Hi, everyone! I’m just writing to ask if anybody knows how to help me get to the bottom of this-- I’ve done a lot of research and have been getting mixed answers. A little about me:
I was born in Beijing, both of my parents and their families are PRC citizens, and I first came to the US when I was 4. Nobody has any connection to Taiwan.
My parents separated not long after, and I barely keep contact with my dad. All of my family other than my mom and me are in China. My mom is probably the only relative I could, after some explaining and probably arguing, get any documents out of without spending an arm and a leg.
I got my green card when I was 5 or 6, which I’ve held to this day (turning 23 soon). Not really interested in getting naturalized as a US citizen for the time being even though I could-- it’s a long story why.
I’ve moved back and forth throughout elementary school between the PRC and the US and can speak and read Chinese, though I’ve also been out of practice for a while now. Language isn’t a problem for me-- I could use some extra time brushing up on it, but it’s very doable and I’d be happy to.
Currently in medical school, and after I graduate, I’ll be in a residency program in the US as well for at least a few more years. This makes living in Taiwan itself almost out of the question until after residency.
With that being said, just to get a few things cleared up:
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From what I’ve read, ROC law says all Chinese people already have ROC citizenship. Is this true? Do I already have ROC citizenship? What do I have to do to have it on paper that I’m an ROC national and what, i.e. documentation, do I have to provide to obtain this?
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From what I’ve read, the only thing that stops, say, a bunch of mainlanders, who are nominally already citizens, from becoming full citizens and using its passport, welfare benefits, and voting rights is Taiwanese residency registration. Does it follow that, from the moment I can get Taiwanese residency, I’d become a full citizen and be able to immediately apply for a full ROC passport, for instance?
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I keep reading about this distinction between PRC mainlanders and overseas Chinese in residency laws. Which one am I? Do I become overseas thanks to my US permanent residency, and, if so, would my application process be different from, say, any non-Chinese foreigner, i.e. laowai, applying for residency?
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Ultimately, given my circumstances, what is my best route to full citizenship, i.e. residency rights, passport, etc.? What would the process be like, what requirements do I need to checkbox, how long would it take, and what kinds of documents would I need to present?
If you’ve read this far, thank you so much for your time! I know it’s a lot, but holding (real) ROC citizenship, citizenship to my homeland, is something that would mean so much to me on a personal level. I know that sounds cheesy, and I hope I don’t offend any pan-green people here! 