap airlines with a good refund policy. I’m not familiar with that as I usually use travel agents here in Taiwan. You can try Cathay Pacific or EVA though, check their website, I think they should be pretty cheap tickets and refundable.
You need to physically be in Taiwan a total of at least 183 days during this calendar year in order not be taxed at the non-resident rate, which is much higher than the resident rate for people in most income brackets.
June 30 through December 31 is 185 days. That doesn’t give you much leeway if you need to make a visa run. Just something to keep in mind.
We will get there June 22nd. Ideally, we won’t have to make the visa run. If we do have to leave does our 130 days (or whatever it is) start over again? Or if we are gone for only a day or two will we be fine?
I assume you might be a Wisconsinite. If not anyway. … You want to get a 5 year multiple entry visa. Which is valid for 60 days. You should buy a ticket with Cebu airlines to Manila, Phillipines. The tickets are cheap about 60 usd one way. If you have to do a visa run you can turn around the same day. You will spend about 8 hours in the airport. The best time to get a job is August. You can find summer camp jobs at about the same time you are coming into Taiwan.
If you just get a tourist visa it is ok. You can still change it and extend it. Just make sure your stay is 60 days. Good luck, if you are from Wisconsin the weather is much better in Taiwan. The rest of life well… it is an adventure. Good Luck
You can not extend your stay so you will have to leave Taiwan. The only reasons to stay in Taiwan for you would be work or school. The school may not be able to process your paper work in time.