Any update on JFRV? two questions

Legal Legal - Marriage
#1

I’m getting married later this month, and am still confused as to how to go about getting the JFRV. I was recently at what used to be the foreign affairs office, and was told that no health check was necessary. I specifically asked if it were required by the office in Taipei that she referred me to to get the JFRV and she said that no, it wasn’t. Has anyone had any recent (like in the last month) experience with this?

My second question is, how long does each step take? Can all the hoop-jumping be done in under 2 weeks? less?

Thank you for any info you might have. btw, if it matters, I’m Canadian.

Hank

#2

When I got mine it took me about a month from start to finish. I think 2 weeks is a bit aggressive but possible. The main hitch will be getting your clean criminal record, which can be quite time consuming depending on where you get it from (mine took about 10 minutes). You can get the resident visa done in Taipei at MOFA BOCA if you have an extendable visa, otherwise you will need to apply at a representative office abroad.

#3

It seems rather odd to me that you’d no longer be required to have a health check done. This would be against the interests of the TW government. But then again, this IS Taiwan & if the regulations have been altered drastically of late, I reckon that it shouldn’t come as a huge shock.

As Jlick has quite correctly added, getting your CCRD is much more pressing, & I’d suggest strongly that you do this ASAP,especially if you’re South African as the current dispensation, (as you might well be aware of) is breathtakingly inefficient. (Positions having been filled by affirmative action candidates …)

#4

I did it recently. The health check is still needed.

#5

Well, what exactly is needed and what oracle of wisdom is one to consult on this matter??? The website (boca.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=186 … e=113&mp=2) has two different views in English and Chinese neither of which accurately correspond to each other. The new Immigration office has another set of needs (rules?) and, in any event, just refer you to the MOFA in Kaohsuing (or Taipei) who once again have their own set of rules. Amongst this jungle of confusion, no one seems certain as to which documents need to be authenticated by the Taiwan consular office in your home country.
The list of documents needed as supplied by the Immigration Office in Tainan even goes as far as to state that the Medical certificate you do IN TAIWAN needs to go to your home country to be authenticated by the Taiwan consular (Trade?) office in your home country… :loco:

Also, consulting any mates who did this before January is useless, as the office which handles visas for foreign spouses has changed as well as the rules regarding this. If anything, it’s become more petty and rigorous…

#6

By the way, the NNFS has this as the requirements:
nt.tainan.com/nnfs/nnfs_jfrv-app.pdf

However, it should be noted that the date on this is Sept 1, 2000. That’s seven years ago and is no doubt largely useless. It could be accepted that all those requirements are still required, in addition to other hoops we now have to jump through…

#7

From what I have researched, checked on the internet, and asked at the various “responsible” offices, it seems this is required (some points may vary depending on who you ask):

  1. Copy of household registration (aka Family book)
    1a. The original and a copy of your ARC/PARC (not sure if this needs to be authenticated either)
  2. Marriage registration certificate from your home country (authenticated by the Taiwanese consular office in you home country)
    2a. Marriage certificate issued in Taiwan if married here (whether this needs to be authenticated by a Tw consular office depends on who you ask)
  3. Police Clearance certificate (authenticated by the Taiwanese concular office in your home country)
  4. Medical test, including psychological evaluation (one source always needs this authenticated by the Tw consular office in your home country, although I suspect that is if you have it done abroad and aren’t currently in Taiwan)
  5. Passport, and a copy of your passport and all the relevant pages (whether that needs to be authenticated by the Tw consular office depends on who you ask)
  6. Two 2" by 2" colour photographs
  7. Resident visa (JSRV/JFRV) application form
  8. Fees; this varies anywhere between NT$1800 and NT$6800 depending on the source, not including NT$1000 per year of visa validity…

AND 9. [color=red]Other requested documents for certain individual cases.[/color]

With all that done, timing is still important, as the Police Clearance certificate and Medical test is only valid for three months from the date it was issued…

Who knows what else is needed. I have heard it said that they now also require individual interviews with both parties (of the marriage) in order to determine that it is a bona fide marriage and not a scam to get a visa for a hooker… :loco:

#8

The Resident Visa fee is based on reciprocity so it varies depending on your nationality. The Resident Visa is only valid for 15 days after being used (either by entering the country, or if issued in Taiwan it will be stamped used when issued) during which time you apply for an ARC. The ARC fee is $1000 per year of validity. Once you have the ARC then your Resident Visa is no longer needed. For marriage ARCs you are allowed 1 year of validity for the initial ARC and then can renew up to 3 years at a time thereafter.

