If you’re married you can combine both incomes if both are working. It used to be, don’t know if still is.
I looked into this for someone a few months ago. There is some information available online, but you’re right that it was a total pain in the ass to find starting from the APRC guidelines and the government doesn’t make it easy.
It seems to refer to the professional and technical exams for certain fields organized by the Ministry of Examination. I’ll just dump the links I bookmarked below (which may or may not be useful):
The laws governing the examinations:
Professionals and Technologists Examinations Act
Professionals and Technologists Examinations Act Enforcement Rules
Ministry of Examination website:
Ministry of Examination, R.O.C.
A Taiwan News article about the exams now being available in English:
Foreigners in Taiwan can now take professional exams in English
Examination schedules:
Ministry of Examination 2022 Examination Schedule
Previous/future exam schedules
Some random stuff in Chinese that I bookmarked but don’t remember why and can’t be bothered trying to summarize:
全國技術士技能檢定
112年全國技術士技能檢定簡章
Some nationality law stuff from the Tainan city government that seemed at the time to contain some useful information (along with a lot of irrelevant stuff)
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prediction:
soon they’ll start handing out APRCs in taiwan if you have a good sperm count with the ability to produce children. You will be gifted an acre of land and a tractor.
p.s. I think you only need to show proof of income threshold, 5 years.
They did this (actual nationality indeed) to any men with “Chinese” heritage before 1979.
Back then, there is a saying, today we train hard, tomorrow we attack.
Not many takers back then though. Mostly only Hong Kong footballers registered for ROC national team.
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Thank you! Although understandably, the demand for foreign workers in hospitality is quite low for now, there’s not much tourists coming in yet! Hoping it’ll get better next year.
Probably because I don’t have experience in a big chain hotel yet. Considering taking a low-level job yet, but housekeeping is really a final option. Hopefully next year would be better for the industry! Most guests I see are locals for now.
I saw this, although I wonder if it’s possible to pass a technical exam and then switch to another line of job entirely. I can’t tell what I’ll do in 5 years from now.
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Btw, can anyone confirm this? Ezworktaiwan website is dead for some reason. If what is written here is true, then any graduate of a Taiwanese university can be exempted from the salary requirement?
Link: Additional “Hobby”/Irregular Income for ARC Holder/Future APRC Applicant - #9 by tando
I am getting more and more confused with the law here…
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In the end, de facto, it all depend on the officer handling your case.
Especially true outside Taipei office, because only 1 officer have the authority.
Historically (pre-Covid) there has ways been a big shortage of hospitality workers at all levels, ranging from entry-level housekeeping to management. Lots of hotels opened in the last 10 years, but salaries are low compared to other industries, so workers tend to switch into other industries or work elsewhere (China was very popular).
The airport is getting more busy and more flights are being announced, plus travel is mostly back in the rest of the world, so it’s only a matter of time until hotels fill up with business travellers and tourists again.
So generally speaking you are in a good place, given your advanced degree. Don’t be afraid to change employers once or twice in the next 5 years, as that might be the way to move to higher positions and increase your salary level.
Best of luck!
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You could certainly take one of those cleaning jobs for 26,000NTD a month and work your way up! 
Don’t snob a genuine career!
I do wonder though… Many people I see on facebook who want APRCs are scraping by on 65,000-70,000… I wonder what will happen when many don’t qualify for APRC due to the salary requirements being increased! 
Will the government reduce the requirement?
you cannot, NIA will ask you to provide the tax statements just for yourself, I had to ask for individual one even though I did taxes together with the wife.
I remember seeing that recently in government documentation too (saying that household income could be used).
I hope it’s a new change, a very welcomed one for a lot of people.
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Too bad for you. Because I used only the wife’s income, 11 years ago.
I think they only check tax certificate (mine in New Taipei was checked for last 5 years, other in Taipei only checked for last year).
No way they could tell who contribute what for the tax filing.
Let’s say, I am married, all income coming from me, wife not working professionally (she is a cook in the kitchen, a maid in the living room & an acrobat in the bedroom, because I cannot afford a cook and a maid), and file tax together with wife for the purpose getting a reduction.
Then it would be wrong to reject my application because I am filing tax combined with my wife.
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It works both ways.
633600 per year, means 52800 per month on average (12x).
I think most locals that working in service industry, teachers, nurses, waiters, hairdressers, convenience store clerks won’t get that amount of money. Only office workers (white collars) would ever see that kind of range.
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Are you serious? I have Taiwanese family members who are earning over 80,000ntd a month teaching at public schools… 5 years experience!
Also I know a nurse (Taiwanese cousin of mine) earning 60,000 a month with only a few year’s experience.
I think your perception of Taiwanese salaries are skewed with the entry level salaries!
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There are some teachers getting 45K a month. Then there’s several sub teachers that must find a new school each year getting slightly below 40K a month.
There are several nurses that getting 40K a month. They are getting a bit more when working night shifts.
The responses are around 2008-2017.
Either the salary currently improves or all of them lying, then.
@arcticsquid 2017 is 5 years ago! Here is an easy to read chart showing that each year the salary improves (not accounting for CPI)
As you can see it stops at 2019 the medium salary just short of 50,000… Now one can assume that in 2022 the salary would be around the 52,800 ballpark!
Since this is Forumosa and there are people with questionable intelect or common sense I will include the figure for 2022. According to 有感嗎？2022國內勞工年均薪 創7年新高 - 工商時報 it is SUPRPRISE SURPRISE!!! 56,416 (including average bonuses). Taking into account one months bonus on average and deducting it… it brings it down to 51,715… Which is totally in line with the requirement. Lets face it! When you immigrate to a country they don’t want low skilled workers on minimum wage! They want immigrants with a bit of skill to show!