I’m in an interesting predicament - I’m an ABC with Taiwanese parents (who are dual citizens ROC/USA) who just graduated in June 2009. I’ve come back to work in Taiwan, but it turns out that getting a work visa is much more complicated than I thought. My employer tried, but apparently it requires two years work experience AND a masters or higher education degree in the area of “expertise.”
I thought I might be able to get a passport through my parents, but that seems to be complicated by the fact that I’m not under 20, and the fact that even if I get a passport, I might not be able to get the residence visa necessary in order to be legally employed.
Does anyone have any advice on to get a residence/passport or anything that would make it so that I can be legally employed here? I’m wondering why it’s easy to work here if you want to teach English, but so difficult in any other field…
I’m in an interesting predicament - I’m an ABC with Taiwanese parents (who are dual citizens ROC/USA) who just graduated in June 2009. I’ve come back to work in Taiwan, but it turns out that getting a work visa is much more complicated than I thought. My employer tried, but apparently it requires two years work experience AND a masters or higher education degree in the area of “expertise.”[/quote]
Those requirements seems a tad high, but on the other hand most countries won’t let a person with just a bachelors degree and less than 2 years of experience in on a work permit.
[quote=“liljupiter614”]
I thought I might be able to get a passport through my parents, but that seems to be complicated by the fact that I’m not under 20, and the fact that even if I get a passport, I might not be able to get the residence visa necessary in order to be legally employed.[/quote]
If you want to go this route, it is quite easy. You shouldn’t have any problems getting a ROC passport. My understanding is that getting the Taiwan Residence Permit (not to be confused with an ARC) and applying for a temporary ROC ID card is also straightforward but I am less familiar with the specifics.
Although that page is specifically for Hong Kong and Macau residents, I think the same overseas chinese rules should apply to you. I’ve heard that you can’t work for one year until you’ve obtained the Settlement Approval but that page seems to state that you are allowed to work in Taiwan for the one year between getting the Taiwan Residence Certificate and the Taiwan Settlement Certificate / ROC National ID Card.
I have a related question and would be grateful for any advice. I’m currently working for a European bank in Taipei and am stuck here for the next couple of years. My girlfriend wants to quit her job in London and live with me here in Taipei.
The plan we have is that she can open a restaurant in Taipei and be self-employed. She is a UK national in her twenties and has a masters degree. Is it possible for her to legally stay and work in Taiwan under these circumstances?
I tried googling and most info only covers rules on ordinary employment and there is little info on self-employemt for foreign nationals in Taiwan. Any advice/info will be much appreciated.
AFAIK (hopefully someone else can expand/confirm) the only way she could wrangle such an arrangement would be with the proper amount of investment, setting up a company in the ROC or a branch office of a company abroad. (I don’t know whether they would accept a restaurant having a “branch office” but you never know.) I can’t think of any way it would be possible for her simply to do it. That being said, the money required could probably be borrowed short-term to show enough in the bank account, or something.
I’m in an interesting predicament - I’m an ABC with Taiwanese parents (who are dual citizens ROC/USA) who just graduated in June 2009. I’ve come back to work in Taiwan, but it turns out that getting a work visa is much more complicated than I thought. My employer tried, but apparently it requires two years work experience AND a masters or higher education degree in the area of “expertise.”
I thought I might be able to get a passport through my parents, but that seems to be complicated by the fact that I’m not under 20, and the fact that even if I get a passport, I might not be able to get the residence visa necessary in order to be legally employed.
Does anyone have any advice on to get a residence/passport or anything that would make it so that I can be legally employed here? I’m wondering why it’s easy to work here if you want to teach English, but so difficult in any other field…
Thanks and Merry Xmas!!![/quote]
I don’t see the problem… Your parents are ROC citizens, therefore you should be able to be one also, right? Where were you born? The US?
If they still have household registration in Taiwan, you should be on there and therefore eligible for an ID card. I’m just making assumptions here, but I would find out what your parents have in terms of household registration etc and then I would talk to the Taiwan trade office nearest where you are. I can’t see how this could even be a problem with both parents being ROC citizens…
My son was born in Taiwan to a Taiwanese mother and a South African father (me). He has a South African and a Taiwanese passport. He has never been to South Africa but I registered his birth through the SA Liaison Office and applied for his SA passport there.
I realise each country has different rules, but surely if you were born in the US your parents registered your birth in the US and Taiwan. If you were born in Taiwan you should have been put on their household registration at that time.
The only problem I’ve ever seen with this kind of situation (on Forumosa) has been of Taiwanese born in the US, or born in Taiwan who immigrated to the US coming back (no problem there) and having to do military service.
Honestly, the situation makes no sense to me. If your parents had given up their ROC citizenship before you were born I could understand you having some problems (although I’ve never heard of Taiwanese doing that), but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
[quote=“bismarck”]
I don’t see the problem… Your parents are ROC citizens, therefore you should be able to be one also, right? Where were you born? The US?
If they still have household registration in Taiwan, you should be on there and therefore eligible for an ID card. I’m just making assumptions here, but I would find out what your parents have in terms of household registration etc and then I would talk to the Taiwan trade office nearest where you are. I can’t see how this could even be a problem with both parents being ROC citizens… [/quote]
I think the issue is that the second poster is overage, hence she may not be able to apply for a ROC ID automatically. (If the birth was registered in Taiwan via TECO, she should have an ID number and be able to get the ID card right away, and then start working.) I’ve never seen the regulation that states there’s an age limit to apply for household registration based on your parents though, so the issue may be groundless.
