I’m sure I’ve heard people in the past talk about the NIA visiting their homes after getting a marriage ARC, I guess they do that to see if the marriage is genuine. Has this actually ever happened to anyone? Wondering whether I should tidy up my apartment to save embarrassment, haha!
Eight years in Taipei…no visit from immigration dept.
Moved to Hualien…they visit every year. They show up unexpectedly so first three years they did not find me as I was not at home. Last year they finally found me at home…invited them inside and treated them to some cake the wife baked. They looked satisfied and not really expecting to find anything illegal. They said they do show up at some homes and find the foreigner has moved without notice.
15 years in Taiwan. 10 on a JFRV and 5 on an APRC. Resided in Taipei, Kaohsiung and New Taipei. I have never been visited by NIA.
Hehe, don’t tidy up to much , they won’t believe you are living together if the house is too tidy 
many Taiwanese are not the most tidy people at home … maybe just what I have noticed 
maybe just not a top priority
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I got these links in haste, so (1) I’m not sure if everything in these threads has to do with marriage, (2) I’m not sure if everything in them involves the NIA, and (3) the information below probably isn’t very helpful in giving an idea of how frequent or how likely these kinds of visits are, but (4) anyway:
I think this thread just involves answering some kind of questionnaire:
I would not be surprised if it also depends a bit on your nationality, ie a marriage between say a Philippino and a Taiwanese is more likely to end up for a “random check” than between a German and a Taiwanese.
Care to elaborate? Since there are, generally speaking, far more South East Asian/ Taiwanese married couples then Western/Taiwanese in Taiwan. I wonder why NIA would prioritize one foreign couple inspection over another.
Actually I personally knew a Western girl and a Japanese guy who had a fake marriage so that she could live in the latter’s country forever. It was a mutual agreement on both their part. They lived together but had no sexual or physical relationship to speak of. They were just best friends according to the girl
The most shocking part to me was that everybody is my office knew about at at work. At least 20 people knew. As far as I know she’d gotten away with it for 3 years (it’s been 2 years since I’ve spoken to her.) I always thought she was playing with fire but who knows - sometimes you play the system and you win.
Of course, you’re not implying that anyone should break the law, are you? (Because then I would have to get all 
on you…)
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Implied nothing. This is simply a true story. I wouldn’t endorse marriage either way, whether it was a legit marriage or a sham. Each to their own.
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So as said I’m just speculating, but I wouldn’t be surprised if visa applications from some countries are seen as more high risk than applications from some other countries.
I had them show up an my house but this was a long time ago. In fact, I wasn’t home and they left a message for me to call them. I ignored the message and the next thing I know, they’re strolling up to where I used to work to check on me (and to complain about not calling them).
Yes, but why did you specify people from Phillipines? Do you have any proof that indicates NIA are more likely to visit Taiwanese/Filipino couples than German/Taiwanese?
If not, then please refrain from generalizing a group based on their nationality. Speculation or not. Where are you from yourself?
Look, we know Taiwanese discriminate against SEA workers and in spite of all mechanisms in place, also against SEA wives and children of mixed marriages. When SEA people marry locals, they have to hand in more paperwork, they are given more mafan, and that is a fact. Hence, it would be logical that they would suffer more check ins. It is of no fault of their own, but the perception, enhanced by media, just like most foreigners here.
As to previous cases, there have been more instances of certain European nationalities which I don’t think I need to mention where they were importing fake brides to engage in the oldest profession in the world. While not unheard of, it is quite low, and I find the visits most insulting if they are to verify whether the marriage is real and not whether the foreign spouse is treated well, has access to the outside world and other minimum conditions.
And yes, not all foreigners are the same nor are treated the same. No matter what the letter of the law says, in practice, it is complicated.
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So, I do not have any proof that some nationalities are seen as more high risk than others. But, I have my suspicions that immigrants from high-income and/or caucasian countries(such as e.g. Germany) are seen as lower risk than immigrants from low-income and/or non-caucasian countries(such as e.g. the Philippines).
My own nationality does not have any relevance to this discussion.
6 years in Taiwan, 4 years married, no visit.
6 years also nothing.
But I remember the first year in Kaohsiung I noticed a lad from the immigration office following me on his scooter near my house
I thought it was coincidental at first but when i turned he kept following me.
Finally i turned into an alley and waited, sure enough he rode by. Only ever happened once and think they were checking if I had a side job.
I thought it was funny as I had saw him earlier that day at their office and he was still in uniform.
Perhaps they followed me the next day in plainclothes who knows.
The problem in society today is people feeding into these generalizations and ignorance by repeating things with no evidence to support them. Having an opinion is fine, but having an educated opinion is even better.
You could have said “SEA/Taiwanese marriages are more likely to be monitored than German/Taiwanese couples because of x amount of illegal immigrants caught last year came from SEA countries.” But you chose a particular country - The Philippines. That wasn’t an accident I’m sure. If you had some support to your speculation it’d give you some credibility.
Otherwise we are just descending into stereotypes, generalizations and basically pub talk level of discussions. Each time somebody makes an unfounded claim, even if it’s harmless (as I’m sure you intended ) it is resonated and heard by someone. And then repeated by someone.
As ICON mentioned above, SEA people do encounter discrimination in Taiwan, even ones married to Taiwanese. Let’s be part of the solution and not the problem.
Or we can keep playing the speculation game. In which case I’d speculate that even those from wealthy circles in Germany would rather flee to Taiwan from Merkel’s refugee saturated Germany. But of course, saying that isn’t fair is it?
I am confused about what your point is.
The Philippines would be considered to be part of SEA, and based on my observations they are discriminated against in Taiwan just as other nationalities from SEA, and as such run a higher than average probability or receiving a “random” check at home the marriage is real.
Or, you disagree with the filipinos being discriminated against and find it offensive for me making a claim that they are discriminated against without “evidence”.
I never said I condone this behaviour by NIA, I just stated that in my opinion some nationalities are treated different than other nationalities by NIA.
I wouldn’t consider it unreasonable if the NIA put special care in making sure all those marriages with women from Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines were legit. The “mail brides” issue has been discussed several times on this forum.