[quote=“CrapeMyrtle”]
You might already know, but you can get their visitor visa in US first, then change it to ARC in Taiwan.[/quote]
Is it easy to get the ARC in Taiwan? Let’s say we just go to Taiwan with them on US passports and I am on Taiwan Passport so no visas for any of us. How easy is it to get my kids an ARC once I settle in? And how fast since I would like them to start school if going during mid school year.
[quote=“ariel7120”][quote=“CrapeMyrtle”]
You might already know, but you can get their visitor visa in US first, then change it to ARC in Taiwan.[/quote]
Is it easy to get the ARC in Taiwan? Let’s say we just go to Taiwan with them on US passports and I am on Taiwan Passport so no visas for any of us. How easy is it to get my kids an ARC once I settle in? And how fast since I would like them to start school if going during mid school year.[/quote]
Do you have a Taiwan ID and household registration? You probably do since you were born here but you should check. In general, you are a full citizen with the right to reside in Taiwan only if you have a TW passport, Taiwan ID, and household registration.
Your children will need an ARC to enroll in local public schools.
To get an ARC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or one of its overseas offices will have to issue your children a resident visa.
I’m pretty sure that if your children make a visa-exempt entry that your children will not be issued a resident visa in Taiwan. Read the rules for visa exampt entries here carefully including the notes.
The correct way to do this is to apply for a visitor or resident visa in the US. The purpose should probably be ‘minor under 20 joining parents’ (i.e. you). Check with TECO in NY about this. Explain your status: I have a Taiwan passport, ID, and household residence, and I want to move back to Taiwan and enroll my children in local public schools. What kind of visa should I apply for and what purpose should I use.
There are going to be a bunch of documentary requirements. Read the requirements carefully, noting where original documents and copies are required and what documents need to be authenticated. You’re going to need an ORIGINAL copy of your Taiwan household registration, original birth certificates etc and possibly proof of custody if you are not married. It’s a real pain but there is no way around this, so get started early (but note that some documents must have been issued withing three months of the date of visa application). Call the office in the US if you have any questions.
Oh, and it’s expensive for US citizens: US$160 per visa because that’s what we charge Taiwanese citizens.
After your children arrive in Taiwan with on a resident visa or obtain one in Taiwan, you will need to get ARC for them from the National Immigration Agency. Check the documentary requirements there as well and leave yourself enough time to get the ARCs before school starts–at least a couple of weeks. The ARC will probably need to be obtained wherever your household registration and this may effect where you can enroll your children.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Taiwanese bureaucracy! Actually, it’s pretty efficient if you follow the correct procedure and get the documents they want. They are real sticklers about the documents and inflexible if you start down the wrong path.
If you come to Taiwan with your kids visa exempt, you are probably going to end up making trips to Hong Kong and Fed exing documents back and forth. Get the right visas in the US first. Trust me on this one.
[quote=“ariel7120”][quote=“CrapeMyrtle”]
You might already know, but you can get their visitor visa in US first, then change it to ARC in Taiwan.[/quote]
Is it easy to get the ARC in Taiwan? Let’s say we just go to Taiwan with them on US passports and I am on Taiwan Passport so no visas for any of us. How easy is it to get my kids an ARC once I settle in? And how fast since I would like them to start school if going during mid school year.[/quote]
As is in Feiren’s post, you must get a visitor visa for them in US to get their ARCs in Taiwan. If you can get a resident visa in US, you can get it in Taiwan too. I just post the option because some documents you need for the resident visa might not be easy to get from US. Otherwise, getting the resident visa or Taiwanese passport for them in US may be a simple way. If you prepare all the documents correctly, getting their resident visa (and ARCs) must be very easy since you are Taiwanese.
What you get in US is a visa. Usually about 2weeks to get an ARC in your hand after you apply it in Taiwan. If you have a proof of applying for their ARCs, school may allow them attend while waiting for ARCs.
