Want to move to Taiwan, but no idea WTF to do for a living

[sandman]

Even with the JFRV,you still technically need a bachelor's degree to work legally in any white collar position.

You don't. Not if you can provide verifiable proof of 8 (I think) years of experience in your field.

[bismarck]

Maybe you could get a degree in the interim? BTW, distance degrees are not usually recognized here.

They're not recognised by the Ministry of Education, so if your aim is to work for someone other than the MoE then it isn't a problem at all.

[jose.pmp.br]

Hello MiNZ,

It seems that we are both in a similar situation, considering pros and cons of moving to Taiwan, and also making a living out there. I am an IT Project Manager and have worked with computer networking projects too. I went to NZ for a year in an exchange high school program - that was a long time ago, but I still keep contact with friends there.

Have a look at some replies on my post: viewtopic.php?f=8&t=85999

I'm not sure what are your reasons for moving to Taiwan (as I find NZ such a wicked place), but for me is the will to see my kids develop a closer relationship with their Taiwanese family and culture, so that they can have the option of education and work opportunities there in the future, this could open doors for them and provide a key competitive advantage in their professional lives.

I am happy with our life in Brazil, even with all of our problems, and I shall try to find a way to conciliate living in Brazil and keeping close to Taiwan at the same time. Maybe starting some kind of business partnership in Taiwan would help.

From what I have heard so far, it seems like a good move to go there during our summer vacation period (December to February), attending some intensive language course and then see what happens.

I will be looking for options on Mandarin short-term courses, as well as professional events to attend in that period. If you want to exchange information, please see my contact details.

Best of luck !!

[Frenchguy]

The taiwanese wives that moves out of her country to follow a foreigner, then bet bored and want to come back home seems to be a recurring thing, yet totally understandable.

I however don't see why the kid should grow up in her mother culture rather than in her father's, either way.

I think you should just go to the places with better options, in your case it seems NZ win hands down. Going there for holidays should be enough.
Thing to consider also is that you will probably have to live close by your in-laws there (if not in the same house), and I can't see why a healthy person would want that. You will be heavily relying on your wife and her family there, while here in NZ I assume you both are independent grown-up individuals. Leaving a stable career and life for this sounds like a mistake to me.

The best for an international couple would be to move to a different country from both natives ones, so that no one feel biased, but that is, indeed, theory.

[pgdaddy]

My great idea was that we would move to Taiwan when our girl is about 3 so she can start school in Taiwan.

Was this really your great idea, or one magically transplanted into your head by your girlfriend ?

Anyway a little advice, if you do decide to come, then do wait until your little girl is born and do enter Taiwan on her NZ passport, not her Taiwanese one. If you don't understand why that is, you should read the legal forum here. On arrival in Taiwan, all kinds of pressures and stresses will bear down on your relationship that you can't imagine now. And yes, if things do go wrong then your girlfriend may decide that she doesn't want to go back to NZ, and of course doesn't want your little girl to leave Taiwan either.

All in all, much better for you to stay put in NZ though.

[ice raven]

We are having a little girl and want her to be able to speak Taiwanese/Mandarin as well as get to know her grand parents. My great idea was that we would move to Taiwan when our girl is about 3 so she can start school in Taiwan.

I'm doing it the other way round - staying in Taiwan until he's about 5 and getting a good grounding in Mandarin/Taiwanese, and then going home to start the school system. NZ has a much better school system than here.

Are their any restrictions on foreigner's starting/owning a company in Taiwan ?

From my understanding, it is possible to start your own business here, but there are many hoops to jump through. There are two ways round this, however - set the business up in your wife's name, which requires a lot of trust; and to set up a paper (or real) company in NZ and then set yourself up here as a representative.

You can find more information in the Business and Money part of the Discussion section of Forumosa. I believe these issues have already been addressed, if you search for them.

And, as others have said, if you get married first you can come here on a spousal visa, which basically allows you to live and work here legally, which means it's one less thing to worry about - unlike those English teachers who come here, can't find work, and have to leave every month in order to stay legal.

Good luck!

[headhonchoII]

You can use your wife as a co-director but it's certainly not all in your wife's name, if you want to setup a company there are many structures that can be used. It is usually a good thing to get the wife involved as otherwise you will sometimes have a very difficult time with the banks. I think this point is often exaggerated, need to talk to an accountant to get the full story. The other point of setting up a local company is to get a local tax invoice number (tong yi bian hao) which some local companies require you to issue them with.

[MadeInNewZealand]

You go away for a few days, and bam 3 more pages of very diverse opinions.

Jose's post "so that they can have the option of education and work opportunities there in the future, this could open doors for them and provide a key competitive advantage in their professional lives" is primarily what I am trying to achieve in a move to Taiwan.

