Taipei, Dec. 25 (CNA) Herding sheep. Learning to make German
sausage. Working at German theaters. Traveling around Germany to look for suitable schools and thesis instructors for future doctoral study programs.
These are just a few of the proposals presented by Taiwanese applicants for German working holiday visas that have impressed officials at Germany's representative office in Taiwan with their ingenuity.
Heinrich Hubbe, deputy director of the legal affairs division at the German Institute Taipei, said he is often amazed by the diversity and creativity of working holiday programs made up by Taiwanese hopefuls since the office began accepting visa applications Oct. 11.
Some of the applicants used paintings, graphics and diagrams to explain their work and travel plans, Hubbes said, adding that he has been moved by the novelty and lavishness of some of the presentations.
Germany is the first European country to have signed a working holiday agreement with Taiwan, under which up to 200 Taiwanese citizens aged between 18 and 30 are allowed each year to enjoy a maximum one-year stay in Germany and to undertake incidental work to supplement their holiday money. The reciprocal nature of the program offers similar opportunities for young Germans to undertake working
holidays in Taiwan.
Hubbe said the local response to the program has been extremely enthusiastic. In the first few days following the announcement of the program, he recalled, phone glitches were reported at the German representative office occasionally because of the number of inquiries being made.
"Moreover, an average of 6,000 people visited our website each day, far outnumbering the average of 1,000 to 1,500 before the program was launched," Hubbe went on, adding that the significant increase reflects the popularity of the program.
In addition to producing health insurance certificates and proof of financial status, applicants are required to present a report detailing their motivation for applying for working holiday visas and the activities they plan to do during their stay.
The German office also arranges a 15-minute face-to-face
interview for a each applicant.
"What we want to see is that the person is really well-planned and wants to achieve something," Hubbe said.
So long as hopefuls present clear plans, their applications will be accepted, he added.
Although language proficiency is not a prerequisite, Hubbe said a good command of English or German will make it easier for applicants to work and engage people in Germany.
The German office has so far issued about 50 working holiday visas to Taiwanese applicants and 100 other hopefuls have been booked for interviews. Because some of them have not shown up for interviews or have failed to present clear programs, the office is still accepting new applicants, he said.
Tsai Wei-ting, 26, was one of the first local applicants to receive a working holiday visa. She is scheduled to leave for Berlin on New Year's Day.
Tsai, a computer programmer, said she had already contacted several German companies seeking internships or part-time work contracts. But she added that she most wants to improve her German language ability.
Meanwhile, Karen Jasmin, a 30-year-old German citizen, has arrived in Taipei to start a one-year working holiday in Taiwan and has posted a notice at the German Institute seeking work as a babysitter or language teacher.
Jasmin said she has visited Taiwan four or five times because her American boyfriend is in Taiwan. With a holiday working visa, she said, she will be able to travel more extensively around Taiwan.
Taiwan has also signed working holiday agreements with New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Canada and South Korea.
(By Emmanuelle Tzeng and Sofia Wu)
Source: CNA
