Has anyone attempted applying for the Plum Blossom card as a senior (10+ years experience) software developer outside Taiwan? I’d like to apply but a lot of the data I’ve seen on the program seems to be related to professors and researchers in Taiwan. The section on eligibility here though does seem to allude to high-level engineers in industry, as well as academics.
I’d just give it a go, but if I were to apply I’d want to drum up some letters of recommendation from former colleagues. I don’t want to trouble them if I clearly don’t qualify.
Before getting the ball rolling, I would reach out to the Taipei City National Immigration Agency to speak to a Plum Blossom Card specialist, to see what they think of your chances.
I wonder as well if you have considered simply going for a Gold Card to start, and then seeing if you could flip it over to secure permanent residency? That might be a simpler route to follow, and allow you to get moving more quickly.
That seems smart, though there’s no way I could discuss immigration law in Mandarin over the phone. How is their English? I might have to find a Chinese-endowed friend to call them on my behalf.
Extremely boring details
I definitely did, and if I don’t qualify for the Plum Blossom I’ll probably go the Gold Card route. That said, I’m not sure I’d be able satisfy the physical presence requirement (183 days/yr avg) to convert to APRC after three years. The subfield I’m in requires a lot of “hands on” work with customers and vendors so I have to travel frequently, spending more than half a year abroad sometimes. I could keep renewing the Gold Card of course, but the promise of stability (in the form of permanent residence) is the main thing that’s got me interested in Taiwan over my current country of residence (I live abroad on a work visa, with slim chance of conversion to PR, and I’m not keen on returning to my “home” country when the place I’m in is no longer interested in having me here).
Regarding the Gold Card, you can renew it as long as you keep satisfying the requirements. Technically it’s not a renewal, you apply for a new card within the validity of the previous one.
Could you rephrase your query? I’ve read it three times, and I still can’t quite understand what you are asking, as Plum Blossom card holders are—at least for now—categorized as “senior professionals.”
I think he wants to know if it’s easier to get a Plum Blossom Card than getting a letter from the governments stating that one is a “senior professional”. Thus, he’s looking for the criteria for getting a Plum Blossom Card so he can compare it to the other criteria.
Before moving ahead to apply, the advice I received—and which I would pass along to others—is to reach out to your location NIA office, find out who handles Plum Blossom Card applications, and set up an appointment to learn more and to see if this path is potentially workable, or not.
NIA mentions “senior professionals” in PCB information and “High level professionals” in dual citizenship info. I want to know if those are the same things or different.
Ok so if I understand correctly. I need to get a recommendation letter from a governmental body to prove I’m a “senior professional” prior to applying for a PCB?
Anyone happen to know the recommendation criteria for academia sinica?
Once again I am confused by your approach. Do you think you will be appointed as a researcher at AS? That’s like applying to be a professor at an R1 university. How is this connected to your queries about a Plum Blossom Card?
I’m pretty sure I have a chance. I don’t want to atm but maybe I’ll change my mind.
With that said I thought maybe it’ll be something similar to NIW in the states where they just look at your publications and some letters of recommendation from random professionals and voila you now qualify for a green card.
So . . . “NIW” means "national interest waiver (NIW) "? Sorry I am not American and have not looked into US immigration policy.
But getting back to your Academia Sinica comment—I still don’t quite get what you’re talking about. If you are serious about a Plum Blossom card, you could contact your local NIA office. I’m sure they will be pleased to speak with you—at least they were when I went through this process. They are happy to try to ramp up the number of recipients if they can.
Applying to work at Academia Sinica is a separate matter—it’d be like applying for job.