We should make an initiation ceremony for new people who get their APRCs. I would suggest dunking them in something.
So I finally got around to start the process too.
On Monday I went to Banqiao to check if the records are all in order before I start running around for documents and checks etc.
I didn’t call for an appointment, just walked up to 2nd floor, asked where to go and a nice lady waved me over. She took my ARC and checked on the computer and said all is good to go. I got that sheet with the information which documents are needed, the advice in what order to start (police background check) and which hospital to go for the health check.
Tuesday I went to the Austrian representative office to apply for the police background check. They took a copy of my passport and charged a bit under 1000 NTD. Thursday they called me that it’s done. Only thing to do now is going to MOFA here in Taipei to get it stamped and the first part is done. I really thought it would be more painful but so far it’s smooth sailing. I might end up having the APRC sooner than I expected.
I will keep posting any major progress of course.
Almost forgot, the lady in Banqiao was Nicole Chou and English was no problem at all.
Yiayio! Best of luck and smooth sailing.
[quote=“mingshah”]So I finally got around to start the process too.
On Monday I went to Banqiao to check if the records are all in order before I start running around for documents and checks etc.
I didn’t call for an appointment, just walked up to 2nd floor, asked where to go and a nice lady waved me over. She took my ARC and checked on the computer and said all is good to go. I got that sheet with the information which documents are needed, the advice in what order to start (police background check) and which hospital to go for the health check.
Tuesday I went to the Austrian representative office to apply for the police background check. They took a copy of my passport and charged a bit under 1000 NTD. Thursday they called me that it’s done. Only thing to do now is going to MOFA here in Taipei to get it stamped and the first part is done. I really thought it would be more painful but so far it’s smooth sailing. I might end up having the APRC sooner than I expected.
I will keep posting any major progress of course.
Almost forgot, the lady in Banqiao was Nicole Chou and English was no problem at all.[/quote]
Is it translated and stamped by the Austrian TECO?
Nope, the office here gave me a trilingual document (German, English and Chinese) and I was told I just need to go to MOFA to get it authenticated. The document is issued from the office here in Taipei, not from Austria. Seems that’s the option © on that checklist I got.
Lucky you … no run around in Austria for stamps and translations … seems the Austrian office is more efficient than than the Belgian. If the MOFA here accepts the signatures of the Austrian office it’s OK to go.
I really wonder why they can’t make this a European standard.
Lucky you … no run around in Austria for stamps and translations … seems the Austrian office is more efficient than than the Belgian. If the MOFA here accepts the signatures of the Austrian office it’s OK to go.[/quote]
The director of the Austrian office checked with MOFA for me to make sure and he said they know him there so it should be no problem. Of course I am long enough in Taiwan to expect somehow somewhere a hick-up along the line so I don’t want to get to optimistic till I really have that APRC card in hand…
So I went to the BOCA this week and gave in my police record plus a copy, showed my passport and paid 400 NTD. Takes two days till you can pickup the document, the copy stays at BOCA. BOCA is at No. 2-2 Jinan Rd which is just 2 blocks south of Zhongxiao East Rd., follow Zhongshan South Rd. and turn left, 2nd or 3rd building on the right side, standing a bit back from the road. Just go up to 3rd floor over the escalator, turn right and right again to go to the back area, counter 28-30 do the authentication.
So far it took me all together 10 days to get the police background check done from start to finish, starting with the rest now. Wish me luck.
[quote=“mingshah”]So I went to the BOCA this week and gave in my police record plus a copy, showed my passport and paid 400 NTD. Takes two days till you can pickup the document, the copy stays at BOCA. BOCA is at No. 2-2 Jinan Rd which is just 2 blocks south of Zhongxiao East Rd., follow Zhongshan South Rd. and turn left, 2nd or 3rd building on the right side, standing a bit back from the road. Just go up to 3rd floor over the escalator, turn right and right again to go to the back area, counter 28-30 do the authentication.
