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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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 Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:04 pm Post subject: Average Pay V Living Expenses in Taiwan |
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I apologise in advance if this has been 'done to death' but I have been looking around and can't find too much info.
I'm considering coming to Taiwan in Oct / Nov and have been in initial contact with a recruiter named Eric Hsu, who was recommended to me by the school where I studied my Tesl certificate.
Eric wants to know what my wage expectations and living standard expectations are...???
Never having been to Taiwan I have no idea what I should expect and don't want to seem too demanding or, on the other hand, short change myself.
I have a B.A in sociology (no flaming please) a Tesl Canada accredited 200 hour certificate and about 8 years of part time non language related teaching experience.
Do any positions in Taiwan offer housing as part of a contract as they do in, say China / Korea? Also does the school or centre generally help with visa acquisition?
Thanks. |
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Taylor
Joined: 24 Oct 2003
Posts: 384
Location: Texas/Taiwan
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| Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2004 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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Dear Yamahuh,
It sounds like Eric Hsu might be new at the recruiting biz.
The unofficial minimum wage for native English-speaking foreign teachers has been 500NT for years and years. If a school offers numerous block hours (keeping you from running around the city), then a slightly lower starting salary might be acceptable.
Ask Eric if you will be working at one location or multiple locations. This makes a huge difference regarding prep time, convenience, and wasted travel time.
You also need to find out how many students will be in each class. Anything above 15 means you are just a pretty white face in the classroom. Also, are the classrooms air-conditioned? Many pre-schools and elementary schools do not have AC in the classrooms. This means you feel exhausted after about 2 hours of teaching in the warmer months.
Asking for a housing stipend is not excessive. Maybe 4K per month would be all you could expect. This could pay for a small, older apt. in most parts of Taiwan.
When all is said and done, you should be bringing in over 60K real soon. Hopefully, you can avoid some taxes. (That is another story---gotta go now).
Best wishes.
Taylor
Kaohsiung 7+ years |
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markholmes
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 661
Location: Wengehua
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 12:00 am Post subject: |
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| If your housing is tied to the job, if it turns out you don't like the job and you leave you also lose your home. So this is not a good idea. |
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yamahuh
Joined: 23 Apr 2004
Posts: 1033
Location: Karaoke Hell
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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Good points, thanks guys.
So 60,000 NT per month is a good rate of pay and will allow me to live life OK? I would like to be able to do some travelling and sightseeing of course but as far as all night, every night partying 'til the wee hours goes, I'm not into it (anymore...  ). Naturally the occasional night out would be expected though  |
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A.K.A.T.D.N.
Joined: 12 Jun 2004
Posts: 170
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| Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2004 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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Yamahuh,
I'm in the same predicament as you're in, but moreso. I'm here! I bypassed a contract for a job starting in August because this much I know.
If you come here on a contract you're stuck with a fixed salary/hours. The job may not be to your liking, the hours may be too long, and you'll definitely have to pay tax. Most of the people making money here have a multiple of part-time teaching jobs, some of these people easily raking in about 70-80,000 a month. 60,000 is not enough for me. Heck, that's not even as much as those cheapskates payed back in Korea.
Beyond this, you're on your own. If you need to get by for a while check out Taipei Hostel. It goes for about 250NT a night(for a dorm room) and 500NT for a single room. It's 3000NT a week(500 discount.)
If you want to play it safe, get a recruiter. But the best thing is, is to get a part-time job, work permit ARC, etc., and then work from there. I think Aristotle is the one to talk to about these things. |
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Fortigurn
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 390
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 11:59 am Post subject: |
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| A.K.A.T.D.N. wrote: |
| If you come here on a contract you're stuck with a fixed salary/hours. The job may not be to your liking, the hours may be too long, and you'll definitely have to pay tax. Most of the people making money here have a multiple of part-time teaching jobs, some of these people easily raking in about 70-80,000 a month. |
I don't see how people work more than one job. When the school asks you for your ARC, do you say you have one and they just accept that, or do they say you have to apply for one with their name on it, or what?
You can't have two ARCs or have two schools on your ARC can you?  |
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mjed9
Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 242
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't see how people work more than one job. |
Illegally?
Generally the part time jobs are all Kindergarten jobs. They know the scam as well as anyone else and do not ask to see your ARC nor offer to sponsor one.
Basically you get a envelope full of blue notes every couple of weeks! |
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Fortigurn
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 390
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 2:00 pm Post subject: |
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| mjed9 wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I don't see how people work more than one job. |
Illegally? |
Ah, I was actually wondering how people manage to do it illegally without the government knowing.
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Generally the part time jobs are all Kindergarten jobs. They know the scam as well as anyone else and do not ask to see your ARC nor offer to sponsor one.
Basically you get a envelope full of blue notes every couple of weeks! |
This place grows increasingly fascinating as every week passes. |
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markholmes
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
Posts: 661
Location: Wengehua
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| Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2004 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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You get one job with an ARC and then other jobs cash in hand. Lots of schools are more than willing to bypass the ARC paperwork. The chances of you getting found out are fairly slim.
If you sign from abroad you don't necessarily get a fixed salary / hours. Many schools offer hourly rates too.
NT$60,000 is a reasonable monthly wage for 100 hours a month (NT$600 an hour). This will pay for a room in a reasonable shared apartment or maybe a one bedroom apartment of your own. Allow you to go out a couple of nights a week and still have enough to travel and / or save money to send home.
If you are getting in excess of NT$70,000 net you are doing well and probably putting in more hours than most of would like. |
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mjed9
Joined: 25 Oct 2003
Posts: 242
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| Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 8:56 am Post subject: |
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| Fortigurn wrote: |
Ah, I was actually wondering how people manage to do it illegally without the government knowing.
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Well, who's to say they don't?
I remember on more than one occasion the school being forewarned of a government check-up which means "el foreigno" teachers all leaving by the back door and taking the day off! |
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Aristotle
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 1388
Location: Taiwan
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Fortigurn
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
Posts: 390
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| Posted: Mon Jul 19, 2004 9:18 am Post subject: |
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As I said in another thread, it seems to me that this is what you do (taken from Tealit):
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ARC Transfers & Release Letters
On January 15th, 2004 the national Council of Labor Affairs assumed responsibility for issuing foreign teacher's work permits from local city and county Departments of Education. The resulting transfer has changed the landscape for foreign teachers working in Taiwan. One policy the Council of Labor Affairs has significantly revised: ARC Transfers. They are now prohibited. But, with the new rules, they are now not necessary.
ADD A SECOND SCHOOL FIRST
As a foreign teacher, you are allowed to stay in Taiwan due to your having been hired full-time by a school. If you lost that job or quit, you would need to leave the country. The Council of Labor Affairs interprets the Employment Services Act as allowing foreign teachers to be hired by more than one school without requiring permission of their current employer. They will issue all second (and even third) full-time applications without regard to your first school.
HOW TO PROCEED
Teachers wanting to change schools should first be hired full-time by their new school (16 hours per week) . In order to do this your new school needs to send the Council of Labor Affairs this form along with an up to date health check (health checks are valid for 3 months) and a translation of your diploma.
The process of getting a Work Permit from the the Council of Labor Affairs takes between 7-10 business days. Currently it's running about 7. Once the Council of Labor Affairs has finished the application they will send the second Work Permit to your new school. You take this to your local office of the Foreign Affairs Police. They will amend your ARC. Your existing Resident Visa remains in effect.
Once you are hired by your new school, then you would quit your old school.
Your Resident Visa and ARC depend on having a Work Permit. You are quitting but - you have a second full-time Work Permit-providing job. Therefore, you don�t need to leave the country. |
The subtle message I'm getting (and maybe I'm wrong), is that the part in bold is optional. |
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