Job Discussion Forums

[kosmo]

Hi there,

Can someone help me out?
I'm signing with a school and I now have to apply for my visa. The instructions the school gave me are bellow. Is this the norm? Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

1. Book a ticket with your travel agent and ask for a copy of your travel itinerary, which must show your arrival date and your departure date. Do not pay for your tickets at this time as a booking will suffice. The departure date must be within 60 days of your arrival date (because a visitor's visa only allows a maximum stay of 60 days). Also, keep in mind that since this is only a booking, you can always change the dates later.

2. Obtain a statement from you bank, showing that you have at least $1500 CAD or $1200US in your bank account.

3. Apply for a single-entry 60 day visitor's visa at the Taipei Economics Trade Office. If there is a Trade office near you, you can apply in-person (1-2 working days). Otherwise, please send your application via mail to the branch closest to you (approx. 10 working days). Remember to send your travel itinerary and the bank statement, along with your visa application. Since the application is for a visitor's visa, the purpose of your visit to Taiwan must be tourism. You can put me down as your reference (but as a friend and not as your employer).

4. Once you've received your visitor's visa, cancel the booking of your roundtrip tickets and purchase a one-way ticket. When you arrive in Taiwan, the customs officers may ask to see your return ticket. Therefore, you can contact the travel agent we work with, and by purchasing your one-way ticket from him, he will send you a return ticket to borrow for the customs check.

5. Pay for your ticket and send me your flight information. If you would like us to pay for the plane ticket first and then deduct it from your pay, please let me know, so I can give the travel agent the authorization to charge the school.

6. Arrive in Taiwan and someone will pick you up at the airport.

Thats it.
Thanks again,

- Kosmo

[Girl Scout]

That's pretty much how most of us do it.

[clark.w.griswald]

The first thing that is obvious is that you are dealing with a native speaker of English. That can be a good thing in many cases, but not always.

I agree that the procedure outlined is pretty much how most people do it, and it could be argued, the procedure that the government here expects you to follow. Personally I think that they should overhaul the system so that you can check a box �Looking for work� as it would be far more honest and would give the government a better picture of the true reasons of visitation to Taiwan.

Personally I do not like the return ticket arrangements however as it overlooks one vital step. Check in at your airport back home is where you are likely to meet the greatest resistance to your efforts to enter Taiwan on a tourist visa and with a one way ticket. I think more practical advice and definitely more trouble free advice is either to spend the cash and get an open year return ticket (if you plan to be going home within the year) or a outbound ticket to a nearby destination that you would like to vacation in (maybe Thailand or Japan). This way you are totally legit ticket wise but your options are still open.