Questions About Teaching in Taiwan

• Will Crossing 7 Taiwan provide a teaching job for me? <back to top>

Crossing 7 Taiwan will not provide a teaching job for you. There are many English schools in Taiwan to which you may apply but Crossing 7 Taiwan does not own or operate a school and therefore you are not guaranteed a teaching job by joining Crossing 7 Taiwan. However, we will do our best to help you locate and apply to schools here in Taipei, Taiwan.

• Do I have to have teaching experience to apply? <back to top>

While it is helpful to have some previous teaching experience, it is not strictly necessary. Teaching experience may include church youth work you've done in the past, and does not solely mean classroom teaching.

• How can I teach without a degree in education? <back to top>

Most English schools in Taipei (as well as other parts of Taiwan) are known as 'buxibans', or cram schools, and are not degree-oriented schools. Because of this, teachers need not have a degree in education, or a teaching certificate, as schools do in the states. However, schools do require that you have a Bachelor's degree in any field.

• Do I need a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certificate to apply? <back to top>

You do not need a TEFL certificate to apply, however, having a TEFL certificate will allow you to apply to more places and possibly obtain a better job at slightly better pay.

• Does Crossing 7 Taiwan provide teaching training? <back to top>

Crossing 7 Taiwan does not provide teaching training. Training will be given by any school that hires you. Since the curriculum at each school is different it is impossible for us to give specific training or guidance. However, all members of Crossing 7 Taiwan are experienced English teachers, and should be able to give you helpful advice about teaching.

• How do I receive a teacher visa? <back to top>

1. One must apply for a 60 day multiple entry visitor visa BEFORE entering the country.
2. These visas enable you to stay in the country for two months while looking for place of employment. If employment isn’t found or ARC isn’t attained before the 60 days are up, you must take the infamous ‘visa run’, which means leaving the country and coming back in. Hong Kong is a popular ‘visa run’ location. Thus the multiple entry visa is recommended and prevents you from having to buy another visa. The multiple entry visa is good for five years.  For visa info go to http://www.visarite.com/TaiwanTouristVisa.htm
3. Visitor visas require you to send away your passport for the visa to be stuck or stamped inside. This process can take up to a few weeks. Make sure you plan this well so you aren’t stuck without your passport on departure day!
4. Once place of employment is found and contract is signed you will then begin the process of attaining an ARC. (Alien Resident Certificate) The ARC is valid for a year and enables you to live and work in Taiwan for that year. ARCs are renewable per year. Once your ARC is in working order your visitor visa is then cancelled without prejudice.
    

• What benefits do schools provide? <back to top>

1. The most important benefit that schools provide is your ARC (Alien Resident Card) which acts as your Visa for the year of your contract (most contracts are a year, though sometimes 6-month contracts are given in special situations).  Your ARC will allow you to enter and exit the country freely. This means that your school is basically sponsoring your stay in Taiwan which also means that they are held accountable by the Taiwanese government for your actions while you are here.
2. Health Insurance in Taiwan is nationalized. Everyone in Taiwan who is employed has the same basic plan, and your school should help you join Taiwan's National Health Insurance. After several months of employment you will receive a card, which can be used at hospitals, clinics and dentists. Health services are quite cheap with this plan. A visit to the doctor is roughly $5 USD**, medicine included. A visit to the dentist (cavities, cleaning, extractions) are all around $5 USD. Fees for insurance are taken out of your paycheck monthly, and usually are only around $800 NTD per month.
    

• What is a normal teaching schedule? <back to top>

1. Hours are usually anywhere from 1-9 Monday-Friday. This does not mean you will work the whole time, but the typical schedule will fall between these times. Also, some schools require work on Saturdays (and very rarely on Sundays).
2. Kindgarten- Since most buxibans run in the late afternoon and evenings, some foreigners also opt to teach at kindergartens. Taiwanese children start learning English as early as 2 or 3 years old. These programs are usually run in the morning and are paid well. Be advised that teaching kindergarten is technically illegal in Taiwan. This means that if your school's brance is raided by the police (which might happen once a year on average), any teachers caught inside a classroom with students are in danger of being deported, and having to leave Taiwan permanently within 3 days. This is why we don't advise teaching kindergarten classes.

