What is the difference between a Residency Visa and an Alien Residency Cert. (ARC), can anyone tell me?
The steps for attaining residency rights in Taiwan are as follows. (1) Apply for a resident visa with the appropriate supporting documentation. In general, a resident visa is based on the categories of approved employment, approved investment, approved student status, approved missionary status, or joining family. (2) If you are issued a resident visa in Taiwan, or enter the country on a resident visa, then you have legal resident status for a few days. (3) In fact, you must then go to the Foreign Affairs Dept. of the local Police Station in the area where you are residing and get an Alien Resident Certificate within 15 days. (4) At the same time, you should also get a Re-entry Permit. (5) Your ARC then becomes your legal permission to reside in Taiwan, and has its own issue date and expiry date. (6) If you continue to reside here, then you must renew your ARC before the expiry date each time it comes due. (7) You can leave and re-enter the ROC area if your Re-entry Permit remains valid. (8) If you fail to renew your ARC before the expiry date, then you must leave the ROC area, and begin again at Step 1 above.
In simple terms - someone tell me if I am wrong - If you used your resident visa to get an ARC - your resident visa is now a useless piece of paper in your passport.
A lot of long term residents were surprised when I said this was how I saw it.
Your resident visa is cancelled when you get your ARC (and you should get a rentry permit with it) - if you fail to keep your ARC current, as richard says above - go back to step one. - Your father dies and you want to be away - consider - stay here a few days - renew your ARC - or plan on the 2+ months of garbage, plus maybe some more, to first get a NEW resident visa (and maybe a few trips to Hong Kong) and then again apply for an ARC.