by the way, I just read on Ottawa’s TECO site that they require a notarized and authenticated copy of the applicant’s passport in order to be authenticated. So I do have to go up to the Canadian Consulate in Taipei to get a photocopy of my passport notarized, then over to BOCA to get it authenticated, then mail that to my sister in Canada, then have her mail my criminal record check from the RCMP along with my notarized and authenticated passport photocopy over to the TECO office in Ottawa. IS this correct? Is this what you guys did?
This part proved to be a pain in the butt because they don’t quite seem to have “money orders” here. Even with a Taiwanese husband in tote it still was confusing. Everywhere wanted to give me a “bank draft” which seemed fine except they said once the receiving end gets it, it would take a month before the funds would be released to them. I’m still confused by all this. Anyway finally went to MegaBank and they seemed to know what I needed.
I can’t really answer this with confidence. I’d just call the trade office to run it by them and maybe if you feel worried call the RCMP office and run it by them too? I think the problem would be that the fingerprints form that the Canadian Trade Office gives you would be all in English where the local one probably wouldn’t be so that could cause problems.
I’ll be in the Xinyi area on Thursday and could swing by to pick one up & could mail it to you if you PM me your mailing address.
This doesn’t sound familiar to me. Can you show me where on the website you found this? I didn’t have any notarizing or authenticating done at the canadian trade office at all. The only part they had in me getting my APRC was handing me my fingerprints form.
Again this sounds strange. I only remember dealing with BOCA at the end and that was to hand them my notarized/authenticated police check with the translated version of the police check. My brain is kind of failing me right now since I was dealing with getting my APRC, getting married, and getting my baby’s dual citizenship all in the same year and a half.
This thread should be tremendously helpful though:
This doesn’t sound familiar to me. Can you show me where on the website you found this? I didn’t have any notarizing or authenticating done at the Canadian trade office at all. The only part they had in me getting my APRC was handing me my fingerprints form.
[/quote]
I found it on this site: taiwanembassy.org/CA/fp.asp? … 9737&mp=78
it says:
By Mail: the original or a notarized photocopy of the applicant’s valid passport or photo ID, for those who are living in Taiwan shall have the photocopy of their valid photo IDs or passports notarized first by their diplomatic/consular missions in Taiwan and then authenticated by the Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Taipei（www.boca.gov.tw）as proof of their identity. The original passport or photo ID will be returned to the applicant after the process.
I would LOVE to not have to do all that… I guess the only solution is to call.
Again, thanks for all the info. Plenty of people post or write about it, but yours was particularly clear
Any follow up on having to submit an authenticated passport when getting you rcmp check authenticated by Teco?
Also, it looks like you have the option of sending your actual passport instead.
[quote=“bobbyanalog”]Any follow up on having to submit an authenticated passport when getting you rcmp check authenticated by Teco?
Also, it looks like you have the option of sending your actual passport instead.[/quote]
I e-mailed TECO but they haven’t replied yet. I am not in a rush to call them because presumably it will take 11 weeks for the criminal record check to be completed (and that’s AFTER I get my fingerprints and send it anyway).
I saw that you can send your passport, but I personally don’t feel comfortable with that.
Do post if you hear anything more. I will do so as well.
Hi again all…
So I got my fingerprints done today (finally) and am ready to send them to the RCMP in Ottawa. BUT, I am stuck on the money order bit. Am I able to send my criminal record check application to my sister in Canada and have her get the money order there for me and then have her forward it on to the RCMP?
Or my only other option (and maybe ONLY option) is to go to MEgabank? Does anyone have any updated info on this procedure? I am in Jhongli. I went to Citibank in Taoyuan today and they had a cheque but nowhere on there did it say money order. I want to get this off ASAP as I am running out of time, but I just don’t know where to go. I went to many banks around here (in Jhongli) and all they had were Bank Drafts.
Thanks for any input
Just in case anyone reads this in the future…
I called the RCMP in Canada last night and found out that a bank draft is the same thing as a money order. Maybe this seems innate to some, but it didn’t to me. That’s what my problem was, I was going around asking for a money order specifically and all the banks said all they had was a bank draft… I thought it had to have the title “money order”!
Anyway, the RCMP officer last night assured me that they are the same thing. So, jsyk, a bank draft is very easy to come by at almost any bank in Taiwan. I live in Jhongli, biked around the corner from my apartment (in a residential neighborhood) this morning and the the first bank I went into gave me one (in CAD) in about 15 minutes.
however… now for the waiting time. RCMP’s website says 4 weeks for a processing time, but recorded message over the phone last night said 10 weeks, and I just read a post on another forum where people are posting about waiting times of 5 months or longer! (these posts are from November and December 2011) 
hopefully the website is the most accurate… anyone have current info on processing times that are better than 5 months… please do reply. 
Would love to hear it!
[quote]however… now for the waiting time. RCMP’s website says 4 weeks for a processing time, but recorded message over the phone last night said 10 weeks, and I just read a post on another forum where people are posting about waiting times of 5 months or longer! (these posts are from November and December 2011)
hopefully the website is the most accurate… anyone have current info on processing times that are better than 5 months… please do reply. Would love to hear it![/quote]
Ha! So it’s not just South Africa? They told me six weeks for a Police Clearance (same on their various websites), but it took more than 6 months, they lost it twice and sent it to the wrong place once.
