Who is eligible for a work visa

Hello,

I wonder what are the chances of an experienced English instructor, who doesn’t hold a passport of an English speaking country,but graduated college and worked in the U.S, to get a work visa in Taiwan.

According to my knowedge, the requirements for getting a work visa to teach English are that you have a degree from a college or university in an English speaking country. I do not believe that there is any requirment about your own nationality. Hence, if you can find an legally registered employer who wants to hire you to teach English (in his/her school) you should be alright.

Is a degree required by specifically the government, or primarily by English schools and/or companies who merely wish to assuage any fears that their candidate is ‘qualified’? It is vital to me that I understand this because I only have university papers detailing my credit completion towards my degree, but do not actually possess a diploma in hand. Am I out of luck?? Thank you!

In regard to teaching English at an established language school: The requirement that you have a degree from a college/university in an English speaking country is specified by the Ministry of Education, in order for them to approve your work permit, according to the current Taiwanese legal structure. (The employer should apply for your work permit.) When you get a work permit to work in a particular company or organization, you can work their legally. Otherwise, if caught working illegally, you could be fined and deported.

According to news reports in late March and early April 2001, the penalties for employers employing “illegal foreign employees” are soon going to be substantially raised. Hence it is important that a foreigner working at a school, company, or other organization must have the employer apply for the appropriate work permit. In fact, the work permit should be approved before the employment is even begun.

Be careful, and don’t risk getting arrested!