Working Holiday Visa questions

Hi,

I’m in an unusual situation as I have a working holiday visa in Taiwan (which I have found out most people don’t use in Taiwan).

I am Australian, the visa allows me to work for an employer for 6 months without applying for a work permit, and stay in Taiwan for 180 days initially and SHOULD be able to be extended for another 180 days, or I can leave Taiwan and come back and find another employer.
Has anyone had issues extending a working holiday visa before?

I don’t have an ARC (I am ineligible), I am given a ROC ID number, to be used in conjunction with my passport for ID and in theory is functionally equivalent to an ARC. However NO ONE has ever heard of it and always asks me to go to immigration to get an ARC card (which I can’t)

My main issue is exchanging my drivers licence, and getting my scooter licence. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Also my employer has advised they will apply for a work permit for me and then I will be able to apply for an ARC, will I have to leave Taiwan to change to a resident visa? (Currently my working holiday visa is marked as ‘visitor’ but also marked as a valid work permit)

Also in getting a SIM card, I can’t get a phone sim card in my own name without an ARC. (My partner is Taiwanese so we just got one in his name)

Also from what I am aware, if you stay in Taiwan legally for more than 6 months, you are counted as a resident however I can stay legally in Taiwan for more than 6 months, when I extend my visa will I be given an ARC?

Also I don’t have a fully completed university degree, I have partially completed university degree, a diploma in business and a TEFL qualification. Will this suffice for a work permit application?

Thanks!!

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Check out this thread: Working Holiday Visa Renewal - #9 by fifieldt - basically, there’s no problem.

Two different types of “resident” at play here.

  1. Tax Resident - stay more than 183 days in Taiwan and you are considered tax resident. This will make you eligible for a lower tax rate. You will also have to file a tax return.
  2. Resident for the purposes of immigration. This depends on your visa. As best I can tell, a working holiday visa is not a resident visa - it’s more like a visitor visa with limited work rights.

So, no ARC after six months. For that, you’ll need a work permit (or a marriage, or be a special foreign professional) and another type of visa.

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If you have a valid Australian Drivers License, you can apply (in Australia, to eg the RACV) for an International Drivers permit. This will allow you to legally drive in Taiwan.

As for getting a new license without being a resident for immigration purposes, I suspect this is not possible.

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Sounds like you’ve got this sorted, but it is possible to get a sim card in your own name without an ARC. It’s just hard :slight_smile: If you’re particularly keen, there are threads elsewhere on this forum.

It’s great that someone wants to sponsor your ARC - well done :slight_smile: About 5 years ago when I went through this process, it was not possible to switch from a working holiday visa to a residence visa while in the country. I didn’t mind leaving, so didn’t push too hard … but the default response from NIA will almost certainly be to leave and come back. For what it’s worth, the Tokyo office was very helpful in navigating the necessary steps swiftly in my case.

This thread has some more info:

Your employer is either clueless or trying to increase its control over you – nothing unusual either way. Of course, if you actually want an ARC before your WHV expires, go ahead and get the work permit. With an ARC you will be subject to NHI, regardless of your private insurance.

If it’s a buxiban job, whether you qualify or not depends on what the Workforce Development Agency thinks of your teaching certificate (since you don’t have a degree). In your case (as an Aussie), the advantage to having a normal work permit is that you can stay with the same employer for more than six months. The disadvantage is that you will lose your right to take other jobs, unless you get additional work permits, which will be subject to restrictions: 6h/week for each additional buxiban, and for non-buxiban jobs you generally won’t qualify for a work permit unless you have five years of full-time experience in the field.

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Thanks fifieldt! Update i got my drivers licence just took a lot of persistence :smiley: they wanted immirlgration to write my address on the ID number document which is weird…

YYY I don’t think so they are anloy applyung for the ARC and work permit when my working holiday visa is about to expite which works for me because I would like to stay in Taiwan longer. Fingers crossed thwre are no issues with the work permit!

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That’s great news! Well done!

Oh, that’s different! :slight_smile: