Job Discussion Forums

twinkletoes · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 76

Hi,

I really don't know what's going on, but, in the past month...

Way too many of my friends have been turned down for visa extentions for no valid reason that I can see. No reason at all. Just "I'm sorry...next."

I know several people who have been discovered with fake degrees and kicked out of Taiwan. And several more who are under pressure to prove the validity of their degrees, even though their degrees ARE valid.

Illegal kindergartens are being busted left and right, and English teachers are being deported.

There's a lot of hysteria about foreigners who have been caught recently selling or possessing drugs, and it's creating a lot of anti-westerner sentiment. (Sadly, it's directed towards us Canadians. If one more TW person brings up drugs when I tell them I'm from Canada I'm going to scream. Mad

) I think police are under pressure to do something about it and maybe it just looks good for them to deport a lot of foreigners right now. Who knows?

Everybody knows someone (at least in Taipei) whose school has been raided in the past two weeks. Deportations all around.

Oh, and you have to go to one of the very expensive Universities now to get a student visa. Visa mill schools are a thing of the past.

The government is getting stricter about checking that your degree is from a four-year University. So, get your degree certified and notarized and save yourself a lot of trouble. It's easier to have it in the first place than to scramble for it when the TW government wants it by a deadline.

That's all the info I have, but I thought I should post to say that something is going on and most people think things are going to become a lot stricter. So, if you're coming to Taiwan, make sure you have all of your papers in order and don't plan on being given many breaks.

Finally, don't trust your employer or recruiter when he/she tells you that everything is fine. There are a lot of English teachers here and schools really don't have to worry about replacing you when you get kicked out of the country.

The process for applying for an ARC just got more extensive.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't come to Taiwan, I love it here and if all your things are above-board, then, by all means, give Taiwan a try. I'm just saying, well: Dot your I's and cross your T's, people. Things are much more difficult than they were six months ago. I hope this blows over soon, but in the meantime, don't take any chances. Get everything notarized, make sure your passport is up-to-date, and do everything well before the required deadline. Get a criminal background check done if you don't have a criminal record. Make sure you have enough money in your bank account. Every piece of paper you can show them that is a mark in your favor is one more reason for them to treat you well, so get as many as you can. If they ask for something you don't have, you'll be under deadline pressure to produce it, so get it now. Remember that the burden is on YOU to prove you're the kind of person Taiwan wants in their country, not the other way around. You can't count on being given any breaks right now, so don't.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

I'm in Korea.. but the fake degrees and immigration REALLY going through all this stuff with a fine-tooth comb is occurring here in South Korea as well.

Some dramatic changes.. i've already had to go to immigration twice this last year to confirm with my degree that i'm legit.. everyone has. plus sealed transcripts and on and on. no problems if legit, but the hassle of it can be a bit much.

regarding pot and canadians. weird.. couple years ago there was a drug bust in a popular pusan (korea) bar.. mostly canadians were smoking pot in the bar assuming all koreans thought it would be assumed it was cigarettes.. undercover guys went in and a big drug bust connected with quite a few people being busted and whatever else went down.

twinkletoes · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 76

I read somewhere that Taiwan is following S.Korea's model.

Recently there was a HUGE drug bust here involving a Canadian. He was smuggling Coke, Ecstacy, etc. Now the Canadian government is cooperating with the TW government to catch drug smugglers. Kudos to that, but the bad news is: it's in the papers constantly. Apparently "drug-crazed foreigners taking over Taiwan" stories sell a lot of tabloids.

No comments on your Canadian drug habits stories, honestly hon, I've had enough of that. Crying or Very sad

Damn... SEALED transcripts? I've got transcripts, but they're not sealed. I hadn't even thought of that.

The fine-toothed comb thing is happening here to be sure. They seem to be on a rampage now to check diplomas even if you aren't in the process for applying for something. Apparently this is somebody's job now.

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

I am in Taipei and I don't know anyone whose school has been raided in the last two weeks. Let alone anyone who has been deported. A friend of mine was refused his first ARC a few short months back but a brief visa run sorted that one out.

Pop Fly · Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Posts: 429

jonks · Joined: 29 Jan 2006 Posts: 1240

wix · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 250 Location: Earth

Twinkletoes, most of what you say might be close to the truth, but it would help if you clarified or gave some more evidence for your statements.

twinkletoes · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 76

I'm not willing to talk about people I know personally on the internet. If they have time whilst being deported to come here and give you all the details, they can do that themselves.

Oh, and here's a link to some more informative threads:

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=47320

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=48146&postdays=0&postorder=asc&&start=0

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=48242

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=38480

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=46686

http://forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopic.php?t=47613

wix · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 250 Location: Earth

markholmes · Joined: 21 Jun 2004 Posts: 661 Location: Wengehua

twinkletoes · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 76

Re: the guy who got arrested. I'm not up on the exact charges. You can google for it. It's been all over the papers. I think he got 20 years or so. They arrested him for drugs and found drugs in his apartment. Canadian police cooperated. Maybe Pop Fly can come back with the exact facts.

Anyway, the links I provided will tell you the same kinds of stories I can tell you. I came here to get more information, not to give the impression that I have some kind of privileged knowledge about the Taiwan government.

My boss is under the impression that things are heating up. I'm hearing a lot more stories about people having difficulties with everything related to proving one is legal in Taiwan than I've ever heard before.

I understand you want more information. So do I. I think we will have to wait a month or so before we see statistics on how many English teachers have been deported this month, since they dont report these things daily.

In short, the view from where I'm standing is this: everyone I talk to knows someone who recently got busted for something; be it working illegally, diploma not recognized, ARC not being renewed, visa problems, etc. You can read about that in the links I've posted for you and the forums they're posted in. You will also notice that their are a surge in threads recently on those forums about people having problems.

I intended this thread to be a warning to people coming to Taiwan to not to rely on being given breaks, and I still stand by that. But I don't claim to know more than anyone else does.

Be careful, wait and see.

twinkletoes · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 76

clark.w.griswald · Joined: 06 Dec 2004 Posts: 2056

Twinkletoes are you suggesting that teachers who are working here legally are getting deported?

From what I read in your posts you are pointing out the fact that the government is deporting people who are working here illegally.

So maybe you should reword your warning as such:

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Do the links provided show the same kinds of story you are talking about or is it the one and the same?

A surge in threads on forums such as those you have provided??? You only showed us the Forumosa forum. Or do you also mean this forum, of which it is you who instigated this discussion?

There isn't too much on those links. One real story about someone getting deported. The rest is just fluff. So which ones(s) are you on the other forum? Oh, and quoting yourself doesn't entail a discussion.

People being deported for working illegally in Taiwan isn't anything new.

I still don't know anyone being deported. I never have.

Oh and talking to one person and saying that everyone you talk to has such and such opinion doesn't count as providing data.

twinkletoes · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 76

Ki, if you go to the Forumosa forum you will notice that there are many more threads about people having problems than there have been for the past several months.

Where do I say I have talked to only one person?

If you have never known anyone who has been deported, you must not have very much of a social life. I don't think I know anyone who doesn't know someone who has been deported.

Your tone is very hostile. I only post what I know in an effort to gain more information.

I realize this is a very serious issue, and I think I've made it clear that I don't have the full story of what is going on. There is no reason for your hostile tone. Perhaps you are just an unhappy person.

I rarely post on Forumosa. I'm not in any of those threads. I will most likely quit posting here as well. What kind of agenda could I possibly have merely telling people to be careful? I suspect you and others are the kinds of recruiters who supply people with fake degrees and tell them everything will be fine. What is your agenda here, anyway?