[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]4. New APRC plus the copy.
[/quote]
Gah, this means that you have to wait for the new APRC before applying, thus necessitating trips on two different days to the same part of town…
[quote=“spaint”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”]4. New APRC plus the copy.[/quote]Gah, this means that you have to wait for the new APRC before applying, thus necessitating trips on two different days to the same part of town…[/quote]Exactly! F’ing waste of time. The open work rights should be built into the APRC itself, like the re-entry permit. How hard would it be to say on the back of the APRC, “The holder of this APRC has open work rights and doesn’t need to obtain a work permit”? It’s kind of like needing a driver’s license for an automobile and then also needing a separate license for a motorcycle! Dumb, dumb, dumb!
Hey! Here is Taiwan! :raspberry:
NCS:
Quick question. Do I have to have a chop? My Chinese name was given to me by my current employer and (as far as I know) doesn’t accurately represent my real name, e.g. if my name were Lance Grossman, my Chinese name (given to me) would be the equivalent of 长草蜢 [Zhang Cao-Meng], which I don’t have to tell you is a ridiculous name to have. Therefore, I have resisted getting the chop – it isn’t about the money.
Got back today from handing in my documents at the Council of Labor Affairs.
Mr. Liu was there and handled my case. Very helpful guy! Everything went smoothly, just as you described, NCS.
I can pick it up on the 16th!
EDIT: as for the chop, I don’t think it was necessary. Mr. Liu asked me to sign the paper. When I pulled out my chop, he was surprised, but pleasantly so.
Chris is correct. A chop is absolutely not necessary. If you have one, fine, chop the application, no chop, just sign it. When I went down to renew my OWP I took a recent APRC recipient with me to help him apply for his OWP. He forgot to bring his chop, so he just signed the application. No worries at all.
Chris is correct. A chop is absolutely not necessary. If you have one, fine, chop the application, no chop, just sign it. When I went down to renew my OWP I took a recent APRC recipient with me to help him apply for his OWP. He forgot to bring his chop, so he just signed the application. No worries at all.[/quote]
In actual fact, it is explicitly noted in the relevant laws that ALL people in the Republic of China can use EITHER a chop or a handwritten signature when the wording 簽章 is used.
spaint, NCS, Chris and so on – much obliged. I think I’m gonna get one just so I can say “I gotta chop if you need one.”
Just to confirm this: everyone goes to the same office, in Taipei City? It’s not like the APRC/ ARC, where because I’m in Taipei County (Danshui) I need to go to the so-convenient Taipei County Banqiao office?
I’m a little worried that I never did obtain Open-Work Permit thing (I asked around work, where most of us have APRCs, and only one of the four had even heard of the OWP). Oh well. Time for another attempt in the apparently-pointless efforts at making myself totally legal, but first I need a new APRC (because of a new passport). I hope I don’t face a chicken/ egg issue.
[quote=“lostinasia”]Just to confirm this: everyone goes to the same office, in Taipei City? It’s not like the APRC/ ARC, where because I’m in Taipei County (Danshui) I need to go to the so-convenient Taipei County Banqiao office?[/quote]Confirmed. I’m from San-Zhi and I need to take care of all my NIA business at the Banqiao office, too. However, for the OWP, you just need to go to the BEVT in downtown Taipei. Follow the step by step instructions on page 1 of this thread and you’re golden. Say hello to Mr. Liu for me!
I picked up my Open Work Permit today. Just had it laminated.
I’m done!! 
By the way, when you go to pick up your permit, you need to supply yet another copy of both sides of your APRC. These copies are glued to the big A4 receipt. Then you fill out your name, phone number and address on the receipt, then hand it in at Window 4. Then you walk out a free man!
[quote=“Chris”]I picked up my Open Work Permit today. Just had it laminated.
I’m done!!
By the way, when you go to pick up your permit, you need to supply yet another copy of both sides of your APRC. These copies are glued to the big A4 receipt. Then you fill out your name, phone number and address on the receipt, then hand it in at Window 4. Then you walk out a free man![/quote]Congratulations!! :bravo: 
Thanks for the additional scoop regarding personally picking up the OWP and providing yet another copy of the APRC. That’s a new thing and I’ll add it to the first post in this thread.
Where can you get this thing done if you’re not in Taipei? My friend is in Hsinchu and his APRC will be ready very soon. Is it possible for him to obtain the OWP by mail or does the CLA have offices in other towns?
[quote=“spaint”]Where can you get this thing done if you’re not in Taipei? My friend is in Hsinchu and his APRC will be ready very soon. Is it possible for him to obtain the OWP by mail or does the CLA have offices in other towns?[/quote]You don’t have to appear in person to apply for the OWP. You can just process it by mail. I’m not sure how to handle the $100 fee, though. Probably a Postal Money Order made out to the BEVT. You can PM Forumosans A-ha and Vannyel as they both applied for their OWP by mail and they could tell you the exact steps to getting it done by mail. 
Thanks again, Northcoast Surfer!
Or you can contact me too.
Thank you Northcoast Surfer. Using your procedures I was in and out of the building in 5 minutes. Five working days later I received my Open Work Permit.
:discodance:
[quote=“jawnee”]Thank you Northcoast Surfer. Using your procedures I was in and out of the building in 5 minutes. Five working days later I received my Open Work Permit. :discodance:[/quote]You’re very welcome. Congratulations and welcome to the APRC/OWP club! :bravo:
[quote=“Northcoast Surfer”][quote=“Chris”]I picked up my Open Work Permit today. Just had it laminated.
I’m done!!
By the way, when you go to pick up your permit, you need to supply yet another copy of both sides of your APRC. These copies are glued to the big A4 receipt. Then you fill out your name, phone number and address on the receipt, then hand it in at Window 4. Then you walk out a free man![/quote]Congratulations!! :bravo:
Thanks for the additional scoop regarding personally picking up the OWP and providing yet another copy of the APRC. That’s a new thing and I’ll add it to the first post in this thread.[/quote]
I told them to send mine to my home address and didnt have to do anything extra other than what NCS had written. Everything went according to plan! 
No extra copies of anything were needed.
Muchas gracias Señor Surfista de Costa Norte 
[quote=“hipster dufus”][quote=“Northcoast Surfer”][quote=“Chris”]I picked up my Open Work Permit today. Just had it laminated.
I’m done!!
By the way, when you go to pick up your permit, you need to supply yet another copy of both sides of your APRC. These copies are glued to the big A4 receipt. Then you fill out your name, phone number and address on the receipt, then hand it in at Window 4. Then you walk out a free man![/quote]Congratulations!! :bravo:
Thanks for the additional scoop regarding personally picking up the OWP and providing yet another copy of the APRC. That’s a new thing and I’ll add it to the first post in this thread.[/quote]I told them to send mine to my home address and didnt have to do anything extra other than what NCS had written. Everything went according to plan! No extra copies of anything were needed.
Muchas gracias Señor Surfista de Costa Norte [/quote]De nada, Señor Hipstero Hombre! 
Well, I finally got around to updating my OWP after updating APRC due to getting a new passport and it is as NCS outlines above. Easy peasy.