My parents actually did give up their ROC citizenship when they immigrated to the US and I was born in the US after this fact (and my parents didn’t actually register my birth in Taiwan because they didn’t think that they’d be coming back o.O ugh for limited foresight). In the past couple years, they have returned to Taiwan and reapplied for ROC citizenship which they now have.
At this point the ROC trade office has said that since my parents are citizens, I can get a visitor’s visa to come visit them for a duration that can be extended up to 6 months, but wouldn’t tell me anything about how I get a residence here so that I can be employed. It’s been kind of a frustrating and extremely confusing experience - how would I even begin to apply for a ROC ID? Should I apply for it at a TECO office in America so that they can verify my birth?
[quote=“liljupiter614”]My parents actually did give up their ROC citizenship when they immigrated to the US and I was born in the US after this fact (and my parents didn’t actually register my birth in Taiwan because they didn’t think that they’d be coming back o.O ugh for limited foresight). In the past couple years, they have returned to Taiwan and reapplied for ROC citizenship which they now have.
At this point the ROC trade office has said that since my parents are citizens, I can get a visitor’s visa to come visit them for a duration that can be extended up to 6 months, but wouldn’t tell me anything about how I get a residence here so that I can be employed. It’s been kind of a frustrating and extremely confusing experience - how would I even begin to apply for a ROC ID? Should I apply for it at a TECO office in America so that they can verify my birth?
Thanks so much for the responses![/quote]
Never heard of Taiwanese giving up their ROC citizenship when immigrating anywhere. Can’t imagine why they (or anyone in a similiar situation) did it, as it isn’t a requirement. Anyway, that’s your problem right there.
From the ROC immigration POV, you’re not an ABC (or TBC, if you will) other than that you’re ethnic Chinese born in America (this is why I hate the stupid ABC/CBC/BBC/AusBC/SABC monniker), you’re basically just another foreigner born to foreign parents and subject to the same rules and regs.
Seeing as you were born to foreigners (as your parents didn’t hold ROC nationality at the time) in a foreign country, you are faced with the normal immigration stuff.
It’s possible that the immigration guys have never seen a case like this either, which may account for why there isn’t any rule or legislation to make it easier for you, i.e. a kid born to current ROC nationals, who were ROC nationals before, but not at the time of your birth, and not having been registered at birth. Also, having resumed ROC citizenship after having cancelled it, I would assume they no longer have household registration either.
I would definitely try getting your birth verified, and then try and find out if you can apply for ROC citizenship because your parents are Taiwanese. Regardless of the circumstances surrounding your birth, your parents are at present ROC citizens. I would imagine you should be able to get ROC citizenship based on that. However, the fact that your birth wasn’t registered at a TECO office may be a problem. So see what you can do about that first IMO.
The only benefit is that you only need to stay in Taiwan for 3 years to naturalize instead of the usual 5. In this case, it doesn’t matter if your parents have regained ROC nationality or not.
If they had regained ROC nationality while you were still a minor, the situation would be different. (While still a minor, you have the option to apply for restoration of ROC nationality along with your parents, up until you become of age.)
Agreed. Additionally, I’m not aware of any immigration benefit of having parents who are ROC citizens once you are no longer a minor. I would have expected that they could at least sponsor you as a dependent under family reunification but I can’t find a regulation about this.
[quote=“bismarck”]I don’t see the problem… Your parents are ROC citizens, therefore you should be able to be one also, right? Where were you born? The US? If they still have household registration in Taiwan, you should be on there and therefore eligible for an ID card. I’m just making assumptions here, but I would find out what your parents have in terms of household registration etc and then I would talk to the Taiwan trade office nearest where you are. I can’t see how this could even be a problem with both parents being ROC citizens…
My son was born in Taiwan to a Taiwanese mother and a South African father (me). He has a South African and a Taiwanese passport. He has never been to South Africa but I registered his birth through the SA Liaison Office and applied for his SA passport there…[/quote]
My son was born here to an ROC mother Bismark but could not get ROC Nationality at the time. Rules were different before 2000. Also if the OP was born in the USA and the parents did not register him and he is now over 20 years of age it’s not so simple to get ROC Nationality.
Thanks very much for your feedback. Our plan is actually for my gf to first register a company in Taiwan, then set up the restaurant. The financial investment shouldn’t be much of a problem, her family’s rich. Our main concern is her employment status. As a business owner in Taiwan, is she automatically entitled to work here full-time? If not, what else is required and is that straightforward? Basically, the plan is for her to stay here in Taiwan with me, and be able to run her restaurant business at the same time.
Its amazing how little information there is on this, either on this forum or elsewhere. Nobody seems to know what’s the route for a foreigner who wants to start a business in Taiwan. Most info only covers general employment and not self-employment. I mean, I thought being self-employed is the trend these days?
You may want to check out the following threads, both to speed up your creative thinking and to figure out who the people are around here who have the kind of experience, information, and possibly contacts that you need to solve the issue you are posting about here. Since you don’t know when all those people will stumble across this thread, i’d recommend you simply contact them via PM - the worst that could happen would be that someone doesn’t have time for you or no suitable information.
You may want to check out the following threads, both to speed up your creative thinking and to figure out who the people are around here who have the kind of experience, information, and possibly contacts that you need to solve the issue you are posting about here. Since you don’t know when all those people will stumble across this thread, I’d recommend you simply contact them via PM - the worst that could happen would be that someone doesn’t have time for you or no suitable information.
Good luck![/quote]
Thanks very much Yulin! The links are most helpful! I think my best bet now would be simply to approach a CPA…
Our main concern is her employment status. As a business owner in Taiwan, is she automatically entitled to work here full-time? If not, what else is required and is that straightforward? Basically, the plan is for her to stay here in Taiwan with me, and be able to run her restaurant business at the same time.