As to your other points, when I did it, which was a while ago, only foreign issued documents needed authentication. Indeed, TECO representative offices will ONLY authenticate documents issued within their territory, so I don’t see how you could get an overseas TECO office to authenticate a Taiwan issued document.

#9

The Resident Visa fee is based on reciprocity so it varies depending on your nationality. The Resident Visa is only valid for 15 days after being used (either by entering the country, or if issued in Taiwan it will be stamped used when issued) during which time you apply for an ARC. The ARC fee is $1000 per year of validity. Once you have the ARC then your Resident Visa is no longer needed. For marriage ARCs you are allowed 1 year of validity for the initial ARC and then can renew up to 3 years at a time thereafter.

As to your other points, when I did it, which was a while ago, only foreign issued documents needed authentication. Indeed, TECO representative offices will ONLY authenticate documents issued within their territory, [color=red]so I don’t see how you could get an overseas TECO office to authenticate a Taiwan issued document.[/color][/quote]

Exactly, but trying telling that to a clerk who believes she has all the answers…

#10

The office in Taichung is saying that a CCRD from the NPA is only acceptable if you have had an ARC for the last five years. All other visas, you need to get it from your home country. The Canadian trade oriffice was going to check on this for me since I’ve lived here for almost nine years on various visas. Previously, a CCRD combined with a Record of Entry and Exit proving that you have lived here for at least five years was fine afaik.
Anyone shed any light on this issue?

#11

i’m in process of getting JFRV.
Recently together with my wife i’ve been on interview in MOFA. They surprised me with letter where they told about interview. Before i’ve read their site and called many times about required documents and whole procedure. NO BODY told about interview. Everything looked like i’m under criminal examination. My wife and me have been interrogated independently with video and audio recording! They said there is also “safety button” in room for some cases. I felt myself being in prison and interragating before execution. Room environment had suitable condition as well. Only door haven’t been bullet-proof and window had no bars.
And for what purpose whole this theater?? Just to get TEMPORAL ARC based on marriage? Nobody stopped us from marry, the same way. By their vision we can marry but not exactly can live together. Isn’t it against basic human or family rights? Whole process looks like i’m applying for not less than citizenship. I don’t understand their procedure. Why i have to know everything about my wife? What if we just married and i wasn’t so curious about her family yet, but at the same time i want to live with my wife? That’s ridiculous to go through all MOFA’s humiliating procedures just to get temporal residency. Good that i have working visa and can stay with my wife without JFRV now, but i can’t realize how we could be together without working visa.
If they really need to be sure our marriage is true then at least they could come to our home, ask neiborhouds, ask people who i’m contacting often. Later, after so-called interview (call it as anything else than interrogating i simple can’t) me and my wife tried to match questions and found misunderstandings like: she has question “how many people are in your family” while i had “how many people live in my wife parent’s house”, which is in our case is completely different things. Either interviewer badly translated the question to english or something else. English is not my native language. In their letter it has been clearly written that i can provide translator to my language which actually i wanted to do. But just before door interviewer said that my english is good enough (although i saw interviewer first time) and didn’t let my friend to follow. In letter they asked me to prepare proof of our co-living like photos, phone-bill (how phone-bill can proof?), my financial proof. While discussion interviewer didn’t ask neither about photo nor about any other papers. I had to remind about it by myself… After all, i left disappointed by this interrogating.
They said i can take back my passport after one week. Only at that time i will know did they issue visa or not… My nervous at the edge already. After almost a year of dealing with all papers to make application JFRV possible my health is noticeably damaged.

i already started to hate this country! The only one reason why i continue to go through all this shit is my wife.
Probably if interviewer would ask me (fortunately she didn’t) “why you came to Taiwan?”, i would answer “I already don’t know” or something like “Did i?”. Sometimes i’m thinking that if i would brake with my girlfriend before marriage then it could be better for her and for me. In additional to not clear future about my presence in Taiwan (no body knows what reason government will find to deport me or refuse extend ARC because there is no acceptable condition to get citizenship) we have to start our married life from such bullshit.