Also, it is my idea to move to Taiwan. My partner is entirely happy staying in New Zealand, and enjoys being away from the "keeping up appearances" expectations she faces in Taiwan. She did not follow a foreigner here either. She came here for a summer vacation when she was at high school "prison camp" and ended up staying here because of the freedom of New Zealand compared to Taiwan.

I understand the logic differences in Taiwan, this was highly evident when I was there. People seemed to think in jumps and brush over small but important details resulting in dangerous practices, shoddy workmanship and other such interesting behavior. Not to mention the traffic lights or MRT maps!

I realize some of the posters have had quite bad experiences in Taiwan, but no where is perfect. In NZ we have a binge drinking social culture, the worlds highest rate of UV radiation as well as quite bad racism problems and being screwed over by an evil woman is not just restricted to Taiwan, it can happen in any country.

I do understand how different Taiwan is, but this is why I want to give my kids a few years there to experience this, to spend time with their Taiwanese family and to learn to swear in a different language

John, thanks for the idea to work remotely. I had not even considered this yet it is so obvious.

[Tomas]

You're obviously a wise fellow. You'll make the right decision.

Two thoughts:

1. Taiwanese logic is not necessarily as weak as you might think it is. Taiwanese people tend to think holistically, seeing the connections between the different parts of a whole, but not always thinking in an ordered, linear way like you are used to. That is often mistaken for a lack of critical thinking skill. Sure, dumb is dumb, and there's plenty of dumb here, but a lot of what makes people say "Taiwanese have no logic!" is just a lack of awareness of differences in thinking patterns.

2. Some of the extreme statements made in this thread about life in Taiwan are a far cry from what many people experience. I rather like living here, as do most of the foreigners I know. My main gripes are the bestial approach people take to driving or moving about in public, the pollution (though this has gotten better over time), and the secondary education system. If you can handle those things, you'll be okay here.

[XinBiDe]

Your girlfriend is happy with staying in NZ??? Christ, you won the lottery buddy, just take it and run! Do NOT move to Taiwan. I wish I had the choice to stay in America but my girlfriend just can't bear the thought of being away from her parents... Ugh.
There is absolutely no reason for your child to learn Taiwanese. If you really want her to learn Taiwanese, you'll need a tutor. Schools don't teach it, really, and less and less kids know it. In fact, my girlfriend's generation (she's 25) doesn't even know much beyond "Hello", "How are you?" and "I love you".
I also had this idea before I moved to Taiwan. I had the same train of thought. I wanted my kids to learn Chinese and Taiwanese. Then I realized Taiwanese is useless and they'll learn Chinese regardless of where they grow up. The school system in Taiwan is a tyrannical system, filled with loathsome abusive teachers, copious national tests, and practically requires children to go to cram schools to stay competitive.
I'm not just warning you, I'm telling you, PLEASE don't move to Taiwan. Taiwan is a country great in small doses, but the children here grow up soulless products of a machine that grinds out spoiled, abused, monsters. Your children will also be subject to intense racism in their early years in Taiwan, as other kids struggle to comprehend why she looks different. She will be called names, she will be treated unfairly by her teachers, she will be hated by her peers.
Furthermore, if you do move to Taiwan, it's likely the in-laws will be paying lots of unexpected visits and requiring you to visit them, if not move in with them entirely. No matter how independent your wife is, few Taiwanese women can ignore their mothers wishes when confronted with them so directly.
You have a good career in NZ. Keep it that way. If things don't work out in Taipei, and they won't, there is no guarantee that this career will be waiting for you when you come back. You're taking an unnecessary risk. I'd say, save money up for annual visits during Chinese New Year and during her summer vacations at school. She can visit and stay with the grandparents then for a few weeks and that'll be enough. But please, please, please do NOT subject your child to that torture. I wouldn't wish it on any child, and a half-Asian child will face inconceivable sums of discrimination and hardship.
One other thing. I love Taiwan. Maybe it doesn't seem that way, but I do. It's just a very complex relationship we foreigners have with Taiwan, you see... It's truly love-hate, give and take. Some stuff about Taiwan I totally adore, but other things I loathe. Where you stand depends on where you sit, really. Maybe Taiwan will seem enjoyable to you if you have a good job here (though I don't see how you will since the one thing Taiwanese value more than their parents is a good degree), but you're still torturing your child, and the sad thing is your child won't even know that there is something better out there by the time she is old enough to be asked "Do you like it here?"
You said in your message that you found Taiwanese people to be very friendly. That's great that you've had that experience, I think it's how we all feel before we live here. Taiwanese are very polite to foreign tourists, but as you stay you'll realize that the system itself is racist, Taiwanese are not very polite (not even to each other), and as the make up fades, everything in Taiwan seems to lose its rich flavors and colors.
I wish that my experience here was always the same as my first week in Tapei. Ignorance is bliss. That being said, I very well may spend most of my life here, and I won't be that unhappy, but for a man in your situation, please don't make the same mistake. For your children, if not for yourself, stay in New Zealand if you have the chance.