Job Discussion Forums

[rbos]

I'm thinking of coming to Taiwan to look for work, but need to know if the Taiwanese government would require me to purchase a two-way ticket in order to obtain a an initial visitor's visa that would enable me to be in Taiwan looking for work? In other words, to try to save on costs I ideally would like to only have to pay for a one-way ticket (instead of buying a round-trip ticket in order to prove that I have intentions of eventually leaving Taiwan); is this possible?

Also, if Taiwan does require me to purchase a two-way ticket instead of a one-way, how in the world would I purchase a returning flight since I plan to stay in Taiwan for at least a year once I find work? If for example, I buy a 30-day visa (and assuming Taiwan requires a return flight out of Taiwan), it would seem to me that since the return flight would be scheduled in 30 days (and since I plan to stay in Taiwan and work for a year) then I would totally not even be able to use the return flight and would therefore be wasting money.

Also, as I will be a first time teacher without a TEFL certicate, how long should I anticipate that it might take to find work (assuming I'm looking pretty much every day), and how much money should I bring with me to cover me until I get paid from my first pay check? Also, will the school I work for cover the costs of the work visa and any other visas that I might need to work in Taiwan? If not, then how much money should I bring with me to cover these visa costs?

-Thanks

[yamahuh]

Take this for what it's worth - maybe something, maybe nothing.
Last October when my wife and I were returning to Taiwan we needed to get 60 day visas and so off we went to the the TECO office in Toronto, where we were required to submit, itineraries for our stay in Taiwan, proof of return tickets, proof of funds and handwritten letters explaining why we had overstayed ARC's two years ago (long story).

This was the first time we had ever been asked for proof of exiting tickets or funds but there you have it - it is perfectly within their right to demand to see proof that you will be leaving before your visa expires and can support yourself without working while you are in the country.

Some suggestions:- If you have saved any e-tickets in Word Format alter the dates, destinations, prices, etc to reflect a flight out of Taipei to someplace else.
Oftentimes you can get initial e-tickets sent to you by travel agents if you make enquiries regarding flights. They usually include all the necessary details of a regular ticket but you haven't actually purchased them yet. Save and Print. Present to TECO as purchased.
Your only other alternative would be to purchase a refundable ticket...

Good luck.

[TaoyuanSteve]

OP, there are people who have successfully pulled off the one-way ticket way into Taiwan. I wouldn't advise it, though. The Taiwan economic and cultural office isn't the only gauntlet you'll need to run. Airlines sometimes won't let passengers board international flights without proof of onward travel (the reason is they can be held responsible for flying you back if you are refused entry ino the country). I've heard of people being forced to buy expensive additional tickets at the airport or face being refused boarding. BTW, a return to your destination isn't required. You only need to show onward travel. Some people purchase a ticket to someplace nearby like HK instead of a return portion to their place of origin. This can save money. Additionally, you could purchase a one-year open return ticket. You could put in a provisional return date within the time limits of your visa and simply cancel it and leave it open once you get here. If the ticket is good for one year, you could use it fly home after you finish your contract or as one-half of a roundtrip visit home before you begin your next one.

Other things: don't get a 30-day visa. Get a sixty-day visa from your nearest Taiwan defacto embassy. 30-day visas cannot be converted into ARC cards in most cases and you will be setting yourself up for the extra expense of a visa run. Don't worry about TEFL, as long as you have a BA. ESL/EFL certs aren't especially sought after and, in reality, the way teaching is done here needs to be learned by any noob. Visa costs? depends on the school. Some cover all, some cover none. But, they aren't astronomical expenses, after all. Maybe a couple hundred USD total.

As for how long it takes to get work, it really depends on you. Are you ready and willing to go where the work is? If so, you could have a job within days. It can take longer when people get attached to certain cities and regions.