So far it took me all together 10 days to get the police background check done from start to finish, starting with the rest now. Wish me luck.[/quote]
Good Luck 
.
I just got back from the Taoyuan NIA because I got a new passport and also needed to change my APRC to match my passport number. That was easy and painless, I just had to bring a copy of the information page of my new passport, one photo, my old passport, and I had to fill out a few parts of the APRC application form. I didn’t have to wait, I just called ahead of time to see if APRC agent was in today. She was, I just walked in and she helped me immediately. I was in and out in 10 min. The service was free, but I have to wait 2 weeks until my new APRC is ready for pickup.
The real reason I am posting is because I asked my APRC Agent Vivian Tseng if the minimum wage is going to increase again. She said it will for next year. She said starting in January of 2013 your consolidated gross income for the year will have to be at least $450,480nt. This is a pretty big jump compared to what it used to be. So don’t screw yourself if you plan to get apply for you APRC next year. Don’t rely on the website for updates either. Call your APRC officer personally to get the correct information.
Thanks for sharing this absolutely vital information! 
Summary. Anyone who intends to submit an application for the APRC after January 1, 2013, must earn, declare and pay taxes on a gross income of at least $450,480 for the 2012 tax year. That’s this year kiddies and three months have already expired. Make sure you declare above this amount to ensure that your 2013 APRC application will pass.
:no-no:
I have been living in Taiwan for 7 years. The first 2 1/2 years I worked as a lecturer for a public university and then I left Taiwan only to come back a couple months later as a PhD student. Here is the question. I will graduate in 2013 when I hope to start work as an assistant professor in a new university. During my time as a student, I have had a work permit (it’s applied by my university) and have paid tax on the little bit of money I have received. I am wondering then do I still need to work for five more years after I get my new job or could I apply after working one year and meeting the minimum income requirements? Or does that time as a student just not count?
Thanks for sharing this absolutely vital information!
Summary. Anyone who intends to submit an application for the APRC after January 1, 2013, must earn, declare and pay taxes on a gross income of at least $450,480 for the 2012 tax year. That’s this year kiddies and three months have already expired. Make sure you declare above this amount to ensure that your 2013 APRC application will pass.
:no-no:[/quote]
Thanks for the info. I will be applying in 2013, so in January I started having my employer declare and collect taxes on $38,000/month ($456,000/year), well over the limit at the time. Now I’m glad I went with that figure.
Question is: is your ARC as a student or as a teacher? If your ARC says you are a student, I am sorry, but time as a student does not count. If your ARC said that you were a worker, and then study is on teh side, it would have been another story. Even though you have worked part time and earned some salary -which I think that as a part-time lecturer won’t be enough to qualify as per the rules of double the minumum income in a year- that doe snot mean you are a “worker” and hence making your time “working” as lecturer count.
Hope that is clear, if not feel free to ask.
Question is: is your ARC as a student or as a teacher? If your ARC says you are a student, I am sorry, but time as a student does not count. If your ARC said that you were a worker, and then study is on teh side, it would have been another story. Even though you have worked part time and earned some salary -which I think that as a part-time lecturer won’t be enough to qualify as per the rules of double the minumum income in a year- that doe snot mean you are a “worker” and hence making your time “working” as lecturer count.
Hope that is clear, if not feel free to ask.[/quote]
Thanks for the reply. 
For the last 5 years my ARC has been a student ARC but the 2 1/2 years before that it was a work ARC. So the 2 1/2 years from before is lost, right? Do I need to start over once I graduate for an additional 5 years of work with a work ARC before I can apply? It is 5 years, right? Only the last year of work needs to have double the minimum income, right?
Question is: is your ARC as a student or as a teacher? If your ARC says you are a student, I am sorry, but time as a student does not count. If your ARC said that you were a worker, and then study is on teh side, it would have been another story. Even though you have worked part time and earned some salary -which I think that as a part-time lecturer won’t be enough to qualify as per the rules of double the minumum income in a year- that doe snot mean you are a “worker” and hence making your time “working” as lecturer count.
