I have a potentially unpopular opinion on this matter.
If looking for tangible “benefits”, most likely you are not ready to acquire a citizenship, particularly if it involves renouncing another.
Instead, look within yourself, tally your beliefs, and see if you believe in the nation. If you feel that you want to be a part of furthering our collective national interests and shaping our nation, want to see our sportsball team succeed, want to stand up for and represent our nation globally, and similar such things, then you’re ready
Take the US or UK or Singapore for example - Do you think the vast majority of people who immigrate to those places care about the national baseball/football/* team?
Tangible benefits is the only practical way to attract people to Taiwan… Otherwise there will only be a handful of highly motivated individuals who will be interested, and that won’t be able to make a significant difference…
I originally hail from a nation where half of the people if not themselves born overseas, have one or more parents that were. People in that nation do tend to care about the country, irrespective of which generation they migrated
From my experience interacting with Indian Americans and Asian Americans in the US, second-generation onwards definitely cared a lot more about these things. The motivations for their parents were always something tangible.
Yup my son and his mother both born and raised in Taiwan. The new generation. My son’s wife born in Australia where her parents met as students from another country.
You can be a Schrödinger’s foreigner. When anyone talks to you they don’t expect you to follow local customs but when it comes to dealing with institutions you are suddenly treated like a normal person.
This is an entirely valid stance, in my opinion. One should still be able to live with dignity in Taiwan as a foreign national. Something that still needs significant work, but improving slowly.
Significantly more.
I wish there was a way to apply for a Taiwanese ID, without nationality and a passport. It’s tiresome to hear '外國人不行 ’ from people who have been here significantly fewer years than me. Is there a T-shirt?
Or go the full monty and immediately disallow Taiwanese from having dual nationality. That may wake significantly more people up to the issue, as currently most dont care.
That’s no trivial process. It takes at least 2 years, 1 of which must be completely in Taiwan. Anyway, as I said i just want to live here with dignity. Becoming a citizen shouldn’t be necessary for that.
@Satellite_TV for example became stateless for nearly a year in his quest for citizenship before getting citizenship (as the idiots at the time lost his documents) - At the time Australians couldn’t resume like today so he made an incredibly tough decision and got a great reward and bonus
Or… petition your own government to allow resumption of citizenship. I’ve never heard of anyone trying…
@justintaiwan is naturalising after 3… and he is not even in the country now!
I am naturalising after 5, but only delayed 2 years because my Chinese wasn’t good enough.
Permanent resident should be able to live like a normal personal without being treated and called a foreigner
What western civilized country treats permanent residents like that? The top Asian hubs like SG and HK treats PR as locals with full benefits with the same citizen ID format
Why should we have to renounce to live a normal life? We contribute and pay the same taxes
What percentage of gold card holders are from western countries and why is Taiwan working so hard to attract them? The majority (>50%) are from North America and Europe.
I always thought it would be better for Taiwan if they did it like the driving licence, if your country recognises Tiawan citizenship and allows duel nationality then Taiwan can do the same, if not then you need to renounce.
How long have you been a PR in Taiwan? Why is it taking this long…?
What have you done to make the situation better?
Many on an APRC are happy as it is and that’s your problem. It is the old timers here long term fault for why it is like this.
Recently new comers like @fifieldt@Mataiou etc… have done more than any other foreigner… (especially long term complainers!) except for this one guy who was some principal and made some changes but has now naturalised himself.
I even won a case against Esun and unlocked the full function of their credit card for every foreigner in Taiwan. - That battle should’ve never occurred in 2021 and I should’ve never experienced that problem.
In general I think that after a certain time spent in a country, a person is well connected with the place and ready to assume citizenship so the person can meaningfully participate also in the public life (vote, even standing for election). At the end of the day, in most countries PR is a quasi citizenship, but it is not in TW.
APRC is just a hybrid imho, a bit more than ARC, but still all the issues of non-citizenship here.
So for me thinking about getting TW citizenship if the plan is to stay here long term, is a no-brainer. Takes away so much BS. Have no clue why some OPs say that giving away APRC to get citizenship is like to give away a normal life, imo THE normal life is being a citizen in the country you live in.
I don’t think they mean that. They mean having an APRC should entitle you to a normal life and an ID number the same as citizens and works the same with all the benefits. (Which I agree)
However, very few of these long term foreigners have bothered to make actual changes. However! → Those who have put in minimal effort were able effect massive changes. (Meaning that it is absolutely not impossible for those long term residents who couldn’t be bothered)
Instead they tend to rely off their wife with many I know not even knowing the language!
I know one American with 15 years in Taiwan (married to a Filipina) who can’t even order a coffee in Chinese! - Imagine a green card holder in the US of 15 years who couldn’t order a coffee at a Starbucks in English! Crazy, right???
He complains about discrimination when it comes to renting, banking etc…
Has he complained to the FSC once in his life? No.
Has he ever complained to the city government regarding landlord for saying “no foreigners?” No.
Made any attempt to learn Chinese? No.
Has his wife of 10 years in Taiwan made any attempt to naturalise (despite resumption being available and easy for Filipinos since 2002)? No.
Unless they are citizens then they are foreigners. Australia has lot’s of non citizen permanent residents who are called… foreigners. lol So does the USA.
Green card holders are legal resident foreigners.
