The National Immigration Agency yesterday began issuing Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) and Alien Permanent Resident Certificates (APRC) with a new number format adhering to the method used on Taiwanese identification cards.
In the redesign, the original two-letter-and-eight-digit format of the certificates has been changed to one letter and nine digits, as is used on Taiwanese ID cards, the National Development Council, which planned the policy, said in a statement.
The new format is intended to improve foreign residents’ ability to conduct daily transactions, such as shopping online, booking train tickets and completing online registration forms.
Foreign residents with ID cards using the old format often face issues carrying out such tasks because of complications caused by the numbering differences, the council said.
Some booking systems simply do not accept the ARC or APRC formatting, which means that foreigners would have to make reservations by telephone with customer service assistance or in person.
The change addresses concerns that have long been raised by foreign residents and the organizations that represent them, the council said.
Foreign residents with ARCs or APRCs in the old format are not required to immediately replace them with cards featuring the new format, the agency said.
It would update their cards to the new format the next time they apply for an extension or replacement, it added.
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