APRC to nationality

[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”][quote=“nemesis”]What are the benefits of a TARC versus APRC? Which perks make it worth renouncing one’s original citizenship? Is the APRC a necessary stepping stone or can you get a TARC with a certain number of years as a resident? Sorry for all the questions…[/quote]A TARC (Taiwan Area Residence Card) is only given to people who have already renounced their nationality and are waiting for one more year to become a full Taiwanese citizen with all rights and privileges. It’s only a temporary status and isn’t something you can get any other way. Here’s the process.

  1. An APRC or ARC holder decides to become a naturalized Taiwan citizen.

  2. After submitting all the necessary paperwork and being qualified for Taiwan citizenship, the government gives you a certificate of candidature which states that if you renounce your current foreign citizenship within one year that you will become a Taiwan national, however, not a Taiwan citizen, yet.

  3. Upon becoming a Taiwan national, you will be given the TARC and this is the status you will maintain for a minimum of 1 year. You must not leave Taiwan during this 1 year “prison sentence” or the clock gets reset and you have to wait another year from the time you return.

  4. After you one year of TARC status is complete, you need to go for one more final health check and upon passing, you will finally become a full Taiwanese citizen. At this time you must turn in your TARC and will receive your regular Taiwan id card and household registration.[/quote]
    Cool. Thanks.

[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]We all know that to get an APRC, every applicant must submit a federal police background check from their home country.

So, when you decide to go from APRC to naturalized Taiwanese citizen, these new rules apply.

  1. If you have an APRC and are applying for naturalization as a single individual, you MUST provide the federal police background check from your home country, again.[/quote]

There is one exception to this rule which only your friendly Household Registration Office can tell you (and this all depends on how friendly they are…)

If you are an APRC holder, which means you previously had a federal police background check in your home country, and had it authenticated, you can actually use the same certificate even though its validity has expired as long as you have not exited Taiwan. again this all depends on how friendly your HHR Office is. having lived both in Taipei City and Taipei County, I can testify that its easier to process your papers (Naturalization or APRC) in Taipei County. And the above information came from my own experience in Tamshui HHR.

[quote=“dasaint”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]We all know that to get an APRC, every applicant must submit a federal police background check from their home country.

So, when you decide to go from APRC to naturalized Taiwanese citizen, these new rules apply.

  1. If you have an APRC and are applying for naturalization as a single individual, you MUST provide the federal police background check from your home country, again.[/quote]There is one exception to this rule which only your friendly Household Registration Office can tell you (and this all depends on how friendly they are…)

If you are an APRC holder, which means you previously had a federal police background check in your home country, and had it authenticated, you can actually use the same certificate even though its validity has expired as long as you have not exited Taiwan. again this all depends on how friendly your HHR Office is. having lived both in Taipei City and Taipei County, I can testify that its easier to process your papers (Naturalization or APRC) in Taipei County. And the above information came from my own experience in Tamshui HHR.[/quote]Yes. That’s absolutely correct! I forgot to mention that. Thanks for bringing it up. And, the caveat is not leaving the Island of Taiwan. So, if you’re an American and you never return to America or an American territory after getting your APRC, you still have to do an FBI background check if you travel to Thailand, Japan, or Korea for instance. Shoebox mentality! :loco:

[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]
4. After the one year of TARC status is complete, you need to go for one more final health check and upon passing, you will finally become a full Taiwanese citizen.[/quote]

I asked this very same question on the other thread, but no one responded. What if someone who is already stateless fails this final health check? For example, what if found to have carrying HIV or something? Are the going to deport him/her (to where) or deny the citizenship?

[quote=“Pioneer Kuro”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]
4. After the one year of TARC status is complete, you need to go for one more final health check and upon passing, you will finally become a full Taiwanese citizen.[/quote]

I asked this very same question on the other thread, but no one responded. What if someone who is already stateless fails this final health check? For example, what if found to have carrying HIV or something? Are the going to deport him/her (to where) or deny the citizenship?[/quote]

No idea. How can they deport you? You wont have citizenship of anywhere else anyways. 10,000 foreigners became citizens last year but no mention if anybody failed the medicals.

[quote=“Pioneer Kuro”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]
4. After the one year of TARC status is complete, you need to go for one more final health check and upon passing, you will finally become a full Taiwanese citizen.[/quote]I asked this very same question on the other thread, but no one responded. What if someone who is already stateless fails this final health check? For example, what if found to have carrying HIV or something? Are the going to deport him/her (to where) or deny the citizenship?[/quote]Sorry, I don’t know either. I’ve never heard of anyone going through the naturalization process all the way through to the TARC and then being denied full citizenship after their one year waiting period. At that point you don’t have full citizenship of any country, but you are considered a Taiwan national. In fact, with the TARC, you are able to work, pay your taxes, and even get your Taiwan passport.