• Do I have to teach children? <back to top>

No, you do not have to teach children. There are some schools for adults which hire foreign English teachers. However, these schools for adults usually pay less than schools for children (about 2/3ds the hourly rate).

• Do I have to teach English? <back to top>

Some schools provide training in other languages, such as French or German. But the requirements are the same as for teaching English (you would need to hold a passport from a French  or German speaking country).

Teaching English is by far the most common occupation of foreigners in Taiwan. Few foreigners do anything else, as Taiwanese law stipulates that foreigners are not allowed to perform any job that a national can carry out..

**All US Dollar ammounts given below are due to fluctuations including but not limitted to:

1. Changes in the value of USD.
2. Changes in the value of NTD
3. Current economic situations involving inflation and deflation not only of the dollar but the value of products and services.

We will try to update information in the case of any major inflation or deflation that occurs.

Questions About Money

• Do I have to raise financial support? <back to top>

The answer is Maybe. It all depends on how the Lord leads you to serve Him in Taiwan.

If you come as a full-time missionary you will definitely need to raise financial support, as you will not have any kind of regular work here to support you. If you choose this route, be advised that you will have to apply for a specific Missionary ARC, which is a fairly complicated process. Since we anticipate this being the exception among our new members, please contact us at least 8 months before your planned arrival in Taiwan, and we can work with you to apply for a missionary visa. Also refer to the Full-Time Missions page for more information.

If you come as a Tentmaker you will be working here to support yourself, which means you will not need 'regular' or 'monthly' support.  However, you will need start-up funds to support yourself before you receive your first paycheck. If you do not already have personal savings to draw upon to cover these start-up funds, you may find it necessary to raise this money through your local church.

• What do startup funds cover? <back to top>

Startup funds will cover the following*:

1. The cost of food during the time before you start working.
2. The cost of living expenses during this time which include, but are not limited to, the following:
   • Once you have found an apartment, your start-up funds have to cover your down payment which usually equals the first and last month's rent. It also has to cover your subsequent rental payments until you receive your first paycheck after having started working.
   • Any bills incurred once a residence is established.
   • Any entertainment you choose to participate in.

• What are recommended startup savings? <back to top>

**Important***

Below is an estimate of what it could cost you to move to Taiwan. While cost of things such as monthly rent could be further decreased by sharing an apartment with a house mate, the below figures represent theabsolute minimum we require our applicants to have raised at least 4 weeks prior to arriving in Taiwan. This money does not include your plane ticket. This is only money for living once you arrive in Taiwan.

Minimum for a single person:  $2,000 USD.

Minimum for a couple:  $3,500 USD.

Since Crossing 7 Taiwan is a volunteer-based organiztion, please be aware that we do not have the resources to assist new missionaries financially in the event of insufficient funds. So please take these figures seriously, and only come to Taiwan when you have the sufficient startup money!

Let's start with a breakdown of currency conversion:

1 USD = aprox. 32 NTD (new Taiwan Dollars as of October, 2011).

Our recommendation is about $3000 USD per person, which equals about 96,000 NTD. This recommendation is based on the following:

1. Rent:
   If you find an apartment of your own it could cost you (depending on the size) from 7,000 NTD-24,000 NTD. Here are two examples:
   An apartment that costs 18,000 NTD a month you can expect:
   2 month rent deposit = 36,000 NTD
   Rent for July-September = 56,000 NTD   Total = 90,000 NTD for rent.
   This is the most expensive scenario as far as rent goes. There are many apartments that cost less than this. If you are single and only need a small apartment you may expect to pay 7,000 NTD - 12,000 NTD for a small apartment. If you share an apartment you can pay even less.
   
   
   An apartment that costs 12,000 NTD
   2 month rent deposit = 24,000 NTD
   Rent for July-September = 36,000 NTD  Total = 60,000 NTD for rent
   Also, you could find part-time or full-time teaching work in the summer which would help you pay for rent and food here in Taiwan.
   
