APRC Application Procedures (Official Checklist)

[quote=“david37”]Chris
I did mine last July and it took eight weeks to get it done. I filled out the forms and sent in my fingerprint card and seven weeks later, to the day, my background check arrived. As it was getting close to the time I needed to leave for Taiwan, I hand carried it to the LA AIT office, but they informed me that I would have to send it to the DC office for the official AIT stamp. That took an additional week for a total of eight.
Hope this helps.[/quote]
And to fill out the forms, where did you go? County courthouse?

[quote=“Chris”][quote=“david37”]Chris
I did mine last July and it took eight weeks to get it done. I filled out the forms and sent in my fingerprint card and seven weeks later, to the day, my background check arrived. As it was getting close to the time I needed to leave for Taiwan, I hand carried it to the LA AIT office, but they informed me that I would have to send it to the DC office for the official AIT stamp. That took an additional week for a total of eight.
Hope this helps.[/quote]And to fill out the forms, where did you go? County courthouse?[/quote]What State are you from? You can go to any law enforcement agency in your State that is authorized to roll finger prints and put them on the FBI’s standard fingerprint card. For the State of Washington, you can go to the Washington State Patrol, or even a local Sheriff’s office. Here is the FBI’s web link that has all of the pertinent information.

FBI Background Check

You can also get your fingerprints rolled at your local NIA office for $100 NTD and put on the FBI fingerprint card (you provide) and send it to the FBI to get it started before you leave Taiwan. If you time it right, the check could be waiting for you when you arrive, then you just need to do the DC TECO endorsement procedure and you’re all set.

I’m from California.

Local NIA office? For Taipei, would that be the one by Xiaonanmen Station (where I process my ARC)?

Where do I get the right fingerprint cards here in Taiwan?

Does the endorsement have to be done by the DC office, or can I get it done at my local TECO in San Francisco?

Once it’s endorsed, is there a time limit?

Thanks. I’m hoping to get this process rolling as soon as I can, but I don’t want to stay in the US so long that time limits expire and I’d have to do it over.

[quote=“Chris”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]You can also get your fingerprints rolled at your local NIA office for $100 NTD and put on the FBI fingerprint card (you provide) and send it to the FBI to get it started before you leave Taiwan. If you time it right, the check could be waiting for you when you arrive, then you just need to do the DC TECO endorsement procedure and you’re all set.[/quote]I’m from California.

Local NIA office? For Taipei, would that be the one by Xiaonanmen Station (where I process my ARC)?

Where do I get the right fingerprint cards here in Taiwan?

Does the endorsement have to be done by the DC office, or can I get it done at my local TECO in San Francisco?

Once it’s endorsed, is there a time limit?

Thanks. I’m hoping to get this process rolling as soon as I can, but I don’t want to stay in the US so long that time limits expire and I’d have to do it over.[/quote]
Chris, dude…my man… You know what? You’ve already asked these questions and I’ve already answered some of them for you. Guess where? ON PAGE 5 OF THIS THREAD! Here, let me refresh your memory.

[quote=“Chris (the absent minded) on December 2, 2009 on page 5 of this thread”]For the FBI background check, do I have to go to the US and do it, or could I get it done while I am in Taiwan? What kind of time scales are we talking about here? (How long does it take between submitting the forms to the FBI and getting the documents from them?)

Also, for the five-year residency requirement: is that five calendar years? Or five years from my first time of entry (provided no absences of over 6 months blah blah blah)? I came in September 2004.[/quote]
And I responded…

[quote=“Northcoast Surfer on December 5, 2009 on page 5 of this thread”]You don’t need to go to the US and do it. You can get it done while you’re here in Taiwan. I just finished mine and it was easy easy easy.

  1. Go to the FBI website which has all the information you need to know about applying for your background check. FBI RECORD IDENTIFICATON REQUEST

  2. Download the FBI’s standard fingerprint form (FD-258) from their website. It’s in PDF format and not protected so you can easily use the computer to type in your information. Then, print it out onto to a standard A4 card stock. Don’t use regular paper. Card stock, card stock, card stock. Make three copies in case the fingerprinting technician screws up.

  3. Take the fingerprint cards you made to the National Immigration Agency. You need to pay $100NTD first, then take the receipt and the fingerprint cards to the technician for fingerprinting. Relax, let them roll your fingers just like the time you were arrested and the police…etc…

  4. Go back to the FBI’s web page and download their easy peasy credit card payment form. It’s also in PDF format. Fill it out. Print it out.

  5. Go back to the FBI’s web page and downoad their easy peasy coverletter for requesting your background check. It’s not protected so you can type your information on it, too. Print it out.

  6. Get a nice mailing envelope and put all three standard fingerprint forms (FD-258), your credit card payment form, your coverletter requesting a background check into it.

