Hi,
If I get a gold card with an issue date of Sep 1, 2025; do i need to wait until Sep 2, 2028 to apply for APRC since you need three years of residency (calendar)? Or can i apply in early July 2028 (since 183 days counts for a year of residency)?
You can only apply once three full years since the start of validity of your Gold Card have passed.
So you either need to apply for a renewal Gold Card or for an ARC extension. There have been talks to make this process easier, but so far I think it hasnât changed yet.
You can only apply for APRC after your first Gold Card expires. You can apply for a job seeking visa before it expires if you are not employed at the time.
Is my assumption correct that I am able to apply for APRC on 2027/01/01?
1st Gold Card issued: 2022/06/13 (expires 2025/06/13)
2nd Gold Card issued: 2025/03/17 (expires 2028/06/13)
I only moved to Taiwan in Januar 2024, so I still need to live here for 2025 and 2026 (183+ days each year).
Or is the correct date the 2026/06/04 (184 days in year 3 of living here)?
Ask the Gold Card office. They have the latest information on details like this.
I believe youâll need to wait for the 3 year mark since approval date.
This doesnât make much sense to me. If you hold 2 gold cards back to back, why would you have to wait until the expiry of the second gold card?
Why canât you use time in Taiwan from 3rd year of first card together with 1st year of second card?
The APRC instructions talk of counting residency days/years backwards, and maintaining the particular status, not of only counting days from one particular card.
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You apply once youâve had your gold card for 3 years. Contrary to what others are saying though, you do not need a new arc of any kind while waiting for your aprc.
For example, my 3 years expires on the 31st of August next year. On the 1st of September I can apply for an aprc. I will be allowed to retain my gold card until the aprc is approved.
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There seems to be something in the law about having to apply within a specific timeframe (2 years) after becoming eligible - otherwise, the accrued time will be forfeited and you become ineligible again.
Iâm not sure, though, if you can still apply after 5 years residency on the Gold Card (regular time frame for APRC) if you missed the three year mark. Or if you really need to wait until 6 years have passed in totalâŚ
Not sure what the motivation of this law isâŚ
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I wonder if that means if you only became eligible in 2nd year of 2nd card then those periods can be combined?
Or have they essentially âhard codedâ the 3 year period to be one cardâs validity period?
If one has to wait the six years I can conceive of a scenario where applicants would qualify for naturalisation before being eligible for an APRC.
My understanding is this:
Card issued in January 2020 â Eligible to apply between Jan 2023 and Jan 2025.
If you donât apply, the entire period will be forfeited, so Jan 2020 - Jan 2023 wonât count at all anymore in the future.
So basically in Jan 2023 you start âfreshâ with zero resident history (because the time before became âinvalidâ because you didnât apply).
Yeah, and people switching from regular ARC to Gold Card and then not being able to apply for APRC after 5 years in total or somethingâŚ
Not sure why they make it so complicated. They could just look at the last 3/5 years. But they donâtâŚ
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Donât think this is right. The first gold card expires, applying for a APRC doesnât extend your gold card. It has been pointed out that one needs to hold the same status as the gold card without an break in lawful residence when applying for APRC which means applying for a second gold card or getting a seeking employment ARC. Making a APRC application doesnât extend your residence while waiting for an outcome.
Is that true? I switched from a normal arc to a gold card.
You canât use the time from previous standard ARC to meet the 3 years on the Gold Card for the APRC. That much is known for sure. The rest might have been a bit tongue in cheek.
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Yeah, the thing I was wondering: ARC 4 years and then 1 year Gold Card.
Can one still apply for a APRC after 5 years? If not, switching to a Gold Card in this case might actually be a bad idea because it actually prolongs the time until APRCâŚ
When in doubt, always ask at NIA directly. They usually can tell when exactly one will become eligible.
Which sounds like a legitimate concern when they start saying one needs to wait 6 years. While not mentioning the possibly of going for a regular aprc after 5 years.
Iâm hoping the FAQ merely omitted this possibility. 
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But then again is the regular pathway 18x days each yearâŚ. And not on average like the gold card??