Here’s another piece of information that I haven’t seen discussed yet. It comes from the Naturalization Language Examination. Kind of shocking.

[quote]59. 在歸化國籍後幾年內,如果發現申請歸化時不符合國籍法規定時,內政部就會撤銷歸化國籍之許可?
Zài guīhuà guójí hòu jǐnián nèi, rúguǒ fāxiàn shēnqǐng guīhuà shí bùfúhé guójí fǎguī dìngshí, nèizhèngbù jiù huì chèxiāo guīhuà guójí zhī xǔkě?
How many years after naturalized citizenship, if it is discovered that at the time of naturalization there were [color=#FF0000]discrepancies[/color] with the provisions of Nationality Law, can the Ministry of the Interior [color=#FF0000]repeal[/color] naturalized citizenship?

(1)2年
(2)5年
(3)8年
[color=#FF0000]答案:(2)5年[/color][/quote]
So, even if you get Taiwan citizenship, you still have five years afterward that you need to be aware that it can be stripped from you. Discrepancies? WTF is that supposed to mean? I believe this law is purposely vague to give leaway to dump any newly naturalized citizen for any arbitrary reason. If they take your citizenship away, then what? :loco:

[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]
So, even if you get Taiwan citizenship, you still have five years afterward that you need to be aware that it can be stripped from you. Discrepancies? WTF is that supposed to mean? I believe this law is purposely vague to give leaway to dump any newly naturalized citizen for any arbitrary reason. If they take your citizenship away, then what? :loco:[/quote]

My reading is not “discrepanices”. This line:

means “not conforming to the nationality law”.

To my mind this is equivalent to saying “if you obtained citizenship on fraudulent grounds”…

Feel free to correct my (mis)understanding.

[quote=“spaint”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]
So, even if you get Taiwan citizenship, you still have five years afterward that you need to be aware that it can be stripped from you. Discrepancies? WTF is that supposed to mean? I believe this law is purposely vague to give leaway to dump any newly naturalized citizen for any arbitrary reason. If they take your citizenship away, then what? :loco:[/quote]My reading is not “discrepanices”. This line:

[quote]不符合國籍法規定[/quote]means “not conforming to the nationality law”.

To my mind this is equivalent to saying “if you obtained citizenship on fraudulent grounds”…

Feel free to correct my (mis)understanding.[/quote]I didn’t translate this. Someone else did. You’re probably right, but still, I was more concerned with the 5 years provision. I mean, you give up your previous citizenship and become a Taiwan citizen, and then for some reason within the next 5 years the government decides to rescind your citizenship, then what?

Then you fight… legally. I mean, there has to be a legal reason for them to rescind it, say, false documents.

It’s like I have heard many people say: why get the APRC? What if in the future the Taiwanese government decides that they do not want to recognize those anymore? Then how about your 10 thousand dollars?

First of all, we supposedly live in a country allegedly following the rule of law. I cannot begin to imagine the circunstaces under which a country could legally do so without much bruhaha/loss of face/complications. And G’ment abhor complications. Why make their lives so difficult?

Now, back to the question: if you got married for nationality, you would be kicked out when they find out. Same if they found out, aha, you have commited a vicious crime, either here or back home. Then here they have the right to first lock you up, and then, when they get tired of you, kick you out of the Island without citizen rights, like voting.

[quote=“Satellite TV”][quote=“Pioneer Kuro”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]
4. After the one year of TARC status is complete, you need to go for one more final health check and upon passing, you will finally become a full Taiwanese citizen.[/quote]

I asked this very same question on the other thread, but no one responded. What if someone who is already stateless fails this final health check? For example, what if found to have carrying HIV or something? Are the going to deport him/her (to where) or deny the citizenship?[/quote]

No idea. How can they deport you? You wont have citizenship of anywhere else anyways. 10,000 foreigners became citizens last year but no mention if anybody failed the medicals.[/quote]

Thanks Sat.TV, just wanted to know what would happen upon discovering of such final health check failure. I know (all of you might know) famous ICRT disc jockey Charles Mack (巧克力) also known as “hot chocolate” was deported within seven days after he was found to have carrying “syphilis” even though he was married to a local at the time of his deportation. Anyway I will ask HHR or MOI people when I visit there around next week.