MOC has a regulartion regarding International Students Undertaking Studies in Taiwan
law.moj.gov.tw/Eng/LawClass/LawC … E=H0110001
Check article 20.
Article 20 International students who have acquired legitimate resident status in Taiwan and are applying to study at an elementary school, junior high school and senior high school may directly apply to a school near his or her residency by submitting the following papers. The school which approves the said application shall submit a roster to the authorized educational government agencies as a reference: 1. An enrollment application form; 2. A photocopy of a legitimate resident certificate; 3. Academic credentials.
If possible, get the resident visa in the US. Otherwise you will spend U$320 to get two visitor visas and then another US$320 to get two resident visas in Taiwan. Also, you will need to put together the paperwork for the resident visa in Taiwan. So while a visitor visa for the purpose of visiting relatives may appear to be easier to do, you are eventually going to have to meet the resident visa requirements and you don’t want to be scrambling to do this before school starts so that you can enroll.
Honestly, for one year, I don’t think it’ll be much help. What happens after one year? I don’t think it’s even necessary to move over. It’s all about getting them interested in the culture and the language. Most people started to learn Japanese because of anime. Most people now are learning Korean because of K-pop. People here learn English from watching TV series. Of course some also attend tutoring school. But why? Because they’re interested!? As a parent, how can you get your kids interested in learning Chinese, and reinforce it? YoYo channel for a 5 & 8 year old? I jest. But one thing great about Chinese TV programs I haven’t observed anywhere else, there always subtitles to reinforce the spoken word and the character.
Thank you Feiren and everyone that’s posted and helped me with suggestions and comments. I really appreciate it! So here is an update of what my plans are. I am now planning to move to Taiwan in February after Chinese New Year and put my kids in school then. I am not going to visit before hand to check out the schools and the area. This way, my daughter who is currently 7 and in 2nd grade can fall back to 1st grade and finish up the semester before summer. She can then do a full year of 2nd grade in 2015-2016. Hopefully that will be better and a easier transition for her.
My first choice of school I hope to enroll my kids in is the Datun Mountain School in Beitou. Second choice is Hutian Mountain School in Beitou and third choice would be Gongguan Elementary School. Hopefully one of these schools will fit perfectly with what we are looking for. After I find the school, I will then find an apartment in that area.
I applied for my Taiwanese passport and will pick it up next week. As for my kid’s I’m still deciding whether to get them a Taiwanese passport or just get a resident visa/ ARC. To apply for a Taiwanese passport for them seem so complicated so not sure I want to go with that route.
Plan is to stay 1-2 years if all goes well! Scared as hell but going to do it! :s
So here are some more questions, I hope someone can answer.
Any advice/ comments are greatly appreciated. I love all your feed backs and suggestions.
Thank you!
There’s not really any truth to that. I looked up numbers recently and the conviction rate for violent crime is extremely high (this is a good thing!). Taiwan’s murder rate is actually surprisingly high, but the majority of cases seem to be between family members or acquaintances rather than random killings. 99.999999% of people you ask will tell you that Taiwan is an extremely safe place, and most women feel very comfortable walking around at night alone.
As for traffic… If you’re from NYC, you should at least have an idea of hectic traffic. Now just add a bunch of scooters into the mix. Don’t play on a phone as you cross the street and probably stay away from bicycles and you’ll be fine.
Every few months there’s one that you can really feel, I’d say. No major deadly quakes have occured in over a decade. The buildings are terribly ugly across Taiwan, but they’re built to last. These last two items are not things you’ll need to worry about.
There’s not really any truth to that. I looked up numbers recently and the conviction rate for violent crime is extremely high (this is a good thing!). Taiwan’s murder rate is actually surprisingly high, but the majority of cases seem to be between family members or acquaintances rather than random killings. 99.999999% of people you ask will tell you that Taiwan is an extremely safe place, and most women feel very comfortable walking around at night alone.
[/quote]
So basically I shouldn’t piss anyone off and I’ll be ok! 
