It wasn’t me, but perhaps my case will become one of those examples of TARC applications not needing an active HHR. I’ll keep you updated when I begin the process.
Good point! There are probably some things concerning a TARC application that you don’t find out until you try. But on the other hand, I want to try my best to come prepared to Taiwan when submitting the application.
Anyway, I may have new information on the TARC application. A friendly person on another discussion platform told me that for “居住臺灣地區設有戶籍國民在國外出 生之子 女,年 齡在 二十歲 以 上” (application option AF384), no active HHR is required. Because this option is targeted directly to those applicants whose father/mother does not have an active HHR anymore. All other applicants can use option AF353 to apply (“有直系血親在臺灣地區設有戶籍者”), i.e. there would be no point of option AF384 if it doesn’t allow other proofs of HHR.
Both options require to provide a “戶口名簿” (note that this is different to the 戶籍謄本), but in the case of AF384, a “除戶藤本” should suffice.
(Just for completeness’ sake, I think that applicants for AF353 also supply a 戶籍謄本 because the 戶口名簿 can actually not be handed over. Might be wrong about this though. In that case you probably hand over a copy of this 戶口名簿.)
The remaining question is how this 戶口名簿 looks for applicants without active HHR and whether this 除戶藤本 can indeed take its place. I’m currently trying to find out more about that and let you know then.
Towards newhere’s other problem with the passport:
Straightforward: No, I did not use my mother’s 30 year old 戶籍謄本. I know this because my mother only recently dug out this 戶籍謄本 off an old archive. However, I did my passport application about 5 years ago, and I wasn’t so diligent in documenting everything unlike the TARC application. But from what I remember:
There should actually be no requirement to prove that your mother currently has HHR. All what matters is (again for emphasis) that she was citizen during the time of your birth, and in my case, the birth certificate proves that (do all birth certificates state the parents’ nationality? I don’t know). If yours doesn’t, then I think by showing that your mother’s 喪失國籍許可書 is dated after your birth should—logically—also prove that she was a citizen at that time.
However, if I remember correctly, there is a line in the application form that asks for an address in Taiwan, but that doesn’t have to be your mother’s. You can use one of your relative’s or friend’s addresses.
I’ll see whether I can find any documents of my passport application. [(Turns out to be delayed to another time) Just note that Forumosa is preparing for a week of maintenance, so we’ll probably hear from each other after a week again!]