Ok, I was on leave today , so I decided to find a clear answer to the question raised by myself, and here is what I got.
My wife called HHR , MOI and NIA today and asked “What if someone failed the final health check?” guess what? NO ONE KNOWS. LOL! :roflmao:

Here are some plain stupid parts of this naturalization process

  1. Renunciation of original nationality
  2. Final health check
  3. Asking you to wait for a year to get the real ID
  4. Reset the clock if you leave Taiwan within that year

I have no idea why they are doing these?

[quote=“Icon”]OK, here’s the deal. If you have APRC, then in order to get nationality you must:

  1. wait two years since you got your APRC[/quote]

Was it decided whether or not this actually applies? Do you have to wait any length of time before applying for citizenship?

[quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“Icon”]OK, here’s the deal. If you have APRC, then in order to get nationality you must:

  1. wait two years since you got your APRC[/quote]

Was it decided whether or not this actually applies? Do you have to wait any length of time before applying for citizenship?[/quote]Not relevant to my situation, so I don’t know. However, give NIA a call and ask them, or better yet…go to your local Household Registration office and see what they have to say. After all, the HHR Office are the ones who will process your application for naturalization.

Thanks, I’ll do that.

better go to the NIA because sometimes the staff at the HHR may or may not have the answers and they too will check with the NIA.

if you are eligble for citizenship then directly apply for the same…but do take into account your age at the time of getting the id card…if you will just be around 35 - 36 then there maybe a chance that you will get drafted…

i personally went the APRC way mainly because back in 2005 I did not know that I was eligible for citizenship but in a way it was a mixed blessing beause when I get my id card later on in this month I will already be in the " safe zone "…i am already 40 so no chance of me getting drafted ( at least I guess so… )

i feel if you have made up your mind to apply for citizenship then might as well do it directly and no need to go the APRC route…if you are still young then hang on to the ARC and apply say when you are around 37 - 38.

Of course if it is going to be like another 4 - 5 years before you can apply for citizenship then getting the APRC will make you more free…also as I found out in my case ( APRC to citizenship ) the paperwork was much less when applying for citizenship

best of luck!!!

Thanks.

Already have that covered (37 years old right now).

My primary motivation for holding off on citizenship right now (which is something I would otherwise jump at, and was planning to apply for in June), is that while I’m a foreigner I have the opportunity to apply for scholarships or even waived tuition when undertaking a PhD program, which is something I want to do.

well then i guess you get your APRC first and then citizenship after you get your PhD…

[quote=“Fortigurn”][quote=“Icon”]OK, here’s the deal. If you have APRC, then in order to get nationality you must:

  1. wait two years since you got your APRC[/quote]

Was it decided whether or not this actually applies? Do you have to wait any length of time before applying for citizenship?[/quote]
Did anyone ever ask the HHR if this was the case? If not, I guess I can ask them when I go there on Wednesday.

Ok, so I went to the HHR office in Taoyuan City on Wednesday with my APRC and Taiwanese friend in tow, just to make sure I didn’t misunderstand anything. We were helped my a Miss Tsai, who was friendly and helpful. She gave me a list of 9 items that would be needed by a person with a garden variety ARC, but she highlighted the items I needed, being on an APRC.

  1. A “Wai Guo Ren Jiu Liuo Zhen Ming Shu” from the NIA.
  2. A criminal record check from my country of cititzenship, certified, translated, etc, etc.
  3. Naturalization test results/Certificates of language studies
  4. 2 ID sized photos
  5. NTD 200

I suppose they’ll also want to see your APRC and passport, but that’s it. Being a South African, I’ll have a waiting period of about 3 to 4 months (if I’m lucky), so I’ll apply for the Certificate of Candidature at the end of the year or the beginning of 2011, at the earliest. I’ll keep you posted.

I went to our local (Taoyuan) HHR office this morning with all the documents I mentioned before, waited about 20 minutes while the ever-friendly Miss Tsai checked through everything. Two things that I forgot to mention are (1) Your police clearance from your home country also needs to go to MOFA in Taipei to certify that the TECO signature is real. (2) Your NT$200 fee needs to be in the form of a postal order, made out to the Ministry of the Interior.

Any way, a form was typed out in triplicate and I had to sign my Chinese name for the very 1st time on an official government document! :slight_smile: And that was it. No mention of having to wait another 2 years after acquiring an APRC, so this doesn’t seem to be correct information.

Now all I need to do is wait 40 days for the answer…and then I am done with step ONE on the list.