  7. Go to the post office and send that bad boy off to the FBI’s processing center.

FBI CJIS Division – Record Request
1000 Custer Hollow Road
Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306

The FBI’s website says that the processing time is 8-10 weeks upon receiving your package. I just sent mine off, so I don’t have any more I can tell you about “time frame”. However, one tip you should remember. Have the FBI send the completed background check to your address in the US, not Taiwan. Why? Because you need to get it translated into Chinese, then send the original FBI background with the Chinese translation off to the DC TECO to be certified, and then have the DC TECO send it to you in Taiwan where you can use it. So, here’s what I’m going to do.

  1. Request has been sent off to the FBI.
  2. They will send it to me at my residence in America. Remember, the FBI will not and can’t send your background check to anyone else but you! Dont’ ask, they won’t do it.
  3. I will tell “myself” to open the background check when it arrives at my address in America, scan it and email me the scan so I can have it translated into Chinese. Afterward, I will email the Chinese translation back to America where it will be printed out by “myself”. I will have “myself” put the Chinese Translation with the original FBI background check into an envelope and send it off to the DC TECO to be certified. I will also pay the highest cost for express certification and mail service so it will get to Taiwan as fast as possible.
  4. Then I will submit my completed, certified by the DC TECO, FBI background check and Chinese translation to the Ministry of the Interior for final processing.[/quote]
    The rest of your questions have been answered in this thread. I guarantee it. It’s currently 9 pages. I recommend that you start with page 1 and read all the way through it.

Chris,
For the forms I went to the FBI website that Northcoast Surfer just mentioned and printed the cover letter and standard fingerprint form. I went to the local Orange County Sheriff’s office in Southern California and for ten bucks they did my fingerprints. They used their own fingerprint form that was identical to the one that I printed, but on heaver paper. I sent this with the cover letter off to West Virginia. After the DC TECO office had put their stamp of approval on it, I carried it with me to Taiwan and had the translation done here in Taipei. I think that you could have most of this done while still here in Taiwan, as long as you have an address in the US and someone there to help forward the FBI Background check to the DC TECO folks.

[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”][quote=“Chris”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]You can also get your fingerprints rolled at your local NIA office for $100 NTD and put on the FBI fingerprint card (you provide) and send it to the FBI to get it started before you leave Taiwan. If you time it right, the check could be waiting for you when you arrive, then you just need to do the DC TECO endorsement procedure and you’re all set.[/quote]I’m from California.

Local NIA office? For Taipei, would that be the one by Xiaonanmen Station (where I process my ARC)?

Where do I get the right fingerprint cards here in Taiwan?

Does the endorsement have to be done by the DC office, or can I get it done at my local TECO in San Francisco?

Once it’s endorsed, is there a time limit?

Thanks. I’m hoping to get this process rolling as soon as I can, but I don’t want to stay in the US so long that time limits expire and I’d have to do it over.[/quote]
Chris, dude…my man… You know what? You’ve already asked these questions and I’ve already answered some of them for you. Guess where? ON PAGE 5 OF THIS THREAD![/quote]
My questions do actually differ somewhat from those other questions.

I assume I can get A4 card stock at any stationery store. I assume I can go to the immigration office near Xiaonanmen MRT Station to get my fingerprints taken. I assume that I can’t just go to the SF TECO once the check is complete; it must be sent to DC. I assume that once it’s certified by TECO, there’s a limited period (1 month? 3 months?) within which to complete the entire APRC application process. I assume the translation to Chinese can be done by any competent translator, not necessarily by a certified agency.

Am I right?

Chris
The finger print card that I sent in was on standard 8.5 x 11 not A4. I don’t think you need to have it on heavy stock paper, that was just what our local Sheriff’s office used. Now that I am here in Taiwan, I would probably just try to liberate a couple of pieces blank A4 paper and do what Northcoast Surfer recommended. If it worked for him…

When I took my background check to the LA TECO office, they explained to me that they only stamp official documents that fall within their jurisdictional area. So if a document is from San Diego it will have to be stamped in LA TECO, and from Las Vegas in SF TECO, and more importantly from Virginia it must be stamped in DC TECO.

I had the translation done in Taipei. The service that did the translation, conveniently (for an additional fee of course) took documents and translations to have them yet stamped again at a Taipei court house.(I think it was like having the translation notarized. not sure) I can send you details if you would like.

I’m not sure exactly how the time limit works.
Perhaps someone with more knowledge of the rules can answer this question.

edit:
I removed some grammar errors.

Great! Thanks!

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and will be there April 7 - June 7 (tentatively). So I’ll bring my background check in person to the TECO office in SF. If they then tell me to send it to DC, I’ll leave enough time for that.

I just found a stationery store where they have card stock of many colors, patterns and textures, but among them is plain white non-glossy, and is thick enough to qualify as card but thin enough to place in a printer. I’ll be printing this out tomorrow, and I’ll go to the NIA office by Xiaonanmen Station, basement, Window 48, armed with NT$100 and the printed cards.

Then I can prepare to send the FBI background check request.

Question: The application says that this is valid for 3 months. Is that 3 months from the date that the FBI releases it, or from the date TECO stamps it?

