Only the 183 days per year rule. There still has been no change in the requirement for a criminal background check and medical exam.
I actually Emailed Mrs Huang already.
Only the 183 days per year rule. There still has been no change in the requirement for a criminal background check and medical exam.[/quote]
Does it make me a terrible person… that I don’t really mind since I already have my APRC? 
Only the 183 days per year rule. There still has been no change in the requirement for a criminal background check and medical exam.[/quote]
Has it actually officially changed. The article says:
I’ll let you know what replies I get from the minster y of the interior and the immigration office… regardless of when they change the rule… it will (as always in Taiwan) take a little time (like a year or 5) to dribble down to all the officious folks.
Only the 183 days per year rule. There still has been no change in the requirement for a criminal background check and medical exam.[/quote]
Has it actually officially changed. The article says:
Exactly. We still need the MOI to define the regulations and get them approved. Won’t take another year, maybe a few months if they step on it, but it is not YET in effect. So, wait a bit, hold your horses, wait at the starting line…
According to the National Immigration Agency’s website, the new amendments, which include
getting rid of the police report and health check requirements, went into effect on October 25th.
[quote=“Dr. Milker”]According to the National Immigration Agency’s website, the new amendments, which include
getting rid of the police report and health check requirements, went into effect on October 25th.
immigration.gov.tw/ct.asp?xI … 29710&mp=1[/quote]
I helped my friend get his APRC 2 weeks ago. He turned everything in exactly 2 weeks ago today (Oct 26th.) He still had to do everything from the previous requirements like everyone else that has an APRC. They asked for everything!
So has anyone had their Police certs / background checks certified locally by MOFA yet, rather than sending back to home country? I think this is relatively new? FINALLY got the process underway, going to read through the thread for the nineteenth time, just because it’s now so exciting! 
a friend inside the NIA informed me on friday that the health check/ criminal record check requirements have indeed been dropped… i called this morning to double check, was initially told that it was not in effect as of yet BUT when i mentioned that the website says these rules changed on oct.25, he deferred me to his superior, who, was unavailable… i’m southern, i dont accept being told the boss is busy… so i called his extension a couple hundred times… RESULT: no health check nor native country criminal record required IF you have not been in another country for more than 3 months in the previous 5 years… from the horses mouth!
if my school hadnt lost my work permit i would be down at the NIA right now! fingers crossed i will be getting that emailed to me in the next hour… good luck to us all!!!
OMG.
I just went to do my health check today.
Northcoast Surfer can you double check this for everyone when you get a chance. I still don’t believe it. So no background check from your home country or health check? Why would they do that? So if you are a convicted pedophile you can come here and work for 5 years and then legally become a resident of Taiwan? WTF! It was special to have an APRC, but now it seems like anyone can get one now.
Would be nice if someone without smurf in the name, or one post to their count, can confirm this?
I got my Criminal Background check on Friday! Seriously? Literally one working day after it arrives, I don’t need it? Think I’ll take it along anyways, we all know how long these changes in the rules can take to filter down to the people on the front line…
I should be receiving my info from TECRO in the States today or tomorrow. I just did my health check at Renai Hospital this AM.
just got back from the NIA, turned in my application and papers… no health check, no criminal record… they asked for it, but after i explained the new rules they went and check with their supervisors… and sure enough, NOT REQUIRED! but you cant have been out of country for more than 3 months in the last 5 years… so there you go folks, one application filed! again, good luck and and best wishes to us all!
only one post to my account cuz i only registered to share this information good luck everyone!
[quote=“smurphr”]just got back from the NIA, turned in my application and papers… no health check, no criminal record… they asked for it, but after i explained the new rules they went and check with their supervisors… and sure enough, NOT REQUIRED! but you cant have been out of country for more than 3 months in the last 5 years… so there you go folks, one application filed! again, good luck and and best wishes to us all!
only one post to my account cuz i only registered to share this information good luck everyone![/quote]
Thank you kindly, sir!
i know, i just got my record check back from the FBI last week… was about to post it to tecro when my friend at the nia told me this news…
[quote=“smurphr”]just got back from the NIA, turned in my application and papers… no health check, no criminal record… they asked for it, but after i explained the new rules they went and check with their supervisors… and sure enough, NOT REQUIRED!
