English in Taiwan
Is it possible to teach ESL in Taiwan
without a work permit?
Can you teach without a working permit?
 Well, yes and no. Technically, it is illegal for foreigners to work as English teachers without a permit. On the other hand, many do it every day.
Buxibans - also known as cram schools, the English study centers where you will most likely be teaching ESL - can sometimes have a bad reputation for shady business practices. Some of them hire foreign teachers but do not offer work permits, as this means they have to pay additional costs, help pay for health care fees, and have to give the English teacher a minimum number of hours. You can hear horror stories about undocumented foreign teachers being asked to flee into a basement to avoid a random inspection.
Consequences for teaching in Taiwan without a work permit
These kinds of events are outstandingly rare, but it is important to know that they can happen. If you are caught teaching English in Taiwan without a work permit, you will most likely be immediately deported, fined and disallowed from re-entry for a period of five years. As you can see, the Taiwanese government is actually pretty serious about enforcing these standards.
What you need to get a work permit in Taiwan
In order to get a legitimate permit as an English teacher, you must have a valid Bachelor's degree or higher. So, don't rush to book a ticket if you don't have one of those yet.
Essentially, the best idea is to find a school that is willing to set you up with a permit. Usually, schools that are willing to hire you without providing one are not very high quality and will treat you relatively poorly. Also, not having a working permit gives you no legal recourse if anything serious happens. For example, if a school refuses to pay you for last month's work, but you don't have a permit, you will be helpless to fight back.
I have written a book about teaching English in Taiwan, and you should have a look at it if you're interested in working here. It's called Teach English in Taiwan: The Official Survival Guide and it's a real blueprint for achieving success as an ESL teacher in Taiwan.
Even if you spend hours searching the Internet for an alternative resource, I promise you that you'll never find anything that comes even close to this guide. It lists 500 English schools located around Taiwan in cities like Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, and Hualien. This eBook is the only guide you'll ever need for your odyssey in Taiwan. Start your jouney here... Check this guide about ESL in Taiwan now!
Return from Jobs in Taiwan for Foreigners
to Teaching English in Taiwan.
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