ARC's, Work Permits and Visas - what do you need to know?

[Ovechkin]

I got my work permit and need to go to immigration to change my visa and apply for my ARC. Do I need to change to a resident visa...wait for the paperwork...THEN apply for the ARC or can I do it all in one swoop?

[Ping Pang Qiu]

Not sure because for visa free entry, you need return ticket.
But I guess, depends on the clerk

hi, do you need a return ticket if you go on a visitor visa (60 day visa)? or can you just have a flight showing your leaving Taiwan? (ie flight from taiwan to hong kong)

[unklesamwerd]

Ping Pang Qiu, when I did my visa run I was told that the authorities only want to see that you have a means out of the country, that you're not landing here with no way out. I think it might make the visitor visa look suspicious without one. I just went to to an airline office and booked a return ticket to Hong Kong and then a third refundable one-way flight to Hong Kong. I received no hassle in the airport and was able to get my money back for the ticket the next day, minus a refund fee.
Hope this helps.
Peace.

[rob1504]

What I've always done is just tell the travel agent my situation, and say that I need proof of a flight leaving the country by the time my visa expires. They've always been willing to print out a fake itinerary for me, not even book the flight or anything. Once you come into the country you just throw it in the garbage. Also, my last trip to HK a few days ago, no one even asked to see my onward flight leaving Taiwan...although sometimes they may ask, so good to prepare one just in case.

[WFoster]

So is it or is it not necessary to buy a round-trip ticket to Taiwan before applying for a 60-day visa? I want to book ticket(s) right away so I can apply for a visitor visa.

I've heard that you can just show them a printed itinerary of a round-trip without actually having to buy the round-trip tickets. Do they need to see that you bought round-trip tickets at the Taiwan embassy in the US before they'll give you a visitor visa?

Can I just buy a one-way ticket to Taiwan without any trouble?

Has everyone on here whose gone to Taiwan for work had to buy round-trip tickets (or one-way ticket plus ticket to Hong Kong), before you could obtain a visa and enter the country?

[pengyou]

I did not need a round trip ticket but I also had a signed contract. I did not have enough time to get the ARC before I set foot on TW so I just got the 60 day visa.

[Steve4nLanguage]

So is it or is it not necessary to buy a round-trip ticket to Taiwan before applying for a 60-day visa? I want to book ticket(s) right away so I can apply for a visitor visa.

I've heard that you can just show them a printed itinerary of a round-trip without actually having to buy the round-trip tickets. Do they need to see that you bought round-trip tickets at the Taiwan embassy in the US before they'll give you a visitor visa?

Can I just buy a one-way ticket to Taiwan without any trouble?

Has everyone on here whose gone to Taiwan for work had to buy round-trip tickets (or one-way ticket plus ticket to Hong Kong), before you could obtain a visa and enter the country?

If you have enough time to allow for a possible visa rejection, I'd say go ahead and try to get the visitor visa with an itinerary. If it's not accepted, then just purchase an onward ticket and try again.

I had to do my application by mail since I didn't live close to a TECO office. I wan't sure how long that process would take, and didn't want to hassle with a possible rejection, so I bought an onward ticket. It turns out I received my visitor visa in the mail only 6 days after I sent it in.

[WFoster]

Steven4nlanguage, when you say that you bought an onward ticket, do you mean you just bought a one-way ticket to Taiwan and another one for Hong Kong, or did you buy a round-trip ticket? Also, did you then cancel the second flight after arriving in Taiwan and get a full refund?

I live in a major US city where there's a Taiwanese Embassy, so I can apply for my visa in person. For the sake of avoiding hassle and playing it safe, I'm thinking of just going ahead and buying the round-trip (with the return flight scheduled for about a month and a half after the initial flight). I'm hoping as long as I cancel the return flight a month in advance, I can get a pretty full refund and shouldn't incur much of a charge.

Is that doable? What kind of charge should I expect if I do that?

[Steve4nLanguage]

Steven4nlanguage, when you say that you bought an onward ticket, do you mean you just bought a one-way ticket to Taiwan and another one for Hong Kong, or did you buy a round-trip ticket? Also, did you then cancel the second flight after arriving in Taiwan and get a full refund?

I myself bought a round trip ticket back to the US. I went cheap and bought a non-refundable ticket, which I ended up wasting. I was just happy to get the job and arrange my living situation so that I didn't need to return. In retrospect, however, I should have originally bought a ticket to Hong Kong, or at least spent the extra money to get a refundable return trip ticket to the US.

I live in a major US city where there's a Taiwanese Embassy, so I can apply for my visa in person. For the sake of avoiding hassle and playing it safe, I'm thinking of just going ahead and buying the round-trip (with the return flight scheduled for about a month and a half after the initial flight). I'm hoping as long as I cancel the return flight a month in advance, I can get a pretty full refund and shouldn't incur much of a charge.

Is that doable? What kind of charge should I expect if I do that?

Yes, that's certainly doable and I think many people do that. As far as the extra cost of the ticket, or the cancellation charge, I have no idea; you'd have to contact the airlines.

[Multiracial Man]

I'll be coming to Taiwan from the U.S on a visa exempt entry next month. I'm trying to figure out what I should do in regards to applying for a visitor's visa now or waiting until someone offers me a position while in Taiwan. Not doing so now would save me some money because I would have to book a flight back to New York. I planned on visiting Hong Kong in July anyway to visit some friends and do a visa run and from what I understand, I can apply for a visitior's visa there. However, if I apply for a visa in Hong Kong, would i still have to book a round trip ticket to the U.S? Or would I just have to book a ticket that says I'm leaving Taiwan to go somewhere?