Has any non-NWHR Taiwanese successfully brought a Mainland Chinese spouse through the full residency path?
Has anyone here who is not a Taiwanese national with household registration (i.e., a non-NWHR Taiwanese) successfully brought a Mainland Chinese spouse to Taiwan through the full sequence of statuses:
→ 團聚 (short-term family reunion)
→ 長期居留 (long-term residence)
→ 定居 (settlement / permanent residence)
On the one hand, the statute appears to limit this pathway to NWHR Taiwanese nationals.
Article 2
三、臺灣地區人民：指在臺灣地區設有戶籍之人民。
Article 17
大陸地區人民為臺灣地區人民配偶，得依法令申請進入臺灣地區團聚，經許可入境後，得申請在臺灣地區依親居留。
Taken literally, “臺灣地區人民” refers only to Taiwanese nationals with household registration, which would exclude non-NWHR Taiwanese.
On the other hand, an NIA instruction explicitly states that Gold Card holders may bring their spouse to Taiwan under Family Union, and this instruction explicitly includes:
（五）第四十八條第一項第一款、第三款、第四十九條工作、依外國專業人才延攬及僱用法第八條第一項取得就業金卡或從事該法第十條第一項工作之外國人。
Source:
https://www.immigration.gov.tw/5385/7244/7250/7257/%E5%81%9C%E7%95%99/36040/
However, under Article 17, family union for Mainland Chinese spouses appears to be limited to spouses of NWHR Taiwanese nationals. This raises the question of whether the NIA is effectively treating Gold Card holders as falling under 「臺灣地區人民」 for this specific purpose.
My questions:
- Does this interpretation extend to the entirety of Article 17, such that a Mainland Chinese spouse of a Gold Card holder may progress through the full chain:
→ 團聚 → 長期居留 → 定居
In particular, does the following provision apply:
經依第一項規定許可在臺灣地區依親居留滿四年，且每年在臺灣地區合法居留期間逾一百八十三日者，得申請長期居留。
…
經依前二項規定許可在臺灣地區長期居留者，居留期間無限制；
長期居留符合下列規定者，得申請在臺灣地區定居：
一、在臺灣地區合法居留連續二年且每年居住逾一百八十三日。
二、品行端正，無犯罪紀錄。
三、提出喪失原籍證明。
四、符合國家利益。
- Or is this merely a limited administrative accommodation, allowing entry under 團聚 status only, without eligibility to advance beyond short-term family reunion?
Any firsthand experience, official clarification, or informed interpretation would be greatly appreciated.