Can somebody explain me why while applying for working visa i don’t need go through medical examination, but to apply for JFRV i need? May be i’m so stupid, but after long time of thinking i didn’t find difference. In both cases i can stay in Taiwan, but in case of working visa i can spread possible disease freely while in case of JFRV can’t. I simple don’t see any logic. Looks like blind copies from laws of other countries gathered together.

There is no laws in Taiwan. Every ministry can create rule by them self without worry how it correlates to official law.
Anybody want to talk about humans rights in Taiwan?
Our cat has more rights here than me!

#12

Unfortunately Tairus,you may be considered by the government as being of the wrong nationality.There is racial discrimination here in Taiwan against people who are not either Taiwanese or Caucasian.I once worked with a wonderful girl from India who was discriminated heavily against simply because she was not Caucasian.Nevermind that her English was flawless.

So it seems that you find yourself in a bind.I had none of these problems when I got married to my Taiwanese wife two & a half years ago.I don’t know if this is because I’m Caucasian or that they’ve simply started tightening the screws on ALL foreign spouses.

Any Caucasians out there that got married to Taiwanese lately who’ve had similar problems to Tairus?

#13

why Caucasians have priority in Taiwan? i can’t understand relation between these nationalities.

MOFA’s racism begins from first seconds of phone call. After “Hello” and listening my question, first thing they ask is “From which country you are?”…

As for interview: it’s hard to be calm and cool when you has been told there is video/audio recording and “safety button” and remind that i have to answer all questions truly and decision is fully depend on my answers (I knew this, but i would prefer to omit such remind in already nervous environment. I felt myself as criminal and also felt how my temperature went to high degree. It looked like i’m playing Russian roulette and every shoot can be last one.

Well, if they will issue me visa then i will try to forget this nightmare and cure my nerves. But if they will refuse, i’m thinking to start lawsuit against MOFA. What forumosans think about it? Have i chance to win? I’m not talking about enough proof of our marriage, i’m 100% sure i’m eligible for JFRV since they accepted my documents and i have a lot of witness who can proof that our marriage isn’t fake one. I’m talking about possibility to start lawsuit against ministry which is a part of government. Can MOFA just stop lawsuit process forcedly? How big corruption in Taiwan courts and government?

#14

Like many countries, the ROC Immigration Law allows the government to decline visa applications for any reason and without requiring any explanation. You’ll have an uphill battle if you decide to sue. You are more likely to have success by using your spouse’s family connections (if any) and contact your spouse’s legislator for assistance.

#15

[quote=“tairus”]why Caucasians have priority in Taiwan? i can’t understand relation between these nationalities.

[/quote]

That’s a question you’d better ask MOFA.Remember,Taiwan is such a country that when you mention Germany,the first thing that springs to many peoples’ minds is Hitler!Not kidding.

#16

Taiwanderer, you’ve been just lucky to go through it smoothly. I don’t see any reason for them to make priority to Caucasians.
I would say, Americans have much bigger priority than any other. Taiwanese people (and government i guess) really believe that USA will save Taiwan from China :slight_smile: This especially believable after incident when USA gov denied Taiwan’s president to land in USA :wink: Rules which Taiwan gov is making according visa looks like getting green card in America, but i don’t see any similarity between ARC and green card. If government wants to stop fake marriage then they have to think about increase strength of punishment for Taiwanese girls (and men?) doing this instead suspecting every foreigner in crime.

jlick, yes, I’m also thinking that lawsuit from my wife will have more chances for success.
In the letter I’ve got from MOFA, they clearly wrote that they ACCEPTED my documents. So, failing to get visa will mean that interrogating was the cause. I think if i will proof that so-called interview was too rude and scared me and will provide enough proof of our real marriage then MOFA will have no reason to refuse. For court they will have to find reason to deny, i think.

#17

well… after all they didn’t give me JFRV…

#18

I’m sorry to hear that. :s So what are you going to do now,Tairus?What nationality are you?

#19

Have you contacted Hartzell on this site? He has wide experience of helping non-caucasians with this kind of thing. I recommend that you get in touch with him.

#20

Have you contacted Hartzell on this site? He has wide experience of helping non-caucasians with this kind of thing. I recommend that you get in touch with him.[/quote]

That’d be a good call,Tairus.If Sandman’s advice to me on another issue is anything to go by,I’d heartily suggest that you do contact Hartzell.

I wish you all the best,mate.