Hey folks,
So glad I found this board! So as the subject says, i’m in a bit of a bind. I’ve decided against trying to get my Taiwanese passport (left when I was 1 years old) and getting that stamp since it’s not 100% that I won’t get conscripted.
Having said that, i’m almost 100% sure, but wanted to make sure. If I get a visa and enter China, nothing will happen to me from a conscription standpoint right? Because Taiwan and China aren’t exactly friends…?
Thanks!
[quote=“angrypenguin”]Hey folks,
So glad I found this board! So as the subject says, I’m in a bit of a bind. I’ve decided against trying to get my Taiwanese passport (left when I was 1 years old) and getting that stamp since it’s not 100% that I won’t get conscripted.
Having said that, I’m almost 100% sure, but wanted to make sure. If I get a visa and enter China, nothing will happen to me from a conscription standpoint right? Because Taiwan and China aren’t exactly friends…?
Thanks![/quote]
Usually your family should be filling you in regarding this topic, but no, you can enter China with a visa on your Canadian passport, and the authorities in Taiwan could careless.
btw, nothing would happen to you is you get a Taiwanese visa on your Canadian passport and enter Taiwan that way, unless you choose to do something to reveal the fact that you are a Taiwanese citizen. But even if that’s the case, seeing how you do not want a Taiwanese passport, and not very familiar with the situation in Taiwan, you probably don’t care all that much about your Taiwanese citizenship. You can choose it give it up and void your duty to serve in the army.
Thank you for your post. Long story with me and my family. How would I give up my Taiwanese citizenship? I have my birth certificate, but that’d be about it… - thank you again!!
Edit: I finally found my Taiwanese passport # on my record of landing. That’s all I have in addition to my birth certificate…
[quote=“angrypenguin”]Thank you for your post. Long story with me and my family. How would I give up my Taiwanese citizenship? I have my birth certificate, but that’d be about it… - thank you again!!
Edit: I finally found my Taiwanese passport # on my record of landing. That’s all I have in addition to my birth certificate…[/quote]
If you choose to enter Taiwan using a VISA and an Canadian passport, the key is your name on your Canadian passport should not be the same as the one on your Taiwan passport. Also, if your Canadian passport specified you were born in Taiwan, then forget about it. In that case, don’t use it to enter Taiwan for an extended amount of time. Your safest bet then would be to get an expat status on your Taiwan passport through TECO, and enter and leave Taiwan within the regulated time frame (depends on your age).
But seeming as you are going to China, again, nothing would happen to you.
As for choosing to give up your ROC nationality (the only way to not serve in the military), see if you meet the requirements of the Nationality Act:
Article 11
With the permission of the Ministry of the Interior, a national of the Republic of China may lose his/her nationality of the Republic of China under any of the following conditions:
1.His/Her natural father is a foreign national, and he/she is acknowledged by his/her natural father.
2.His/Her father can’ t be ascertained or he/she is not acknowledged by his/her natural father, and his/her mother is a foreign national.
3.He/She is the spouse of a foreign national.
4. He/She is the adopted child of a foreign national.
5.He/She is 20 years old and has the capacity to act according to the laws of the Republic of China and acquires the nationality of another country voluntarily.
Minor children of a person who abdicated the nationality of the Republic of China according to the preceding paragraph shall concurrently lose the nationality of the Republic of China with the permission of the Ministry of the Interior.
Article 12
For a person who applies to abdicate his/her nationality according to the preceding paragraph, under any of the following conditions, the Ministry of the Interior shall not permit the loss of nationality:
1.A man from January 1 of the next year after he was 15 years old, who is not exempted from military service and has not fulfilled his military service. But nationals, who reside overseas and were born overseas, and have no family registration in the Republic of China or moved overseas before December 31 of the year they were 15 years old, shall be excluded.
2.He/she is in active military service.
3.He/she now holds a government office of the Republic of China.
Article 13
Under any of the following conditions, a national who meets the provisions of Article 11 shall not lose his/her nationality:
1.He/She is a criminal defendant under investigation or trial.
2.He/She was sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment and the sentence has not been completely served.
3.He/She is a civil defendant.
4.He/She is the subject of a court judgment or administrative order and the judgment or order has not been fully executed yet.
5.He/She was pronounced bankrupt and his/her rights were not restored.
6.He/She is obligated to pay overdue tax or arrears of tax penalty.
I know people have said that if you haven’t served your military duty you cannot lose your nationality. But I’ve seen many people who lost their nationality anyway and work in Taiwan using a work visa. I have no idea how they did it, but it just means it’s possible.
Wow, sometimes i’m not proud of where i’m from…
Here’s my situation. 24, married to a Canadian citizen. My passport says i’m originally from Taiwan.
Under this section:
“1.A man from January 1 of the next year after he was 15 years old, who is not exempted from military service and has not fulfilled his military service. But nationals, who reside overseas and were born overseas, and have no family registration in the Republic of China or moved overseas before December 31 of the year they were 15 years old, shall be excluded.”
Doesn’t this mean there’s no chance that i’ll ever be able to give up this passport? Yikes! - since i’m not born oversees and born in Taiwan?
[quote=“angrypenguin”]Wow, sometimes I’m not proud of where I’m from…
Here’s my situation. 24, married to a Canadian citizen. My passport says I’m originally from Taiwan.
Under this section:
“1.A man from January 1 of the next year after he was 15 years old, who is not exempted from military service and has not fulfilled his military service. But nationals, who reside overseas and were born overseas, and have no family registration in the Republic of China or moved overseas before December 31 of the year they were 15 years old, shall be excluded.”
Doesn’t this mean there’s no chance that I’ll ever be able to give up this passport? Yikes! - since I’m not born oversees and born in Taiwan?[/quote]
I think you and my friends who got exempted and forgo their nationality fit under this “or moved overseas before December 31 of the year they were 15 years old, shall be excluded.”
Since you were out of Taiwan when you were 1 year-old, then you can goto TECO and give up your citizenship.
Although, if you do not plan to live in Taiwan or stay in Taiwan for a long time (for your age, you can’t stay in Taiwan cumulatively over 6 months per year), I don’t see the need to give up your Taiwanese nationality.
Like I’ve said before, since you have a Taiwanese passport, the best way to enter or exist Taiwan is to get an expat status on your TW passport, enter/exit Taiwan with your TW passport, and remember to get an exit stamp on your passport before you leave.
Thank you. I had to mis-read that. Out of principle, I will be giving up my Taiwanese citizenship. I sincerely appreciate your help!