Just wanted to clarify that it sounds like you’re looking to get the JFRV visa (a sticker in your passport) while you’re still in the US.
Note that I did mine while in Taiwan, so this may not be correct (but is my best guess) – I’d definitely call TECRO in DC to verify the process before submitting your application (or have your wife call and ask in Chinese)
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I believe you’d submit all of the paperwork to your local TECRO office and they would give you a JFRV visa (stamp in your passport) that you could enter Taiwan on, and not be carrying the documents with you to Taiwan
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I do not actually believe that you need to get the FBI background check translated and notarized if applying for the visa at TECRO in DC (you can call and ask to make sure though). If applying for a jfrv visa at a local TECRO, you may still need to get the background check notarized in English at the DC TECRO, but I do not believe you need to get it translated if applying for the visa at a TECRO office in the States.
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Does your wife have household registration (forgetting the Chinese now, but the document that lists all family members living at a particular house in Taiwan)? I’m not sure if that’s something that goes away if you move abroad, but if she does, then I think you’ll need to submit all documents on this list to TECRO DC get your JFRV…
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- If she does have Household Registration, are you on it? If not it may be a pretty big scramble to get you added onto it and printed out before 09/20 (not how that’s done abroad?)
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I have no idea how quarantine would work, as you have to take your JFRV visa and change it to an ARC (a little plastic card like a green card) within 15 days of landing (Notice #6 on the link above)… maybe they expect you to do it on the 15th day?
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The health check has to have specific tests done and in the US might be fairly expensive… Perhaps your local TECRO could help you out by directing you to a specific hospital to go to (or a document of tests you need, I can’t find one at the moment)
Another option that you can consider (though I’m not sure if they are issuing Visitor visas of any kind right now, again check with TECRO) is as tando suggested to get a “Visitor Visa for Visiting Relatives” (a sticker in your passport).
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The list of requirements is a little shorter
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I believe that you’d still need the above mentioned Household Registration doc, but it looks like you’re name doesn’t have to be on it (maybe?)
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- You’d then probably need to submit a marriage certificate if your name is not on the Household Registration – really not sure how this part would work
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Then after entering Taiwan on this visitor visa (valid for 60 days), you’d have to change it over to an ARC by the 52nd day (which should give you plenty of time to get through the quarantine)
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- You would then bring your FBI background check with you and need to get it translated into Chinese. You’d need to get it notarized (just the English copy) in TECRO DC first, before bringing it over. Then translated into Chinese (my wife did it herself, there are blog posts online, make sure the number of sentences match exactly). Then get the translation notarized by a notary office in Taiwan (like $800NTD)
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- You could then also get the health check done here, which would be considerably easier (and probably cheaper)
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- If you needed to get added to the Household Registration, this would definitely be easier to do in Taiwan
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- I believe that this way is a little more expensive as you’re essentially paying for 2 visas (the visitor one first, and then the jfrv one), but you’d probably more than make up for it on the costs of the health check and hassle
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I wrote a list of documents that they looked for once in Taiwan here
Good luck! In any case, I’d definitely give TECRO in the US a ring to see what they recommend