Question: I’d also like to get a head start on translating the background check… any samples of what one looks like? (I plan to translate it myself, then get a native speaker to check the grammar and usage, since it’s TECO that actually verifies/notarizes the translation.)

APRC success has been achieved. Just paid my 10000 Zhang Kai Sheqels today. Card to be picked up in two weeks. I will directly proceed to the labour bureau to apply for the open work permit.

In response to the questions:

-For the criminal record check, it’s valid for three months starting from the date the originating office stamped it (in your case the FBI)
-As for the translation, as long as the content is accurately translated, that’s the main thing. I had a friend do the translation for me and I just tried to copy the layout of the original as best I could in MS Word and it was good enough.

A word of advice to those who are applying and are getting toward the end of the 3-month validity period of their criminal record check and are still waiting to receive it from TECO etc.: When you call Taiwanese immigration to finally book your appointment for your “interview” and document submission, you might want to do it early because I had to book my appointment almost 2 weeks ahead (in Taipei).

Thanks to NC Surfer for the details on applying for the open work permit.

Congratulations and welcome to the club. :bravo:

Woo Hoo, Welcome welcome! Congratulations. :bravo:

I’ve got it today too! :slight_smile:
It took only 3 weeks from application date (NIA of Taipei County).

[quote=“tairus”]I’ve got it today too! :slight_smile:
It took only 3 weeks from application date (NIA of Taipei County).[/quote]Woot woot! :bravo: Congratulations! Freedom! You are now your own person.

Hey,I told you that the wait wouldn’t kill you! Did you take my chill pill?

Don’t forget to go and get your Open-Work Permit, here’s the thread for the step by step guide. Once you have that, the circle is complete!

Just came back from Open Work application :slight_smile:

Yeah, your pill, work and 115km by bike on the north coast is a good chill-out.

The lady in the front desk there must be scratching her head about the steady stream of furriners armed with a printed guide… :laughing:

About changing from Work ARC to JFRV ARC:
I had work ARC 3 years and then married to taiwanese and changed it to JFRV ARC. So 3yrs Work ARC + 2yrs JFRV ARC was enough to apply for APRC.
I’ve explicitly asked in NIA Banqiao is it really OK? The lady said “It’s OK because there is no break in your residency”. I’ve changed ARC here in Taiwan without leaving. It was really hard to do because MOFA demanded to cancel my Work ARC, go back to my original country and apply for JFRV in representative Taipei office in my country. If i would do so, i couldn’t apply for APRC 3 more years.

So, changing your ARC without leave Taiwan is IMPORTANT thing!

[quote=“tairus”]About changing from Work ARC to JFRV ARC:
I had work ARC 3 years and then married to taiwanese and changed it to JFRV ARC. So 3yrs Work ARC + 2yrs JFRV ARC was enough to apply for APRC.[/quote]I thought that I read in a previous posting of yours that you had an employment based ARC first, then you got married to a Taiwanese and subsequently applied for the JFRV marriage ARC, but after a bad immigration interview you were denied the JFRV marriage ARC, so I thought you just stayed in Taiwan on your employment ARC for another two years and then applied for your APRC.

[quote=“tairus on April 19, 2007”]well… after all they didn’t give me JFRV…[/quote]What happened with the JFRV rejection? Did you appeal? File a lawsuit? I remember you talking about trying to get in touch with Hartzell to get some help in finding out why the government was discriminating against you for getting the JFRV.

I didn’t give up. I’ve requested my wife to help (sice marriage is not only my own problem). So, finally she found one known legislator (or his assistant - i don’t know) who helped us to meet that consul and talk. So, at the end of 2007 i’ve got JFRV ARC.

Actually, my marriage is a big mistake. There were many things tried t prevent marriage, registration of it in my country, getting JFRV… But i didn’t listen to it. Well, sometimes you should listen to signs…

[quote=“tairus”]I didn’t give up. I’ve requested my wife to help (sice marriage is not only my own problem). So, finally she found one known legislator (or his assistant - i don’t know) who helped us to meet that consul and talk. So, at the end of 2007 i’ve got JFRV ARC.

Actually, my marriage is a big mistake. There were many things tried t prevent marriage, registration of it in my country, getting JFRV… But i didn’t listen to it. Well, sometimes you should listen to signs…[/quote]I salute your persistence, perseverance, and intenstinal fortitude in not giving up although you were faced with all those difficulties. I’m sorry that your marriage isn’t working out. However, now that you’ve got an APRC, you won’t have to leave Taiwan if you do end up getting divorced. That’s a positive spin, I guess. Of course, you need to have your wife agree to the divorce if you decide to go through with it. And, she’ll probably demand a large cash payment for granting you a divorce. I wish you good luck.

Just FYI: the window for getting fingerprints taken at the Taipei NIA office on Guangzhou St. is Window 58, in the basement.

Questions regarding fingerprint application:

On the Cover Letter, is “Requestor’s Address” (as opposed to mailing address) my US address or my current Taiwan address?

On the fingerprint card, is “Residence of Person Fingerprinted” my US address or current Taiwan address?