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I just received my Taiwan Area Residence Card (台灣地區居留證) - designed for "ROC Nationals without Household Registration" - & wanted to share about the process since there is so little information available in English. Please share for the Taiwanese diaspora in your life! 1/
According to the ROC Nationality Act ( https://law.moj.gov.tw/Eng/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?PCode=D0030001) anyone whose mom or dad held this nationality at their birth is considered an ROC national as well. You can apply for a passport "without household registration" as proof of said nationality 2/ https://twitter.com/catielila/status/1282870763993722881?s=20
However, the ROC separates nationality from civic rights, most of which come only w/household registration. The ROC passport alone does not even guarantee entrance to Taiwan; for that a separate permit is needed (can be extended for a max 6-month stay) 3/ https://international.thenewslens.com/feature/taiwan-immigration/139758
But if you are diaspora age 20+, obtaining household registration requires continuous residence in Taiwan for one year (or 270 days each over 2 years, etc.) So how can you stay long enough in Taiwan to apply for it? The answer is the Taiwan Area Residence Card 台灣地區居留證 4/
Here's what you need *if you're already an ROC National Without Household Registration*
1. Birth certificate (send it to the TECO/TECRO with jurisdiction over your place of birth to be notarized)
2. A background check *directly from the FBI* (sent to TECRO in Washington DC) 5/
1. Birth certificate (send it to the TECO/TECRO with jurisdiction over your place of birth to be notarized)
2. A background check *directly from the FBI* (sent to TECRO in Washington DC) 5/
As an example, here's the application form for "document authentication" from TECO Chicago. The process involves mailing a lot of paperwork back and forth
https://www.roc-taiwan.org/uploads/sites/35/2017/12/0478_001.pdf
3. Chinese translations of your birth certificate & background check (your family can do this) 6/
https://www.roc-taiwan.org/uploads/sites/35/2017/12/0478_001.pdf
3. Chinese translations of your birth certificate & background check (your family can do this) 6/
4. Take the Chinese translations & English originals to a district court in Taiwan (地方法院公證處) to be officially entered into the record. The Taipei location is here: https://goo.gl/maps/bnmGRAks5vT75u8w9
5. Get a health check (體檢) at an area hospital (about $1500 NTD, give or take) 7/
5. Get a health check (體檢) at an area hospital (about $1500 NTD, give or take) 7/
6. Ask your parents to borrow their National ID (身分證)
7. Passport-size picture
8. Bring all these documents to the National Immigration Agency (移民署) and fill out the application for a Taiwan ARC (台灣地區居留證). It costs $1000 NTD (amazingly) 8/ https://www.immigration.gov.tw/media/58195/%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E6%B0%91%E5%9C%8B%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3%E5%9C%B0%E5%8D%80%E5%85%A5%E5%A2%83%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99%E5%AE%9A%E5%B1%85%E7%94%B3%E8%AB%8B%E6%9B%B8-%E9%9B%99%E8%A6%AA.pdf
7. Passport-size picture
8. Bring all these documents to the National Immigration Agency (移民署) and fill out the application for a Taiwan ARC (台灣地區居留證). It costs $1000 NTD (amazingly) 8/ https://www.immigration.gov.tw/media/58195/%E4%B8%AD%E8%8F%AF%E6%B0%91%E5%9C%8B%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3%E5%9C%B0%E5%8D%80%E5%85%A5%E5%A2%83%E5%B1%85%E7%95%99%E5%AE%9A%E5%B1%85%E7%94%B3%E8%AB%8B%E6%9B%B8-%E9%9B%99%E8%A6%AA.pdf
If you are an ROC "National without Household Registration", why might you want to obtain a Taiwan Area Residence Card?
1. Right to residency
2. Right to a work permit
3. A pathway to household registration - & thus to voting & passing ROC nationality to your own kids 9/
1. Right to residency
2. Right to a work permit
3. A pathway to household registration - & thus to voting & passing ROC nationality to your own kids 9/
Taiwan needs young people. It needs people of working age to contribute socially & economically. Given the highly-restrictive dual nationality laws, diaspora born overseas are some of the only immigrants able to become voters here without relinquishing their other nationality 10/
For anyone who wants to get to know Taiwan (and their family history) better and to stay long-term without having to do visa runs on their US/other passport, for example, I urge you to apply first for the ROC passport without household registration & then for the Taiwan ARC 11/
P.S. Heard from some kind people and want to clarify that this is not *my* Taiwan Area Residence Card 
All photos are samples from government websites (also cross-posted to Wikipedia!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_certificate#/media/File:ROC_Taiwan_Area_Resident_Certificate_sample_20081001.png
All photos are samples from government websites (also cross-posted to Wikipedia!) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resident_certificate#/media/File:ROC_Taiwan_Area_Resident_Certificate_sample_20081001.png
P.P.S. Hardly anyone in Taiwan knows about Nationals w/o Household Registration 無戶籍國民. Thank you to the hardworking staff at all @TECRO_USA branches for making it possible for Taiwanese born abroad to maintain legal ties to Taiwan. And to friends who helped me on this path!
