Expatriate Forums in Taiwan

Taiwan immigration · Guest Home Country: countryx

TAIWAN WORKING PERMIT & RESIDENT VISA GUIDE

Applying for a Work Permit

Employment Approval

Work permits allow foreign nationals to work legally in the R.O.C. It is illegal to work on a Visitor Visa. You cannot start working legally until you have obtained your work permit. Standard practice has it that companies must apply for a work permit on behalf of the job applicant, this means your school will pay for and fill out the appropriate application forms on your behalf, but we are listing the fees below just for your knowledge. Both the employer and the prospective employee must meet the qualifications specified by the Ministry of which the business is registered. With a work permit, the individual must then obtain an Alien Residence Certificate (ARC).

Generally speaking, many companies and foreign teachers simply do not want to go through the work permit application procedures or pay taxes if they don’t plan to stay a long time, so the schools will either find another way to hire foreigners (illegally, paying them cash under the table) or simply reject the foreigner's application altogether forcing them to look for an illegal operation who will. Raids are not uncommon in most cities however and foreigners who are caught working without the required permits will be deported and could have future visa difficulties if they plan to re-enter Taiwan. However, the police and schools play a bit of a game involving looking the other way, payoffs, or tip-offs before “raids”, as the government understands the importance of not scaring off foreign workers, especially if they are in the English teaching profession as Taiwan is not an otherwise major tourist destination.
Documents Required:
1) Application letter

2) Biographical data report including the following information:
a. Expatriate's home address
b. Expatriate's education, specialty and experience
c. Language(s) spoken
3) Employment agreement
4) Statement of work experience (must be notarized by a notary public and legalized by the ROC consulate or its functional equivalent unless the expatriate is from the U.S. or certain European countries).

5) Academic qualification certificates (i.e. diploma) and must be notarized by a notary public and legalized by the ROC consulate or its functional equivalent unless the expatriate is from the U.S. or certain European countries)

6) 5 recent photos (color or b&w) - Two-inch photographs

7) Photocopies of the employer's income tax return (three years), certificate of recognition, company license, business license and any other licenses/permits (if applicable)

Cool

Individual income tax clearance certificate, if any

9) The time required for processing the documents is 2-3 weeks.

10) If any of the documents required are not in English, they should be translated into English, signed by a public official, and then be officially confirmed by the ROC consulate or its equivalent.

Taiwan Resident Visa & ARC (Alien Resident Certificate)

Foreigners who plan to stay more than 6 months in Taiwan may file for a resident visa to do any of the following:

Pursuing studies

Joining family

Accepting employment

Investing

Receiving medical treatment

Doing missionary work

Engaging in other legit work/activities

After receiving your employment approval letter (work permit) issued by the government authority for employment in the ROC, you then need to apply for your resident visa at a Ministry Of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) branch. You’ll then need to take a brief trip abroad (say, to Hong Kong) to pick up your entry visa. When you return, you will be permitted to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC.) If you have been issued a resident visa, you must apply for an ARC at the nearest city or county police headquarters within 15 days after arrival in Taiwan or within 15 days of issue of the visa. You should apply for a multiple entry certificate, which allows for visits outside and return to the ROC.

If you marry an R.O.C national, you can also apply for an entry visa provided you have no criminal record. This does not necessarily grant you the LEGAL right to work in Taiwan (women can claim the title of “homemaker” but men must show that he has sufficient funds to pay all the living expenses for the family.)

If you enter Taiwan on a visitor visa you can apply for the resident visa without leaving the island. If you enter on a landing visa, you must go abroad to obtain a resident visa. If you entered Taiwan on a visitor visa and became employed you can change your visa to a Resident Visa but may have to make a brief 'visa run' to a nearby country and back to do so.

NOTE: ARC holders are required by law to carry their ARC with them at all times. They are renewable yearly and in some cases 2 or 3 year basis. The new ARC's will stilluse the same ARC number issued originally and will not change after renewal.

Documents Required:
Time required for processing is approximately 2 weeks.
1) Application form (Form V-I)

2) Employment Approval letter issued by the government authority for the expatriate's employment in the ROC

3) Guaranty paper (required only for expatriates from certain
countries, including India, Iran, Israel, etc…)

4) The original and one photocopy of the passport, including the resident visa. The original will be returned after verification.

5) Marriage certificate, if applicable (Must be notarized by a notary
public and legalized by the ROC Consulate or functional equivalent)

6) 2 recent passport size photos (2” photographs color or b&w)

7) Birth certificates of expatriate's children, if applicable (must show
the name of the parents and be notarized and legalized)

Cool

As of 2002, all ARC applicants must have a health-check/AIDS test as well. (Any hospital can perform this as they know the drill well...)

Visa Fees:

1. Resident visas for single entry: NT$2,200 p/application if applied in the ROC US$66 per application if applied overseas.
2. NT$3,000 per application if applied in the ROC;US$90 per application if applied overseas.

NOTE: For those with a Resident Visa, you must go to your local police station and apply for a re-entry permit if you plan to leave and come back to Taiwan. This requires filling out a simple form and getting a white stamp in you passport. The whole process takes about 5 minutes.

Document & Fee Required for Alien Resident Certificate Application:
1. In addition to above, the following documents, as appropriate:
i. Employees or investors: The original and one photocopy of the official letter of approval issued by the competent authority, and the employment certificate. The original will be returned after verification.
ii. Students: The original and one photocopy of the student card or the enrollment certificate issued by a university or college accredited by the Ministry of Education.
iii. Missionaries: The original and one photocopy of an official letter of approval from the religious institution.
iv. Dependents: Relationship documents, such as birth certificate, a marriage certificate, a transcript of household registration, an Alien Resident Certificate, etc.

6. Fees: 1 Year: NT$1000; 2 Years: NT$2000; 3 Years: NT$3000

NOTE:

a) Failure to extend the ARC before the expiry date will result in automatic cancellation of the ARC and mandatory deportation.

b) Any resident alien who applies for an Alien Resident Certificate may complete an application for a re-entry permit at the same time.

SHJ · Guest Home Country: countryx

If we are planning to re-locate from Hong Kong to Taiwan and would like to bring our domestic helper, is this possible?

alexm · Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:40 pm Post subject:

hi.
I am a Philippine design engineer working here in Taipei. I would like to have my girlfriend come over and visit me. What documents do we need to have in order to process her visa?

Thanks and Regards,
Alex

Jack · Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:32 pm Post subject:

Sarah_deboix

Hi,
I'm Sarah from France.

I have some questions to make clear concerning taiwan work permit and some sort of cheating on administrave documents to apply for a work permit.
As you just mentioned here in your previous message, it is necessary to bring certain documents like statement of work experience.
And I've just made clear that the taiwanese government ask for bringing a statement of 2 year work experience in minim and it has to be notarized by a notary public.

So I just wonder if some official from taiwanese government would find out that someone has created a fake statement of work experience for him, and has already obtained a real work permit thanks to his fake document, could it be possible that taiwanese government take a decision to get him out of Taiwan?
And if it could, please tell me which organisation can make such decision?

Please tell me everything about this, I really need to know, because i'm quiete worried about.
Thank you very much,

Sarah