If I need a Tai Bao Zhen, can anyone recommend a good tour company that can do it in California? If none exist in CA, then can I just mail my passport to a tour agency in Taiwan and they’ll handle the rest?
You can’t apply for one from outside of China except in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau.
You might want to just apply for it on the day you get your new passport, and it will be ready to be picked up when you return to Taiwan.
They might also be able to mail it to you in California if you don’t plan to return to Taiwan soon.
Once I get the Tai Bao Zhen, am I required to “activate it” by traveling to the Mainland within a certain number of days? Or can I just sit on it until I’m ready to travel to the Mainland?
What sorts of things can cause a application for Tai Bao Zhen to be refused by the Mainland?
No.
Incorrect specs on your photo (wrong dimensions, old photo, same photo as your ID or passport, etc.) or incomplete documents.