Getting Married on Visa Exempt and THEN flying to HK?

Hello,

I’m a USA citizen planning on marring a Taiwanese citizen and have been flowing this guide here: American getting married to Taiwanese, JFRV process?

I just wanted to confirm that:

  1. We can get married (as in sign the papers at the courthouse) while I’m still on a Visa Exempt status
  2. Wife gets a new ID card with my name and information on it
  3. We then fly to HK (or Macau) and then I get a visitor visa for family purposes (showing them my wife’s ID card)
  4. Once back in Taiwan I can then change that to a JFRV visa (with all of the paperwork)

Sorry if this has been asked before – there was just a comment in the other thread that made me think this may not be possible and it might be better to get married AFTER coming back to Taiwan on a visitor visa (though I’m not sure HK would give me one since I can get Visa Exempt)

Thank you guys very much!

There are more required documents when applying for visitor visa for family purposes.
Proof was required that the marriage was also registered in my home country.

Check the requirements before you do the trip.

For me it was impossible to get the visa in HK (so I did not go there). I had to go to my home country to get all documents and apply for visa in there.

I just did same, married here then went HK for visitor visa. You need Criminal record check from home country certified by Taiwan Consulate, also medical certificate from here and your household registration document, marriage certificate and photocopy of passport. Total cost in HK 530 HK dollars.
On return you need to apply for family ARC within 14 days cost 1000 NT dollars its then ready to collect within 14 days. You are in the queue longer than at the desk so allow a couple of hours!
People at the consulate in HK very friendly and willing to get you through the process.

Nearly forgot to mention, HK only accept documents 9-12 in the morning and then you have to do an overnight stay and visa is ready to collect 2-5 following afternoon - sorry

My experience getting married in Taiwan:

  1. I needed my passport
  2. “Certificate of single status.” I met this requirement with a certified copy of my old divorce papers from the U.S., to demonstrate that I am single. In your case, inquire at AIT to see if they can give you an acceptable certificate.
  3. We went to the household registration office with two witnesses for their signature and chop. (For us it was two family members who wanted to come along.)
  4. My wife got a new household registration card immediately, now showing that she’s married, with my name on it as spouse.
  5. You should take a little time and think of a good Chinese name, if you want one. My marriage certificate shows both English and Chinese names, my wife’s new household registration card shows only my Chinese name.

As for your visa status, I don’t know the answers. I got married Visa exempt, but we were not planning to stay in Taiwan.

Thanks for the replies guys! I think my initial confusion comes from the weird wording on BOCA’s Requirements Website for “Original and one photocopy of marriage registration issued by competent authorities of the applicant’s country”

  1. For countries which do not have marriage registration, original and one photocopy of the certificate of marriage are required.

(and my fiancé says the Chinese is also unclear).

If I’m understanding it correctly: since the USA does not have a marriage registration system, the Taiwanese marriage certificate is all that I need to get the apply for a JFRV Visa in HK (and then if HK doesn’t accept that, to then just apply for a visitor visa and then switch to a family ARC like @Firefighter did once back in Taiwan [where they’ve dealt with this situation before]).

It also sounds like this would also explain your situation @slawa if Germany does have a marriage registration system (in which case you’d need to fulfill that requirement).

Also thanks for the process of the actual marriage @jmee – my fiancé said she was unsure if I could even get married on a visa exempt status but that clears that up for us.

Thanks again guys!

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Now that I’ve just completed the process, I wanted to add a link to the following thread where I posted more information about the experience if anyone is in a similar situation:

I’ve no idea if it’s still necessary but Taiwan did ask to register your marriage in your home country (with all the translations and certified by TECO) before getting an ARC here.

I detailed the process more in the other thread but Macau refused to give me a JFRV visa for exactly that reason.

After further research on AIT’s website it looks like they probably just wanted an affidavit stating that the marriage was valid and legal in the USA (but not 100% sure on this – my wife got into a pretty heated argument with them that the USA does not have a marriage registration system but still no dice).

So I ended up getting a “Tourist Visa for Visiting Relatives” in Macau and then changed it to a JFRV down at MOFA once back in Taiwan with 0 issues

Macau cannot issue visas to Taiwan, you need to apply at the Taiwanese “consulate”

Or, you referring visa to Macau? I would presume a “family visa” there is called dependent visa

Sorry that was unclear!

I meant I visited the Taiwan Consulate (TECO) in Macau to apply for a JFRV visa to Taiwan. The TECO in Macau refused and instead could only give me a “Tourist Visa for Visiting Family” to come back into Taiwan with (which I then today was able to change to a ARC).

You cannot change a Visa Exempt entry to a marriage ARC and thus have to enter on a Tourist Visa

It’s basically the same, reason for visa … joining family … which gives you the right to change it to ‘residence visa’ in Taiwan and than get the ARC if you can produce all the documents needed.

Yup – it all ended up working out which is a relief. I think going the Tourist Visa -> ARC costs a little more than going JFRV -> ARC but I’m not sure by how much