[color=#FF0000]but you cant have been out of country for more than 3 months in the last 5 years[/color]
.[/quote]
Hold on a second. A few questions for clarity.
- Which NIA office did you file your paperwork?
- You say that you can’t have been out of Taiwan for more than 3 months in the last 5 years. Is that what they said exactly? I’m not buying it.
The way I understood it from the press releases is that you could not have been out of Taiwan for more than 3 consecutive months at a time, but that isn’t related to the 5 years or even per year. So, based on the press release, you could be out of Taiwan more than 3 months, so long as it’s not consecutive months and also so that you still maintain the required 183 days per year.
Example: Just the 2012 year for example.
January 1, 2012 through March 31, 2012 - residing in Taiwan.
April 1, 2012 through May 31, 2012 - back to the US.
June 1, 2012 through July 31, 2012 - residing in Taiwan.
August 1, 2012 through September 30, 2012 back in the US
October 1, 2012 through December 31, 2012 - residing in Taiwan.
Based on this example, you are still qualified to apply for the APRC because you resided in Taiwan for at least 183 days for 2012 and you shouldn’t have to do a background check or health check because you weren’t outside of Taiwan for over 3 consecutive months at a time. Outside of Taiwan for 4 months, yes…but not consecutive time. This is based on the press release.
But, you are saying that it’s no more than 3 months for the entire 5 years residency time toward applying for the APRC. So, clarify, please.
sorry about any confusion, as it has been very confusing for me… it’s been a long day… beings that the NIA clerks themselves were unfamiliar with the new regs it is bound to be really muddled…
as far as i understand, based on the questions/comments of the nia agent dealing with me, as long and you havent been out of country for more than (roughly) 3 months in a given year for the last 5 years… you will not be required to provide crim/health check… all i know is that i personally have spent less than 2 months outside of taiwan in the last 5 years… what i believe to be the case is that it’s about a 3months/year deal breaker… but i never got a straight answer myself, only confirmed that i met the requirements… like i said, they are pretty muddled themselves and it takes a few times asking to get an answer of sorts…
i did all my paper work at the main nia office in taipei
they were really helpful and it was really late so i give them lots of love for being so amazing!
[quote]The way I understood it from the press releases is that you could not have been out of Taiwan for more than 3 consecutive months at a time, but that isn’t related to the 5 years or even per year. So, based on the press release, you could be out of Taiwan more than 3 months, so long as it’s not consecutive months and also so that you still maintain the required 183 days per year.
[/quote]
To clarify about the new rules, they’re not “based on the press release,” but rather the latest amended version of the Regulations Governing Visiting, Residence and Permanent Residence of Aliens, which came into effect on October 25th, and can be found on the National Immigration Agency’s website
here: immigration.gov.tw/ct.asp?xI … 29649&mp=1
Here are the relevant lines:
中華民國一百零一年十月二十五日內政部台內移字第1010933919 號令修正發布第 6、11、12、19、22條條文，刪除第13、14條條文；並自一百零一年十月二十五日施行
Rough translation: By Order No. 1010933919, the Regulations were amended and promulgated on October 25, 2012; amendments were made to Articles 6, 11, 12, 19 and 22, and Articles 13 and 14 were removed; these changes also came into effect on October 25, 2012.
And from Article 12…
外國人申請永久居留，於合法連續居留五年期間，每次出國在三個月以內者，得免附第一項第四款文件及第六款之本國刑事紀錄證明。
When aliens apply for permanent residence, if, during their five years of continuous residence, each trip abroad is within three months in duration, the document specified in Item 4 (the health check) and the home country criminal record check specified in Item 6 may be waived.
So the language is pretty clear: as long as each TRIP overseas is under three months, and you’re here at least 183 days per year, you don’t need the health and home country police checks.
It’s also great to hear from smurphr that the pencil pushers at the NIA are catching on!
I’ll definitely be applying for mine soon…