Can dependent get a visa if gold card holder isn't planning to go?

My sister is 19 years old but still qualifies for a dependent visa under my dad, who is a gold card holder (he applied this summer and received the physical gold card a couple months ago). However, because of his current job/COVID he is not planning to go to Taiwan in the near future. My sister, however, still wants to go. She just graduated high school and was planning to move to Taipei for her gap year, living in my apartment, and was counting on the dependent visa to allow her in. I’m helping them apply for her visa but my dad was unsure whether they’d actually issue her one. They are both US citizens and in the States right now.

Questions:
Is it possible for a dependent to get a “joining family” visa if the gold card holder won’t be actually living/working in Taiwan?

And if she does in fact get the dependent visa from the embassy, does my dad have to physically fly here with her to Taiwan as well so she can enter?

This is kind of an unusual circumstance and I couldn’t find anything pertinent online, so would appreciate any info!

I’d say no. The whole deal is, that she is dependent on your dad, thus the need for her to follow him to Taiwan. Since he won’t be in Taiwan she doesn’t need to follow him.
But ask the TECO in your area. I’m sure they can answer your questions and maybe assist your sister in her endeavour to com to Taiwan for a longer time. I’m thinking student visa etc.

Working holiday could have been a possibility given her young age, but I guess not available during covid…

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What is she planning to do here? On a dependent visa she is not allowed to work.