   
2. Food:
   On average, you can expect to pay anywhere from 150-500 NTD a day for food (although this can be reduced by buying bulk food or choosing inexpensive places to eat.)
   200 NTD a day for around 92 days = 18,400 NTD
   
   
3. Transportation:
   Transportation is very affordable here.  A cab ride will cost you generally 75-150 NTD.  However, a bus ride will cost you 15-30 NTD depending on how far you go and taking the MRT (subway) you'll pay 20-60 NTD depending on how far you go (the MRT will take you farther, faster than a bus).
   30 NTD a day for around 92 days = 2, 760 NTD.
   
   
4. Entertainment / additional needs:
   You could spend 2,000 - 4,000 NTD a month on entertainment and additional needs like cell phones and extra things for your apartment or person.
   4,000 a month for 3 months = 12,000 NTD

So, in the event that you do not get paid until the middle of September and have about 3 months to live on savings, here is a breakdown:
 

12,000 NTD Apartment + 18,400 NTD Food + 3,000 NTD Ttransportation + 12,000 NTD for Entertainment and additional needs = about 93,400 NTD

Questions About Applying for a Taiwan Visa

• The different visa types are confusing. How are they all different? <back to top>

Below are different types of visas that you should be aware of. Please note that each visa's details are subject to slight changes for people with differing nationalities (i.e. British vs. Americans). The information provided here is specifically for Americans. In any case we encourage you to double-check this visa information against the information provided by your country's local Taiwanese Representative Office.

Port of Entry Visa
The visa can be obtained automatically upon arrival at the Taipei Chiang-Kai-Shek Airport in Taiwan (code TPE). It is good for traveling in Taiwan for a maximum of 30 days. If you plan to stay longer please apply for a visitor visa, as extensions will absolutely not be granted. This visa type cannot be transferred to other visa type without exiting the country.

Visitor Visa
This visa can only be applied for through a local "Taipei Representative Office" in your home country, meaning you can personally visit this office, or use a Visa Service (see below) to handle this process for you. This visa is usually valid for 30 or 60 days beginning on the date you enter Taiwan. Some visas can be extended twice for a maximum of 6 months, but most are non-extendable. Since May 1, 1997, the law has been changed to allow an English teacher to change a Visitor Visa into a Resident Visa without leaving Taiwan. However there is no guarantee that a Resident Visa will be granted until you pass a basic hospital health check.
Please also be aware that a return airfare ticket is required as proof that you intend to leave the country when your visit is over.

Resident Visa
This visa is obtainable once your school has received an official approval letter from the Taiwan Ministry of Education, after you have been hired. This can be done from abroad, or in Taiwan if you have the proper documentation. Once you have the Resident Visa stamped in your passport, you can apply for your Alien Resident Certificate (ARC). The ARC allows you to stay in Taiwan for a year and work legally at the school that is associated with your ARC. The ARC is renewable every year indefinitely without leaving the country if you continue to work for the same employer.

• What happens if I overstay my visa? <back to top>

Overstaying your visitor visa is something you should avoid if at all possible. The regular Taiwan Visitor Visa is valid for a 60-day stay in Taiwan. If you mistakenly stay longer than that, you will have to exit the country immediately, and you will have to pay a fee. For this reason, it's best if you find a teaching job as quickly as possible. If you can't find a teaching job in time, you have the option of applying to renew your visa for another 60 days. Your visa may be renewed up to two times, after which you must exit the country, and re-enter. Once you obtain your Resident Visa through your teaching job, you will be allowed to stay in the country as long as you are employed.

• Does Crossing 7 Taiwan help me obtain a Resident Visa? <back to top>

Crossing 7 Taiwan can assist you during the visa process. Every effort will be made to help you apply for and receive your Resident Visa soon after your arrival in Taiwan.

• Where can I get more information and apply for a Taiwan Visa? <back to top>

Here are a few websites that can help you learn more about the Taiwan Visa application process:

http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com/taiwan-visa.html

http://www.passportsandvisas.com/visas/Taiwan.asp

http://www.studyabroadinternational.com/Taiwan/Taichung/Taiwan_Taichung_Taiwan_visas.html

http://www.traveldocs.com/tw/embassy.htm