Hope that is clear, if not feel free to ask.[/quote]
Thanks for the reply.
For the last 5 years my ARC has been a student ARC but the 2 1/2 years before that it was a work ARC. So the 2 1/2 years from before is lost, right? Do I need to start over once I graduate for an additional 5 years of work with a work ARC before I can apply? It is 5 years, right? Only the last year of work needs to have double the minimum income, right?[/quote]
Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep. Not sure, it’s total assets or salary. Disclaimer: this is AFAIK, check with NIA for details, as long as you have work authorization. We do not want to open a can of worms, do we?
Hello everybody,
I’ve been living in Taiwan for almost 8 years now and just last week I picked up my APRC. I am also married to a local girl for almost 4 years now. This whole 8 years I’ve been working for one local company and I had little need for any APRCs. But last year someone said it might be a good idea to get it so I did This is going to sound silly, but once I have it, I actually do not know what to do with it and what is it good for 
Honestly. When I google around I find a lot of info how to get it, but nothing on WHY to get it.
So: I suspect that now I can quit my job any time I like and stay in Taiwan as long as I like, even though I am unemployed? Actually I’ve been toying with this idea - a month-long vacation after being a corporate slave for so long
I also understand that since I am married to a local girl, I have a ‘permanent work permit’ by default and I don’t need any ‘open work permits’ ?
Well now. There are many different thoughts and opinions on this topic. Here’s mine.
Firstly, being married to a Taiwanese and on a JFRV ARC doesn’t give you a “permanent work-permit”. It only gives you unrestricted work rights as long as you stay married to a Taiwanese and as long as your JFRV ARC is valid. There’s no actual permit involved and it’s hardly considered permanent.
Some people say that because you are married to a Taiwanese, that you don’t need to apply for the OWP and that you have open work rights by default. Previously, you had a JFRV based ARC and on the back it clearly showed your spouse’s name as your sponsor. No question whatsoever that as a foreigner married to a Taiwanese that you have unrestricted work rights. However, now that you have an APRC, you are only beholden to yourself. You are no longer sponsored by your Taiwanese spouse, although you are still married. In fact, nowhere on your APRC does it show an employer or a Taiwanwese spouse as your sponsor. Basically, you have no proof on your APRC that you are married to a Taiwanese and therefore by extension have unrestricted work rights. Further, you could go to the HHRO with your wife right now and be divorced within 5 minutes and nothing regarding your APRC will have changed between the time you were married with an APRC and divorced with an APRC.
Also, official government policy regarding legal employment in conjuction with an APRC is that the holder must also have an Open-Work Permit. They conveniently make no mention of whether or not the OWP is still required if the APRC holder is also married to a Taiwanese.
If a government official felt like giving you a hassle for not having an Open-Work Permit in conjuction with your APRC, they could. After all, without carrying your wife in your back pocket, a copy of your marriage license, a recent printout of your household registration, how are you going to prove that you are married with only your APRC in your hand?
I choose not to be hassled. I have an APRC and the required OWP although I’ve been married to a Taiwanese for nearly 20 years.
Thanks! I think I’ll apply for OWP, what the heck.
And what about the first question? I.e can I quit and legally stay in Taiwan being unemployed however long I want? I don’t plan to collect any benefits, I just need a rest
Yeah…it’s really no hassle at all. Say hey to Mr. Liu for me if you see him. He’s the bomb!
[quote=“Utumno”]And what about the first question? I.e can I quit and legally stay in Taiwan being unemployed however long I want? I don’t plan to collect any benefits, I just need a rest [/quote]Yep. You’re cool. Put your wife to work. Make her be the bread winner for the family. Be a househusband. Cook, clean, watch TV, relax, surf, live off your savings, win the lottery, open up your own business, etc.
Benefits? You might have an APRC, but you ain’t going to get shit as a lousy foreigner who voluntarily quits his job to gold brick around! :no-no: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: :roflmao: