Converting visitor visa to resident. Go to BOCA or NIA?

Legal Visa & Residency
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I would like to change my visitor visa to a resident visa based on my wife and child being Taiwanese nationals with household registration. I have all the documents prepared, but not sure if I should go to NIA or BOCA to apply. My previous resident visa was applied for outside of Taiwan at the TECO in Hong Kong, but I would not like to travel abroad right now, and my most recent entry into Taiwan was using a visitor visa. I let my previous spouse ARC expire when I went to work in Shanghai for a year. If the answer is BOCA, can I just turn up at the Taipei office, or do I need to make an appointment first?

I already called BOCA, who told me they didn’t think I would be able to do it in Taiwan, but I still plan to go in person to see for myself as soon as I know where to go.

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0915 Notices for the submission of application for alien residence certificate by aliens who enter the country with visitor visa
https://www.immigration.gov.tw/5475/5478/141465/141808/141824/

Article 4: Application methods:
Apply to service centers of the NIA in municipal cities, counties and cities.
In the circumstances that the applicant applies for residence depending
ROC citizen has to submit the application at the exact service center of the
NIA where his or her domicile located.

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First, there’s no resident visa (that I’m aware of), I assume you mean an ARC, is that right?
Second, when you say “visitor visa” is this an actual visa in your passport that you got at a TECO or other Taiwan visa office somewhere, or a 90 day visa free entry? If you entered visa free, you’ll need to go to BOCA and get a visitors visa, then go to the NIA and apply for an ARC, cancelling the visitors visa. It’s a costly hassle, but better than leaving the country. If you have an actual visa and it doesn’t restrict you from entering for residency, do the same as when you got your first ARC which I assume was to go to the NIA.

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The resident visa is what you usually apply for before you enter Taiwan, and then use to enter Taiwan. You then take your resident visa to the NIA and apply for your ARC. This is what I did the first time I had Taiwan residency. I now have an actual visitor visa sticker in my passport, not an entry stamp. It is special for COVID-19.

So your saying I can apply for the spouse ARC at the NIA even though I entered on a 60 day visitor visa?

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The instruction by NIA I posted says so. If your visa is not stamped unextendable.

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My wife just showed me her passport and she did get a resident visa when she applied at TECO to join me, so they do exist. I don’t know about your situation. As tando said, look for the word “unextendible”. If it’s not too hard, I’d just run down to the NIA and ask. You’re probably ok. You can apply for an ARC holding a visitor or, apparently, resident visa as long as there are no other restrictions. You can also call the information for foreigners number if it’s a hard to get to the NIA, but try to call during NIA work hours because they may need to ask someone there.

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Will be heading over today to find out!

Thanks for the advice guys!

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Starting at boca is best imo, they handle visas.
Curious what they say to you as i keep stopping over to ask can i change my visa without leaving tw.

The answer is i must leave, apply, return

Good luck!!

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You’ve been able to change in country for a number of years now no?

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AFAIK, Visitor visas must first be converted to Resident Visas before you can apply for an ARC. To me, an ARC is just a “modified” or “upgraded” resident visa as it gives the holder resident rights for at least a year as against a resident visa which has a maximum duration of 60 days and you must convert it to an ARC within 14 days of using it. All visas are handled by the BOCA & ARCs are handled by the NIA. I’m not sure if the situation has changed in recent years but that is what I used to do before…For Visas, I go to BOCA, ARCs I go to NIA. You can just head over to NIA first and if they say “NO”, then BOCA it is.! Good luck!

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Thanks. Is it the main BOCA office?

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Yes, the one on 濟南路 in Taipei City…but go to the NIA first as the doc posted by Tando says you can possibly covert the Visitor visa directly to an ARC if you’re married to a local with a valid ID and permanent household registration. The wording in that doc is horrid though and it’s hard to understand but from what I gather, you can do it at a NIA service center where your domicile is located.

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Heading down in an hour or so.

Will keep everyone updated! Thank you

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In boca 2nd floor two right turns and straight head Grab a number asap! Sometimes wait times are long

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To share my recent experience with you
I came to Taiwan on a 1 year Working Holiday (called Youth Mobility in the UK) visa. I wanted to change this to a spouse ARC. After many conversations with the TRO in the UK, BOCA, MOFA and NIA it was confirmed that I cannot change this visa while in Taiwan as it is NOT extendable.

TRO in the UK advised me that the course of action to take was to return to the UK and apply for a resident visa for joining family;
"please be advised to contact National Immigration Agency (移民署) in Taiwan to find out exactly what you need to apply an ARC from them.
You can find visa/authentication information and requirements on below websites.

For visa: https://www.roc-taiwan.org/uk_en/post/3831.html
Please post requirement no 1~10 to our office address.
Requirement no. 7, please check " Dependent visa for Taiwanese’s family" visitor section and a invitation letter from your spouse."

At the same time I contacted BOCA and was given a contact there. She assured me that she would contact TRO in the UK to ensure that they provide me with a visa that is extendable

So I returned, sent everything to TRO in the UK and waited patiently (they took about 9 working days to process it). I picked up the visa from their office.
Then I’m sitting in the airport waiting to board the plane to Taiwan and I notice my visa is a VISITOR visa. I freaked out, contacted them and was told that due to COVID reasons, they were only able to issue me with a Special Entry Permit due to COVID
It turns out that even though I applied for a resident visa at TRO in the UK, they actually wanted me to provide evidence of a residency application in order to get a special entry permit (90 day visitor visa) however extendable - this is the important bit

Visa looks like this:
16432
Ugliness removed

Unfortunately that meant that I could not continue employment in Taiwan and my employer had no choice but to fire me. I am lucky however that they reemployed me once I had my new ARC in hand

So I completed my quarantine and went to NIA at the first opportunity. I went to the one in New Taipei City as that’s where our HHR is.
I took with me all the documents I used to apply for the original visa with TRO in the UK, the requirements are much the same, but you can find a list

The only document they kept was my police check certificate - English version was accepted
My wife came with me to assist with the form which I filled out there and then. The whole process at NIA took about 20 minutes.

7 working days later my ARC was granted

Feel free to ask any questions!

Edit: When at NIA, the actual process made was to apply for residency visa + ARC at the same time. NIA done this all in one step, so the cost was actually 3000ish NT.

Edit edit: They kept my previous ARC number from my Working Holiday ARC which was good because it meant I didn’t have to wait another 6 months for NHI

Edit edit edit: I can now apply for the $3000 NT government vouchers! :smiley:

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It you get an ARC as a spouse of a citizen, you should go to the exact service center of the NIA where your spouse’s domicile located.

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Good to know. I’ll edit as necessary
So by pure chance I went to NIA in New Taipei City as that’s also where our HHR is

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That is very interesting. Thanks for the info!

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OK, update!

I just went to the New Taipei City NIA office. Wow, it is very different to the Taipei NIA office, felt like I was in Tainan. The staff were all very helpful and nice though.

Only had to wait about five minutes!

They said I had to go to BOCA to get a new resident visa and I am in the taxi now. However, whilst I was at the NIA, the officers there gave my old sixty day visitor visa (which states no extension) a thirty day extension… :upside_down_face:

IMG_20201103_131258_1_1
IMG_20201103_131258_1_12275Ă—2058 713 KB

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Yeah, almost everyone’s getting a free extension due to COVID… :+1:

So I guess the 0915 Notice posted on the official Immigration site means nothing or maybe it was mis-translated or something. End result—> Visitor Visas CANNOT be directly converted to an ARC.
Good luck at BOCA and hope you get the resident visa without having to leave the country.