Visas in Taiwan

I was offered a job in Taiwan to teach English as a Second Language. The time between me flying to Taiwan and beginning my job was very short and I had concerns about getting a visitor visa. When you first arrive in Taiwan you get an automatic landing visa for thirty days. My concern came when I started searching on the internet how I can get a visitor visa that will keep me in Taiwan longer than 30 days without overstaying my visa.

The information I found on the internet said the only way for me to extend my visa was to travel outside of Taiwan and visit a Taiwanese consulate to get a new visa in Hong Kong. The internet also said a thirty landing visa cannot be transferred to a 90 day visitor visa, which is false information. The school I work for was great in getting my health physical done quickly and they needed copies of my degree for the Taiwanese government to provide I was legal to work in their schools.

After all the personal information was gathered for me, my school submitted my passport to Kaohsiung, Taiwan consulate for a visa transfer to 90 day visitor. The 90 day visitor visa will now allow me to get my Alien Resident Card to pay taxes, get a bank account and health insurance. My 90 day visitor visa also allows me multiple entries into Taiwan, so I can travel other parts of Asia without having to deal with visa issues anytime I enter customs. Without the 90 day visitor visa I would be forced to travel outside of Taiwan and pay money for a hotel, food and any other expenses while I waited for the visa to be placed in my passport.

It is best to come to Taiwan with either a University degree, a TEFL and Associates degree or to be married. These are the three best ways to get a proper visa and to save time and money. The information on the internet is incorrect. Ask your school to contact the Kaohsiung consulate and you will get your visa without any problems. One more thing, many people tried to scare me that I would not be allowed to enter Taiwan on a one way ticket, this was also a myth as customs only welcomed my arrival and didn't ask for a ticket out of their country at the thirty day expiration date.