My Renunciation Certificate was also supposed to take 6 weeks, but ended up taking 42 weeks, and when I finally got it, it still had to be returned to be authenticated, Apostilled and whatnot. Also, I got it in June 2011, and the date of issue was 12 December 2010. :loco:
Good luck with yours. Hope it gets here in record time.
Thanks!
The waiting game begins today 
:neutral:
by the way, you probably know too… I sent my app for the Taiwan criminal record check on a Friday, got it the following Thursday.
Quick efficiency, what a nuisance…
[quote]by the way, you probably know too… I sent my app for the Taiwan criminal record check on a Friday, got it the following Thursday.
Quick efficiency, what a nuisance… [/quote]
Yeah, that’s been my experience with Taiwan. They tell you ten working days, and you get it in 3-5. Which is why I merrily renounced and went this way.
Here is the verdict from TECO in Ottawa regarding sending a photocopy of your passport instead of the original passport, just in case anyone else is curious:
If you were to submit the photocopy of the passport, please note that it has to be the notarized first by the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT, boca.gov.tw) as proof of the identity.
Please note that if you want it sent back express to Taiwan, include an additional $60 CAD, if you prefer regular air mail include an additional $2.03 CAD. This office is not responsible for delayed, lost, or stolen items sent by mail at the applicant’s request.
Regards,
駐加拿大臺北經濟文化代表處 服務組
Services Division
Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada
6-month visitor visa was about to expire (next week) without my ARC yet (b/c RCMP criminal record check not back yet) so went to immigration police with husband today… Canadians don’t need a criminal record check anymore really lucky… I was jut gonna try to get an extension until my criminal record check came… so that running around looking for a bank-- not necessary including money spent on it 
. ARC in process and can go pick it up in a week or two.
Good news for us!
fudge and other edited explitives. I just wrote something and then somehow retardedly closed the browser on myself… it was like slow motion … nooooo. thump (sound of my head hitting my desk).
Anyway I’ve been searching for information, and a lot of what I have found is frustratingly out of date or inaccurate. That or three different (equally reliable) sources tell me three different things. Le sigh.
If I had the money, I would just hop on a plane to Canada and do the digital thing, honestly I’m still thinking about it.
Anyway after playing the run around game with the office here in Taipei (helpful but not fully informed) and calling the RCMP (as suggested by the trade office) and getting shipped around to 4 diff people. None of whom knew what I wanted to know. I finally begged to give an officer my email address and have him ask someone who DID know something to contact me.
Shockingly this worked (no idea how)
And I found out you can also send a American Express travelers cheque instead of a money order. I’m going to try this.
But what I haven’t seen or gotten an answer on, is can I have the RCMP send the Criminal record check directly to the TECO office in Vancouver? And I just mail the documents and whatsits they need directly to them from Taiwan? (so they won’t receive it all in the same envelope but they should get it all. or is this suicide?)
Hold the phone… look at what I just found… it seems it might be possible to mail in physical print but have them digitized to speed the process.
I am so going to investigate this option!!!
canadianlegal.org/fingerprintin/ … ing-times/
investigated and seems all good… I’m going to do it and I’ll let you know what happens… I’m delighted
Not that anyone else seems to be in this thread… but I just used the above link (I called to confirm it wasn’t too good to be true)
And this is the deal, first way easier to pay… you can pay them by credit card. You pay an extra 50 bucks and change (fucking Canada and the plus tax… really on a fucking service… whatever).
You get the fingerprinting document from The Canadian Trade office… (grab a bunch bc they don’t care and the NIA will take the left overs) I got three just in case.
Print some release form from the law office (call them and they will email you) , and photo copy two forms of Canadian ID I used my Drivers licence and my passport.
Go to the NIA, and go downstairs (in taipei) counter 58, the super nice agent will help you fingerprint yourself. I did two forms because I changed my name once in the past. but it was a really long time ago… so sometimes there are issues and sometimes there aren’t. That cost 100nt per set…
The I walked the 5 steps to the post office, the one on the same floor of the NIA, and couriered it to their office. Cost 300nt will take 3-5 days. (… and the length of that depends entirely on Canada post. It was on a plane to Canada by 930 pm that evening.) I sent it to the woman in the office that I had spoken with that day before. Also to make sure I hadn’t made any mistakes, I took photos of every document and of my ID as well and emailed that all to their office. While I was sleeping they confirmed that the photos looked good and that I had included everything needed.
Now I wait. She told me depending on when my documents arrive at their office, I (my friend I’m having it sent to in Canada) may have my criminal record check as early as (I sent it july 13th) july 24rd or 25th. As long as I dont have a record (I don’t) the latest July August 3rd.
So how this is being fast tracked is they have(or at least access to) a special (accepted by the RCMP) Machine that can scan your paper prints into the correct digital format so you can do the digital fasty fasty criminal record check WITHOUT being in Canada.
WIN
Just wondering. I think I didn’t get the right document. I got a police check from the RCMP, but no fingerprinting was involved. Do we really need to do the fingerprinting??
Thanks in advance.