[quote=“ariel7120”]
So here are some more questions, I hope someone can answer.
Any advice/ comments are greatly appreciated. I love all your feed backs and suggestions.
Thank you![/quote]
I don’t really know the exact date, it varies from year to year, I can tell you that it’s usually in February. But personally I think enrolling you kids in the second semester is not a good idea. Most of the kids already know each other by then, they could feel extremely outcast and potentially be bullied.
Summer vacation always ends at the end of August.
3~5. I have no idea.
I honestly find the perception of Taiwan being more dangerous than America utterly ridiculous, the crime rate is nowhere near the level of America. The murder rate of Taiwan seems surprisingly high but that’s mostly due to the inconsistency of methodology.
The traffic is indeed horrible though. It’s fucking embarrassing.
I think your chances of being hit by a car or motorcycle is much much higher than by a collapsed building. Earthquakes are the least of your concerns imo, it happens all the time, last week there were like half a dozen within 24 hours or something. Just stay calm when you experience one.
I thought of that but I am hoping that 1st or 2nd graders are still oblivious about forming cliques and the concept of bullying. 
[quote=“ariel7120”]
I thought of that but I am hoping that 1st or 2nd graders are still oblivious about forming cliques and the concept of bullying. [/quote]
I’m not so sure…bullying happens in kindergartens as well.
[quote=“ariel7120”]Thank you Feiren and everyone that’s posted and helped me with suggestions and comments. I really appreciate it! So here is an update of what my plans are. I am now planning to move to Taiwan in February after Chinese New Year and put my kids in school then. I am not going to visit before hand to check out the schools and the area. This way, my daughter who is currently 7 and in 2nd grade can fall back to 1st grade and finish up the semester before summer. She can then do a full year of 2nd grade in 2015-2016. Hopefully that will be better and a easier transition for her.
My first choice of school I hope to enroll my kids in is the Datun Mountain School in Beitou. Second choice is Hutian Mountain School in Beitou and third choice would be Gongguan Elementary School. Hopefully one of these schools will fit perfectly with what we are looking for. After I find the school, I will then find an apartment in that area.
I applied for my Taiwanese passport and will pick it up next week. As for my kid’s I’m still deciding whether to get them a Taiwanese passport or just get a resident visa/ ARC. To apply for a Taiwanese passport for them seem so complicated so not sure I want to go with that route.
Plan is to stay 1-2 years if all goes well! Scared as hell but going to do it! :s
So here are some more questions, I hope someone can answer.
Any advice/ comments are greatly appreciated. I love all your feed backs and suggestions.
Thank you![/quote]
Hi Ariel
The schools go back on 15th February next year, and close for the summer vacation at the end of June (not sure exact date yet, but it’s always the end of June.
Sorry, I don’t know if Datun has a kindergartener program, nor how much a bilingual school costs.
Taiwan is very safe for you and your children, much, much safer than New York. But the traffic can be a problem, especially if you have young children who aren’t used to keeping themselves safe. In many areas of Taipei there are no pavements, and I spent our first few months here constantly watching my son and reminding him to walk at the edge of the road. Also, when you cross at a crossing, you’re often sharing the road with turning traffic. If you watch the traffic and walk steadily (and let buses and trucks do whatever the hell they want to), it’s fine, but if you spook and run it confuses everyone. Finally, Taiwanese drivers run red lights ALL THE TIME. I cross a busy road in the morning rush hour on my way back from my run and more often than not a driver will run the light. So teach your children to not only watch for the green man, but check the traffic has actually stopped before they cross.
Earthquakes shouldn’t be a big concern. It’s usually just a little shake and it’s over, and modern buildings are built to withstand them.
The gap between 1st and 2nd grades is big, so I think putting your child in 1st grade for the second semester is a good idea. Mandarin class is not very difficult in 1st grade yet. Your child already knows some, so could catch up during 6 months. If you wait a half more year, age gap might be some kind of trouble.
