So I’ve got a question in regards to the 6 month ARC extension that was granted to me a few weeks ago. I quit my job in the middle of June, and applied for and received the 6 month extension, with the plan of going home for a couple months, then return to Taiwan to begin my job hunt. The officers at the immigration office in Taichung assured me that it is fine to leave the country while on this extension, and that the time that I have put in towards the 5 years for getting APRC would not be reset to zero. So I have come home feeling pretty confident that things are in place. However I just received an e-mail from a friend, who went to the immigration office in Jilong, who had immigration officers tell her that one is not allowed to leave the country when granted this 6 month extension, and that if there is this extended break between work contracts at schools, then the time put towards getting APRC would be reset.
So now I’m not sure which office is giving me the facts, and which is out to lunch. So I’d like to ask if any of you have had any related experience, and if you believe that the APRC time was not reset, are you 100% sure of this, and how are you sure? I’m really shooting to get APRC, and would be pretty upset if end up losing the time that I’ve built up.
Thanks for any help you can give me!
Do you still have a physical ARC card (with a new date - the 6 months)? Does it still say multiple entry in red letters?
Yeah, it does. That should mean that I’m fine, right?
I just came back in the country on a 6-month ARC extension after a month holidays abroad. Absolutely no problem, e-gate still works and all. No need to worry about getting back in Taiwan.
For the APRC clock, I was assured by the Taipei NIA that the extension would not reset it as long as I changed back to a work ARC within the 6 month period. They even gave me the exact date at which I can apply for my APRC (next year), while granting me the extension. Unfortunately that’s the only “proof” I have - as this extension is relatively new, there probably aren’t many people yet who’ve benefited from it and then applied for their APRC. If there are it’d be great to hear from them.
That’s good to know, thanks for sharing that! The people at the Taichung office seemed to give me the exact same info as what you received, so I’m thinking it must be correct, and that the Jilong office is mixed up. If anyone else has experience, it’d be nice to hear!
Does anyone here have any experience with or information about whether or not it’s possible to further extend the 6 month ARC extension?
Bump