Job Discussion Forums

wanderlust82 · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 6 Location: California

Hey guys and girls!

I've been in Taiwan for about a month now, travelling and scoping out the different areas, and finally decided to take a job and settle in Taipei recently.

Anyhow, I have a few specific questions about my visa situation, which I've done some research on, but am still a bit unclear about my options. Hopefully someone out there has encountered this problem and would be able to clarify things for me a bit

Now, here's the situation: I accepted the position with this company, and even though they have begun to organize the paper work for my ARC, they will not be able to proceed further until they have my health certificate. Unfortunately, I just recently got my health check-up, and the hospital said that the results will not be ready until the 23rd of October (two weeks before my sixty-day period ends).

Please correct me if I am wrong, but it is my understanding that I simply have to go to the police station to extend my visa without having to leave the country--assuming that I have strong evidence and a compelling enough reason to prove the legitimacy of my extension. Well, my compelling reason was going to be because I have enrolled in Chinese courses at the local language center (which is true, so there is proof). Unfortunately, the class that I'm taking is only a three hour class on Sundays, and I was told that there must be proof of a 10 hour enrollment minimum per week. Does anyone have prior experience or confirmation of this information; and if so, any advice on how to deal?

Also, I just noticed something on my visa, which may have just complicated things even further (but hopefully not). I was on the Taipei City Police Department website, and noticed in the Q & A portion that extensions can not be granted for visa's that contain a "P" remark unless it is to visit family or relatives. It doesn't, however, specify whether the 'extension' clause only applies to single-entry, multiple-entry visas or all. Because if it's both, my "compelling" reason for extending my visa will not be enough. Can anyone shine some light on this situation?

Thanks for any advice you can give me!

Lisa

trukesehammer · Joined: 25 Mar 2003 Posts: 168 Location: The Vatican

RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!!!! IT'S THE ATTACK OF THE EXCLAMATION POINTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

BigWally · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 3:16 am Post subject:

Dr. Hammer is right about this one...it took my school no more than a week to recieve the results of my physical exam.

Funny story & an FYI....apparently the syphillis test is only 80% accurate, and about 20% of the time the initial (cheaper - for the hospital) test comes up with a false positive Laughing

This can lead to a very uncomfortable phone call from your school director, asking you to go back to the hospital for a secondary (and more expensive - for the hospital) test.

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Only go to the ximen police station if you live, not work, in Taiepei city. If you live in Taipei county you need to go to Banchiao. Language schools are generally fine with saying that you attend ten hours a week for government purposes as long as you pay for ten hours a week. Attendence is optional. But you may need to do a visa run with that anyway so maybe not really an option for you.

As long as your visa is being processed you should be okay even with the relatively short amount of time left. You should be fine though the hospital test should only take 8 days to get back.