The first day of the second semester is Feb. 15, 2016.
The first day of winter vacation is Jan. 21, 2016.
The last day of the second semester will be around June. 30, 2016.
The end of the summer vacation will be around Aug. 30, 2016.
Yes, it has.
Tuition (including lunch, snack, insurance, etc.) is 12660NTD for a semester.
You might need to check whether they are full, though.
65,000–150,000+NTD.
Schools in New Taipei City are cheaper than schools in Taipei City.
Their school hours are longer than public schools. Typically 8am–4pm.
Traffic is horrible. I will be very careful to walk, or travel by any other methods, with two young children.
Other than traffic, I feel Taipei is safe. I can walk with a wallet in my hand at night, say 9pm, with no concern.
I also am worried about earthquakes, but, if I live in US, I’m sure I am worried about other things as individually uncontrollable as earthquakes.
Petrichor is obviously British and he means sidewalks. Most Americans would read that and picture Taipei to be some third world country with no paved roads. Actually, you’d be hard pressed to find a dirt road in Taipei. Heck even the hiking trails are paved. 
Is 65,000-150,000 NTD for a semester? I am assuming there are only 2 semester in a school year? Can you suggest any Bilingual schools in New Taipei City or Taipei City? Again, just an option to consider.
Thank you.
Are kindergartens (throughout Taiwan) usually full? If I live in the district would the school have to accept both kids regardless of capacity?
Also, can someone please explain to me the household registration? I am not quite sure I understand what this is. If I don’t have a place to live yet, how does this work? I don’t want to put down a relative’s address because most likely I do not want my kids to attend their local public schools. Can I chose the school I want them to attend, find an apartment and then use that address as my household registration?
When I applied for my Taiwan passport, I didn’t enter a relative’s address and left it blank. Does this mean I do not have a household registration? Would this cause any problems? Very confusing! :s
Public kinders are much cheaper than private kinders or daycares, so they are generally full in Taipeicity area.
I don’t know the situation in mountain area, though.
[quote=“ariel7120”]
Also, can someone please explain to me the household registration? I am not quite sure I understand what this is. If I don’t have a place to live yet, how does this work? I don’t want to put down a relative’s address because most likely I do not want my kids to attend their local public schools. Can I chose the school I want them to attend, find an apartment and then use that address as my household registration?
When I applied for my Taiwan passport, I didn’t enter a relative’s address and left it blank. Does this mean I do not have a household registration? Would this cause any problems? Very confusing! :s[/quote]
Can you ask to your parents or relatives about “hukou” (戸口簿)？ Just google “household registration” and read Wikipedia for a quick reference.
If you don’t have hukou, you may need TARC for a long stay, and getting ARCs for your kids might be not so simple. It’s better you understand well on this issue and make it clesr what kind of documents you need to prepare.
It’s for a semester. Double for a year.
I put a list of private schools with bilingual course, but there is a list of privste schools with more info in this forum.
New Taipey City
Yu Tsai
Chi Jen
Chu Lin
Kangqiao Bilingual Experimental: this is maybe the most expensive one
Taipei City
Hu Hsing
Tsai Hsing
Lih Jen
Wego
Chingshin
Xinmin
KSJ
Wikipedia has a good explanation of household registration systems like the one in Taiwan. They are rare (nonexistent?) in the English speaking world, they are common in Europe and East Asia. Also see the Taiwan section in this article. Taiwan’s also has social control functions but is nowhere near as scary as China’s.
Household registration is very important though especially in your situation. If you are on your parents’ household registry, this is the basis for obtaining a Taiwan ID card. The combination of household registration, a Taiwan ID card, and an ordinary Taiwan passport ID card makes you a full citizen of Taiwan. Do you have a Taiwan ID?
You need to figure out whether this is your status or if you are in the lesser class of Republic of China citizens with no or limited rights to live in Taiwan. It may well be possible to ‘upgrade’ now or after you are in Taiwan but there is a lot of paper work.