PRC wife - Update!

Well, what a country

I have played all sorts of games with various Government departments, and have yet to find an approved method of getting my wife into the country.

I sent out a letter, to four ministries, I have had replies from three (The President

I have also just learned that the PRC has allegedly forced six mainland wives with ARC to have abortions when they were visiting their relatives in the mainland. An undue burden upon China, according to their own misintrepretations of Taiwan laws in China.

The Chinese bureaucrat is inept. Could a recognized third-party travel document solve the Taiwan visa problem? I am referring to a recognized “refugee”-type travel document of some suitable humanitarian organizations as officially issued under the Geneva Convention. Obviously I do not condone any “passport frauds” or smuggling activities also including a “Taiwan Passport” from the Taiwan Independence Party.

Perhaps inquire if a United Kingdom Red Cross Society could issue an official “refugee travel document” to your wife and if it would be accepted by the MOFA. If so, ask the Red Cross in the UK for humanitarian assistance upon securing a verbal approval from the MOFA secured by the Geneva Convention humanitarian exemptions of ROC Immigration Laws. This is a paradoxical situation only some Chinese could create and only some legal and creative face-saving method is going to save the day.

Don’t believe everything you read in the papers, Jeff – that particular snippet has already been revealed as cheap propaganda. The women claimed to have been “pressured” by the commies but all refused to say whether they had actually been forced to have abortions.

In the event, it was later disclosed that all the women are back in Taiwan and are still happily pregnant.

It seems to have been a publicity stunt dreamed up by lobbyists here who are trying to have the Taiwan restrictions on mainland spouses eased. Nothing wrong with their motives, I suppose, but I swear, these people are SO naive and inept!

Thanks for the update.

Well now, that is not great news, Subway. Things sounded slightly more optimistic when we spoke on the phone some time ago. I had a discussion a few years back with the Taiwanese chaps in the Dublin Taipei Rep Office, and they could think of no way to get my wife in, short of her getting a foreign passport. As far as they are (still) concerned, the four year rule applies. And so we continue to languish here, getting more and more frustrated as the years go by.

On her third anniversary of entering the UK (as I’m sure you are aware) your wife will be eligible to apply for a UK passport. The process can be expedited if she cannot travel on her current documents. Would it be possible for her to fulfill her 3 years’ residency in the UK, then be admitted as a visitor to Taiwan until the British passport was issued ? The Home Office would post the naturalisation certificate, and the passport could be obtained in Hong Kong.

Why? Seems like sound advice to me.

I have given up, this is all to difficult.

I have spoken to my company, who are also at a loss.

They have offered me a deal,

1 month in Taipei , then a month working from home in the UK.

I’m going to take it, it’s obvious they don’t want me to leave, and if we hold out another 10 months, Amy will qulify for a brit passport.

So it looks as If I just a tourist from now on !!!

Subway, do not to put a damper on things, but when i did the same back in the mid 80’s the qualification rule was also 3 years, but it took up to another 2 years for them to process the paperwork. We actually got my first wife’s paperwork 4.5 years after she entered the UK.

It was not 3 years and a few weeks, as far as i am aware this has not changed.

Best of luck

Obviously this is a disappointment. The target waiting time for processing UK naturalisation applications is currently 6 months on average (IND figures), but of course it is an average, and we don’t know if they are reaching this target. You may wish to state on the application that it should be expedited because your wife cannot join you on her current travel documents. That doesn’t help though with the 4 year rule which appears to be in addition to the requirement to have a foreign passport for PRC nationals.

For more information see news://misc.immigration.misc