The Northern California Emergency Assistance Association Cupertino Branch held a consular lecture at the South Bay Overseas Chinese Cultural and Educational Center on May 24 (last Saturday). They invited Guo Shunde, head of the consular section of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco, and Secretary Zhong Yaxun from the Immigration Section to give detailed explanations of the latest policies and procedures for dozens of overseas Chinese in attendance. The interaction on site was enthusiastic, with multiple practical questions being answered.
Association President Wang Changtai expressed that many overseas Chinese are not familiar enough with the details of applying for passports, visas, or document authentication, often making wasted trips due to incomplete information. In recent times, the office has also implemented new measures, including a monthly “online appointment” system, handling appointments from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with on-site number draw available after 11:30 a.m., accepting applications until 1 p.m.
In addition, the office also holds “Mobile Consular Services” in the South Bay regularly, requiring prior online registration. In case of last-minute vacancies, on-site replacements are also available. Elderly individuals aged 80 and above may receive priority service based on crowd conditions.
He shared his personal experience, stating that obtaining a chip-enabled passport takes a longer time, recommending people to visit CVS or Walgreens to take photos that meet Taiwan’s specifications to avoid wasting time and money.
Director Zhuang Yashu of the Overseas Chinese Education Center expressed in her speech that since its establishment in 2017, the Northern California Emergency Assistance Association has been assisting overseas Chinese and international students in handling emergency affairs, with over eight years of dedicated service. She specially thanked President Wang Changtai and the volunteer team for their enthusiastic dedication, and commended Head Guo Shunde for actively promoting mobile consular services over the years, providing frontline consular services to overseas Chinese.
During the lecture, Head Guo Shunde detailed the application process for Republic of China passports, visas, document authentication, and authorization letters, and introduced the current implementation of the “advance online appointment” and “on-site counter registration” dual-track operational method at the office.
In an interview with Epoch Times, he mentioned that to enhance administrative efficiency, they have fully adopted this dual-track system since May, and continue to promote mobile consular services and out-of-state services, while encouraging people to utilize mail and email for related procedures.
He particularly reminded overseas Chinese that the office never delegates third parties for representation, urging the public to be vigilant against fraud traps and refrain from providing personal information casually. In case of suspicious situations, they should contact the office immediately for verification to safeguard their own rights and interests.
Currently, the consular cases at the San Francisco office rank second highest in the United States, only behind the Los Angeles office. Despite limited manpower, the office is dedicated to improving service quality and welcomes inquiries through their website or email. For consular information, please refer to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco Consular Announcement. For online appointments, please visit: www.tecosf.com. ◇