I realize that with COVID doing the rounds there aren't a lot of new people coming into Taiwan, but I thought it might be fun to take things back to the most basic level possible. This entry and others like it will be aimed at new arrivals. Hopefully there will be more of you in the near future.
1. Getting a Job in Taiwan
I am the wrong person to ask about this. Yes, I've been in Taiwan over two decades, and yes, I have a job teaching English here, and yes, I know potential employers in two different counties, but my knowledge of the local job market is not up to date.
Part of the reason for this is that I've been in the Ministry of Education's FET (Foreign English Teacher) Program since 2006, and even though I've had a few side jobs (with other people's consent, of course) I've been doing pretty much the same thing in the same place for a long time. I have friends who bounce between private schools, but that's not the same as having to rely on that as a main source of income.
There's also the fact that I moved to rural Pingtung from urban Taitung last year. I live in the country now, and jobs where I live are few and far between. I occasionally hear about local gigs, but it's not usually something you could live off of.
So yeah, I can talk generally about working in Taiwan, or more specifically about working in the FET (now referred to as "TFETP") Program, but I'm not a good source of information when it comes to jobs.
2. Getting a Visa
Again, I'm a poor source of information. WAY back in 1999 I got a tourist visa, and sometime after that the private school where I worked got me a work visa. Since late 2000 I've been on a marriage visa, and even though I'm eligible for an APRC I have no desire to switch. The cost per year of a marriage visa and an APRC is the same, and I'm not planning on getting a divorce anytime soon.
If you're overseas, head to the nearest TECRO office. Just make sure you get the right visa. I got the wrong visa once and it was a nightmare.
3. Getting on a Plane
Aside from obvious things like buying a ticket, I can tell you nothing. I haven't been through an airport since 2018. From what I've heard airports are a whole other thing now, and that's not even taking things like PCR tests and quarantine buses into consideration.
4. Arriving
Provided you're not a tourist, which is an eventuality even further removed than coming here for employment, there should be someone meeting you at the airport. If there isn't, and if the reason isn't COVID, this is a huge red flag.
Should you exchange currencies at the airport? I would say yes. 5000 thousand NT should be enough. Credit cards also work in Taiwan, even though the banking system is very different. Cash machine cards from other countries often work too, provided you can find the right ATM.
After the airport I assume it's off to quarantine with you, or, assuming you're reading this in some wonderful, future time when we're NOT worrying about pandemics, it's off to your hotel or wherever else you're staying.
Then, jet lag. If you're travelling across continents jet lag will hit you very hard. Especially the first time. Some people "manage" jet lag with pills, other with coffee, others with alcohol, but however you manage it's going to catch up sooner or later. You might find yourself "missing a day" after arrival.
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