My wife coming with me to Taiwan (South African)

Legal Visa & Residency
1

South African here. I am due to start a teaching contract in August 2019. My fiance will graduate in September, so she cannot come over to work, when I do. We will be get married before we go, so we are looking into the option of her coming over with me, on a spousal visa (I think it’s called a JFRV?). I know that I will need an authenticated copy of my unabridged marriage certificate, as well as her police clearance certificate. What other documents will be required? Am I able to apply for her visa before I receive an ARC? Any other advice would be great!

Also, would she be able to change her spousal visa to a working visa, once she graduates?

Thank you for your help. :slight_smile:

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Are you both South African?

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Yes, we are.

4

Someone else is going to have to step in here, but AFAIK you won’t get a JFRV. You’ll get a spousal visa, but she won’t be able to work.

5

Thanks for the info! I don’t mind the fact that she won’t be able to work - I just want to make sure that she comes over with me. She will look for work once she is eligible (i.e. has her degree etc.).

Does anyone, perhaps, know what this process entails?

6

I finally received some information from the Taiwan Embassy in Pretoria:
I need to be a resident, in order for her to receive a spousal visa (i.e. have my ARC). If I want her to come over with me at the same time, she will need to come over on a visitor’s visa and convert it to a spousal visa once I receive my ARC.

What is the general waiting period for an ARC? Also, has anyone experienced a similar situation?

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It takes two weeks once you apply. In my experience you can apply together. Or you can apply just for yourself, and then when you get your ARC apply for hers. That adds another two weeks.

If you are a “white collar” worker she can convert from visa free to ARC, otherwise it has to be a visitor visa. If in doubt visitor visa is safest.

The most likely stumbling block is authentications of your marriage cert. Best to get it authenticated in Teco before you leave for Taiwan.

If you are unlucky and get a wind up in immigration stay as calm and polite as possible, back away, and then come back again another day in the same office or even in a different office.

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Thanks for this! I have been scouring discussion forums and Facebook pages. There seems to be a lot of contradictory information out there and it makes this seem like a daunting task, but your information has certainly put my mind at ease.

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maybe to do this, you and she should apply for the same kind of visa at the same time.

so this is safer.

once she is eligible, and finds an employer, she can get her own Arc based on the employment.

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