Working Holiday Taiwan/Scholarships

Working Holiday Taiwan Service Centre (WHTSC)

Working Holiday Program – 2006 Scholarships

The Working Holiday Taiwan Service Centre – in conjunction with Taiwan's National Youth Commission (NYC) and the Bureau of Consular Affairs – aims to encourage young Australians and New Zealanders, aged between 18 and 30 years, to visit Taiwan under its Working Holiday Program (WHP) to –

Experience living, working and traveling in an environment where language, lifestyle and cultural differences provide learning opportunities;
Develop independence, self-confidence, and other useful life-skills;
Promote international understanding and co-operation amongst global communities.

Scholarship Applications

In 2006, the WHTSC is offering several scholarships for young citizens of Australia and New Zealand to participate in the WHP.

Scholarship Applicants should be –

Interested in experiencing Chinese Culture and Language.
Prepared to travel independently and to accept job opportunities in Taiwan.
Willing to participate in Taiwan's WHP on the terms and conditions referred to in the WHTSC Application Form.

WHTSC Requirements
Scholarship Applicants must be –

Citizens of Australia or New Zealand.
Able to arrive in Taipei before the end of July 2006.
Currently enrolled in (or have graduated from) a tertiary educational institution.
Able to satisfy all eligibility requirements of Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs to enable a Working Holiday Visa to be issued.

Requirements of Bureau of Consular Affairs (BOCA)
The Working Holiday Visa applicant must be able to satisfy the following:

Purpose: Applicants must prove to the Taiwanese visa office (TECO), in their country of citizenship, that their primary intention is to holiday in Taiwan, with employment being an incidental rather than a primary reason for the visit, and will leave Taiwan before the visa expires.
Age: The age of applicants shall be between 18 and 30 years, both inclusive, at the time of application.
Validity of Passport: When submitting an application, the applicant’s passport should be valid for more than 12 months from planned arrival date in Taiwan.
Valid Flight Ticket: Applicants must hold a round trip flight ticket, or have financial proof of the capability to purchase it.
Living Expenses: Applicants shall be required to have at least NT$100,000, or an equivalent amount of foreign currency as their living expenses during their stay in Taiwan (approx. A$4,000).
Medical Insurance: Applicants shall have full medical and hospitalization insurance during their stay in Taiwan.

For further information on Taiwan's Working Holiday visa requirements, check the Bureau of Consular Affairs website and follow the links to the ‘Working Holiday Schema’. Applicants should carefully read these visa conditions and requirements published by the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Applicants should carefully read these eligibility requirements published by the Bureau of Consular Affairs.

Visa and Insurance Arrangements
Successful Scholarship Applicants must be prepared to arrange and pay for their –

Working Holiday Visa from their country of citizenship through a designated Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Australia or in New Zealand.
Medical and hospitalisation insurance, for the duration of their stay in Taiwan; and must provide WHTSC with proof of such insurance.

Flight Arrangements

All flight arrangements, between the Scholarship Recipient's country of citizenship and Taiwan, will be made by WHTSC for and on behalf of the Scholarship Recipient, in conjunction with the visa application being lodged.
The air carrier/s to be used and the routing of all flights will be determined by WHTSC (in its sole and absolute discretion) and may involve one or more day/night stop-overs en route to or from Taiwan.

Lodgement of Applications
All Scholarship Applications must be –

made in writing on the WHTSC Application Form.
accompanied by 2 references
submitted by fax to:
The General Manager
Working Holiday Taiwan Service Centre
FAX No. +886-2-2362-9755

Closing Date for Scholarship Applications

Applications for the 2006 Working Holiday Scholarships will close at 6pm (Taiwan Standard Time) on Sunday, 30 April 2006.
Late or incomplete or unsigned applications will not be accepted.

Selection Process
Criteria used to assess Applications will include –

Reasons for wishing to travel to Taiwan
General cultural awareness
Ability to adapt to change in living environment
Consideration of written references

WHTSC will convene a selection panel to consider all completed Application Forms received on or before the closing date. Short-listed applicants will be given a brief telephone interview by a representative of WHTSC.

Scholarship Applicants whose applications are successful will be notified on or before Friday, 5 May 2006.

Scholarship
Scholarship Recipients will receive –

Return economy flights – between their country of citizenship (Australia/New Zealand) and Taiwan (including stop-over accommodation, if required)
Transportation from CKS International Airport to Taipei City
3 nights shared-backpacker accommodation in Taipei
Taipei City Tour
Taiwan Orientation Program
Guaranteed First Job-Placement*
(* guarantee is conditional upon acceptance of job offered to Recipient)
All other general support services offered by WHTSC to Working Holiday Program participants