read what mushu says in my icon
First off I would like to make a disclaimer:
I am not bashing Taiwan as a country or as a people. These are actual things that happened here in the Philippines where most of the people involved are Filipinos. Don't forget I'm Filipino too... No offense to Filipinos and OFWs either...
My brother is currently working as an assistant to a photographer and he gets to go with him to other countries to do their shoot for the client. So for this week he's supposed to go to Taiwan.
We checked if he still needed to get a tourist visa since I know there was no need, just a simple form and you're good to go as announced here. We checked the site again and it was still like that, you have to have a valid visa of one of the listed countries. It was not what was written in the news.
So my mom called the "embassy" (I'd like to call it the office of something something but it's just too long), and apparently, you still need to get a visa... nothing was changed except for the part where those people with the valid visas to the listed countries (i.e. USA) can just use the form and be off. So there...
My brother went there this morning to apply for his visa. He arrived there early (8am) since he didn't want to take the chance of being late and not be able to apply since he doesn't have any more time until he leaves on Wednesday. So he came there at 8... he was asked to wait (I think without an number or what...) Then he went back at 8:30..
He was asked to take a number and wait at the smoking area of the building. I don't know why there, my brother doesn't either... They didn't even consider people who are allergic to smoke or something. Well my brother thinks they might not like to see OFWs waiting in the lobby. My brother even felt sorry for the old guy that was with them there... Imagine if there were executives applying and they were waiting in the smoking area (the non smokers)
(I can't make this chronological anymore... :P) Anyway...
So at the counter in the lobby, applicants would need to leave a government issued ID. My brother heard that if you didn't have a GOVERNMENT ISSUED ID you will have to leave your CELLPHONE instead. WTH?! Where do you hear people associated by their phones? Most probably those phones are even prepaid... No way of checking who owns it.
My brother was also asked if he had an agent assuming he was an OFW... He was complaining why assume everyone was an OFW...
He said the sad part was that the people involved were all FILIPINO... the person at the lobby, the one waiting with them at the smoking area for their number, the one looking for the agent (like a fixer or something)
He was just turned off at the experience...
Worst visa application he ever had he said...
ok eyes tired... have to stop now
I am not bashing Taiwan as a country or as a people. These are actual things that happened here in the Philippines where most of the people involved are Filipinos. Don't forget I'm Filipino too... No offense to Filipinos and OFWs either...
My brother is currently working as an assistant to a photographer and he gets to go with him to other countries to do their shoot for the client. So for this week he's supposed to go to Taiwan.
We checked if he still needed to get a tourist visa since I know there was no need, just a simple form and you're good to go as announced here. We checked the site again and it was still like that, you have to have a valid visa of one of the listed countries. It was not what was written in the news.
So my mom called the "embassy" (I'd like to call it the office of something something but it's just too long), and apparently, you still need to get a visa... nothing was changed except for the part where those people with the valid visas to the listed countries (i.e. USA) can just use the form and be off. So there...
My brother went there this morning to apply for his visa. He arrived there early (8am) since he didn't want to take the chance of being late and not be able to apply since he doesn't have any more time until he leaves on Wednesday. So he came there at 8... he was asked to wait (I think without an number or what...) Then he went back at 8:30..
He was asked to take a number and wait at the smoking area of the building. I don't know why there, my brother doesn't either... They didn't even consider people who are allergic to smoke or something. Well my brother thinks they might not like to see OFWs waiting in the lobby. My brother even felt sorry for the old guy that was with them there... Imagine if there were executives applying and they were waiting in the smoking area (the non smokers)
(I can't make this chronological anymore... :P) Anyway...
So at the counter in the lobby, applicants would need to leave a government issued ID. My brother heard that if you didn't have a GOVERNMENT ISSUED ID you will have to leave your CELLPHONE instead. WTH?! Where do you hear people associated by their phones? Most probably those phones are even prepaid... No way of checking who owns it.
My brother was also asked if he had an agent assuming he was an OFW... He was complaining why assume everyone was an OFW...
He said the sad part was that the people involved were all FILIPINO... the person at the lobby, the one waiting with them at the smoking area for their number, the one looking for the agent (like a fixer or something)
He was just turned off at the experience...
Worst visa application he ever had he said...
ok eyes tired... have to stop now