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visa runs ------ urgent!!

 
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bigjobs



Joined: 01 Apr 2003
Posts: 21

PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 1:01 pm    Post subject: visa runs ------ urgent!! Reply with quote

Hi,

I might be in a bit of a bother right now, so I would greatly appreciate any assistance.

I'm currently working part-time at a school, and will start full-time around mid-August. The school seems pretty good, however they can't provide me with a work visa until December. I'm not really worried about that, though.

I received a 30-day, single-entry visitor visa from the Taiwanese 'consulate' in Australia, which will expire in around 2-3 weeks. I was under the impression that Okinawa is now the best place to go, as I've heard of the Okinawa visa office offering 2-month, extendable visas. However, a friend told me that a lot of foreigners are now going to Okinawa to get these particular visas, so it is now apparently difficult to get these visas. I've heard they may only offer one-month visas, after which I'm told, you will need to leave Taiwan.

Is Okinawa still the place to go to get a visa of reasonable duration? I'm prepared to enrol in student classes up until December, and basically stay here on a student visa. So, I'm just looking for a visa that will let me back into Taiwan, and then enrol as a student to stay here. Can I extend a landing visa to a student visa? Or, can visitor visas be only extended through a visitor visa? Also, do I need to show adequate funds if I go to Okinawa to apply for a visa? What is a good amount? Is there any other things I should be wary of when applying for a visa?

Or, should I go to Hong Kong or another place in Asia?

As you can see, I'm not really sure about anything right now, and any help would be greatly appreciated.

I hope, in the words of Jason Seeburn, I'm being paranoid over nothing, but I'd really like to know the visa situation here.

Thanks!!!
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killian



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Posts: 937
Location: fairmont city, illinois, USA

PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 2:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

try okinawa. how long they grant is at their discretion. how to increase the probability of getting a longer visa? simple. have your school write up a letter inviting you to come teacher.have em jazz it up with their school seal. present it to them on the up and up. don't play the "i'm a tourist ruse" as this fools no one. having this invite ace up your sleeve will help expediate/alleviate things.

if worse comes to worse you'll have to make visa runs. let the school know that they are expected to shoulder expenses accrued therein (also a wonderful barometer of how serious your selected academic institution truly is).

please be warned that many schools reel in their fishes, er um...teachers by using lines such as "we aren't legal now, but we will be soon" and many such schools do not have the legally oportunity to be legal anytime soon.

best wishes.
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wix



Joined: 21 Apr 2003
Posts: 250
Location: Earth

PostPosted: Tue Jul 29, 2003 3:10 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Provided you have the correct documentation you should be able to get an extendable visa in HKG, Okinawa or anywhere. You need to have a stamped letter of enrolment from the school in Taiwan, a bank statement and perhaps a few other things.
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7969



Joined: 26 Mar 2003
Posts: 5782
Location: Coastal Guangdong

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 3:23 am    Post subject: bangkok.... Reply with quote

is easy as well.
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Pop Fly



Joined: 15 Feb 2003
Posts: 429

PostPosted: Sat Aug 09, 2003 6:24 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

This may be worth a try...when I was lamenting to the FAP about having to do a run during the SARS debacle, I was told that if I was only able to get a 30 day visa on my run, but could get a letter from my school saying they had a job offering for me, the FAP could give me another letter extending my visa until the ARC paperwork could be done....just ask about this at the Taipei City FAP...the Panciao one apparently doesn't know about this...and I don't know anyone that has successfully done this either....just what a guy told me. I got a 60 day on my run and didn't need to pursue the issue further.

Good luck and keep posting..
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