US passport renewal and TW Residency Visa, etc

I need to get my passport renewed and I wanna know, particularly, what I have to do about the residency visa in my current passport.

Do I have to go back to the immigration office immediately for a new one?

The US dept. of state returns the cancelled passport with the new one, but does the ‘cancelled’ status of the passport affect the residency visa, re-entry permit +/or embarkation paper (the yellow one stapled into the passport on re-entry)?

Anyone have any experience with this?

[quote=“The Dude”]I need to get my passport renewed and I wanna know, particularly, what I have to do about the residency visa in my current passport.

Do I have to go back to the immigration office immediately for a new one?

The US dept. of state returns the cancelled passport with the new one, but does the ‘cancelled’ status of the passport affect the residency visa, re-entry permit +/or embarkation paper (the yellow one stapled into the passport on re-entry)?

Anyone have any experience with this?[/quote]

You just present both passports when going through immigration until its time to get a new ARC/reentry permit.

[quote=“Tigerman”][quote=“The Dude”]I need to get my passport renewed and I wanna know, particularly, what I have to do about the residency visa in my current passport.

Do I have to go back to the immigration office immediately for a new one?

The US dept. of state returns the cancelled passport with the new one, but does the ‘cancelled’ status of the passport affect the residency visa, re-entry permit +/or embarkation paper (the yellow one stapled into the passport on re-entry)?

Anyone have any experience with this?[/quote]

You just present both passports when going through immigration until its time to get a new ARC/reentry permit.[/quote]

Thanks for that. I was worried about having a passport with ‘cancelled’ stamped on it, etc.

I guess I WILL have to go get a new one of those BIG visa stickers (residency) from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, though, huh? Ugh!

[quote=“The Dude”]Thanks for that. I was worried about having a passport with ‘cancelled’ stamped on it, etc.

I guess I will have to go get a new one of those BIG visa stickers (residency) from the Bureau of Consular Affairs, though, huh? Ugh![/quote]

Well, the “cancelled” stamp will be on your old passport… not your Taiwan visa. Even Taiwan knows that sometimes foreign passports expire and new ones are issued.

I’m not certain about the necessity of having to get a new visa sticker. If your visa is still good, I don’t see why you would need a new one. I just renewed my US passport in early February. My re-entry permit was in my old passport and before my ARC was up for renewal I travelled to Guam. I merely took both my old (cancelled) passport and my new one with me to Guam. The Taiwan immigration check simply looked at both passports and took my yellow embarkation slip from my old passport and when I returned they looked at my reentry permit in my old passport while stamping my entrance and stapled my new embarkation slip in my new passport. Shortly thereafter I renewed my ARC and got a new Reentry permit stuck in my new passport.

If your current Taiwan visa is still good for a long time, it may be more convenient to see if you can get a new one stuck in your new passport so you needn’t carry two passports when you next travel.

No need for a new sticker, just present both passeports when you get to immigration here. And watch out for the German nihilists lurking around the corner, Dude.

Tigerman and citizen k,

Let me see if I understand you correctly. Even though you have a new reentry permit sticker in your new passport, your visa is still in your old passport. Thus, you still need to carry both passports next time you go abroad?

Thanks for the info. This issue will affect anybody who stays here several years, so this is very helpful.

Well, I think that is correct. However, I have an ARC (card) and a Reentry permit (sticker in my passport)… but not a visa sticker in my passport.

For me, when I renewed my passport in February, I needed to take my old passport (which had my then current Reentry permit and embarkation slip stapled in it) with me when I departed Taiwan and for my return and reentry into Taiwan. Taiwan Immigration looked at and took my embarkation slip from my old passport when I departed Taiwan and when I entered Guam US Immigration there looked at my new passport and on departing Guam, US Immigration there looked at my new passport as well as the reentry permit for Taiwan in my old passport. When I returned to Taiwan, Taiwan Immigration again looked at my reentry permit in my old passport but stamped my arrival in my new passport and stapled my new embarkation slip in my new passport.

Had I not soon thereafter renewed my ARC and obtained a new reentry permit, I would still need to carry my old passport to show my Taiwan reentry permit.

I don’t know why it would be different if you have a visa in your old passport.

Best to check with the local authorities here, however.

Thanks, I guess my question really centered on what does the Taiwan imigration need to see when entering Taiwan. I guess the safest thing to do is take both passports with you next time and see if they need to see the old passport or not. I just don’t know if they need to see that residence visa sticker in the passport or not.

Anyway, thanks for shedding some light on this subject.

Scomargo,

They only look for the re-entry permit, in the case where you have an ARC. Your residence visa is stamped “Used” as soon as you use it to enter the country or have your ARC issued. Just make sure you have a re-entry sticker in one of your passeports (old/new) and carry your ARC for good measure. That was my experience.

Good luck.

Very clear. Thank you.

One reason I was not sure about this is I’ve never had them ask me for my ARC when going through immigration. What you say makes sense, though, and I will do this when the time comes.

They won’t; at least they didn’t for me. But since Taiwan law stipulates that we, as well as locals, are supposed to carry our government issued IDs or some form of legible copy at all times, it’s always good to have. Afterall, it’s your proof of residence. Good luck.

I also want to thank everyone for good, useful replies.

I’m certain now that having my old passport intact (albeit marked ‘cancelled’ by the US dept. of state) will not affect the validity of the embarkation paper stapled in on my most recent return.

I’m still uncertain about whether or not I have to get a new resident visa.

This is the big sucker they stick in your passport once you are officially here and employed - issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Bureau of Consular Affairs. This is an office seperate from the National Police Administration that issues the ARC and puts the re-entry visa sticker into a passport.

This is NOT the visa Citizen K notes that “is stamped “Used” as soon as you use it to enter the country or have your ARC issued.” That’s the entry visa, and yes, as CK noted, that’s stamped as used in my passport. (Mine was a 60-day visitor visa).

This consular affairs visa covers a full page with a flowery little ‘visa’ imprint on the top left corner and an octagonal window with a dragon’s head below that.

I guess I know now that I can leave and return holding both passports; I just wonder if I’ve gotta go to consular affairs for a new big sucker. I guess I’ve got to.

Thanks again, and, anyway - “They’re nihlists, Donny, nothing to be afraid of.”

Right?

No, you do NOT need a new resident visa. Once you have your ARC and Re-entry permit, your resident visa is completely irrelevant anymore. From then on it is your ARC that constitutes proof of residence, and your Re-entry permit that says you can enter and leave the ROC as a resident. Nobody will ever look at your resident visa ever again once you have an ARC. (Update: I’ve been told that you need to show your Resident Visa if you ever apply for an APRC.)

That said, the ROC recognizes all visas and re-entry permits whether they are in your current or your previous passport. That includes resident visas, though since you already have an ARC, that’s irrelevant. But if you still think your resident visa is useful for something, it’s still recognized even if it is in your old passport.

As an example, I last renewed my passport when I still had 6 months left on my ARC and Re-Entry permits. When entering and leaving the ROC between when I received my new passport and renewed my ARC and Re-Entry permits, I presented both passports. They looked at my Re-Entry permit in the old, then put the stamp and paperwork in the new passport. When I renewed my ARC before it expired, they put a new Re-Entry permit in my new passport. Since then I have travelled only using my new passport. My resident visa is in my old passport. I have never been asked to see my resident visa, because I only need an ARC and Re-Entry permit to enter and leave the ROC as a resident.

Upon receiving your new passport you can also go to the foreign affairs police office and apply for a new Re-Entry permit. The service is free and should only take a few minutes if you don’t go at a busy time. That would allow you to only travel with one passport.

Clear enough?