I married my longtime Taiwanese girlfriend last year here in the States.
She is back in Taiwan, and now that I graduated I am ready to join her.
I had a 5 year multiple entry that has an enter before (expiry) of 29 JAN 2012. I intend to arrive in Taiwan mid to late January 2012.
We are under the impression that with the proper paperwork, I should come in on an extendable visa to apply for JFRV visa.
However, I want to go ahead and get a new extendable visa before I head out, just in case I end up arriving after that date.
No need to hide anything. Point joining family. Take your marriage certificate and get a copy of your wifes ID card. Have her scan and email both sides of her ID card and the information page of her passport with her name and date of birth. I did this and they wrote my wife’s ID number on my visitor visa. Also if you are planning to stay take your marraige cert, educational docs ,and any employment certificates to be notorized as that has to be done anyways for your resident visa application here. Would be a waste you get to Taiwan on the advice of somebody who advises you not to use family for coming then find out you need to get those documents to the same office where you apply for a visa in the first place but now you are in Taiwan and the TECO office is in the USA. You can also apply for your police certifiate before you come as you need that as well for your resident visa here as well.
You can save yourself a lot of time and hassle by doing those things before you arrive here. TECO are there to facilitate visas for bone fide reasons. MAkes it so much easier for the TECO office when you are honest. You have nothing to hide.
Better still call TECO in the USA and explain you need a visitor visa so you can apply for an ARC based on marriage after you arrive in Taiwan.