Taiwan just (slightly) relaxed Dual Citizenship Rules

What is the big thrill of a Taiwanese passport? With an APRC and open work permit you can stay here and work at whatever you like anyway, you can retire if that’s what floats your boat.

You can never have enough passports :slight_smile:
Being able to stay here and actually feel like you belong, unrestricted travel to China and can even work there if desire

Most important the ability to qualify for services that companies routinely discriminate against foreigners for such as loans and credit cards, phone services, etc . Another big one is aprc people don’t benefit from reduced cost services for seniors, even if you work your entire life here, no discounted train or admissions for you foreigner. Having to pay for admissions to places locals get in free even though you live in the area. If you become disabled you cannot get a disability card, locals only. And likely many things I’ve left out

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Sure, a jury of Forumosa mods will choose the best posts and hand out the Golden Betel Nuts! :smile:

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Its a small step in the right direction but current rules are

(puts on Pet Shop Boys) “its a joke…its a joke”

Here is a more detailed translation of the new regulation and who qualified for the new exemption:

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I believe I qualify under the following condition:

c: Those who have excellent talents in sociology, nutrition and fashion.

I hold a sociology major, survive almost exclusively on beer, and have a fashion sense that can only be described as ‘unique.’

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Would this change imply that Taiwan is starting to tackle their population decline?

After leaving Taiwan, again, when my mother passed away, I have been very reluctant to return. Though the kitten and I both miss the island very much, I’m not wealthy. Starting life again on the other side of the world is expensive and grueling, and I’ve done it too many times for one person already. As I can never become a citizen, and as I can’t remain employable on the island for longer than about ten more years, I just can’t see returning for more than a visit because it just gets too difficult. However! If I can find employment as an assistant professor and through that become a citizen–maybe! I used to want very much to retire there. I’d still love to. My son wants to return, in spite of his seafood allergies and how difficult it is to suit his diet there. MAYBE. This gives me a little glimmer of hope, anyway.

My goodness. Would that not qualify pretty much every English teacher from North America in Taiwan?

Joe Dirt, just off the boat, would practically qualify! :joy:

Let us remember to include Gender studies as well! :smile_cat:

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No.
What it is clearly aimed at is holding onto to professional and technical types of they have already worked in Taiwan.
It doesn’t do anything about population decline as it doesn’t offer a pathway for 600,000 foreign laborers or caregivers to remain.

Nothing yet.

ToeSave: Wait a second. You’ll be the interviewer? If so, this rule change is more intriguing than I’d thought!

Guy

Studies show that Taiwan is the cradle for the people who now live in the Phillippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and what not.

It is time for Taiwan to open up citizenship to these groups. I say open up for people who haved lived legally on the rock for ten plus years. And especially their children as they will help reverse the aging population of the rock. Otherwise eventually the rock will be one of OLD people.

And we’re all from Africa. Originally. We wuz kings! Where is my Botswana passport??? Racism!!!11!!!1!!!

I can’t think of a single place that I would travel to using a Botswana passport :slight_smile:

While we wait, I wonder if gathering information on why you fit into one of the categories would be beneficial. For me, I work with various technologies, and there are some real stats I could provide that support my case (like the number of US patents for Taiwanese companies issued in previous years while I worked as the sole US patent dude at my present company).

Do all of you think it would be worthwhile to start putting together this information? And do you think it should be in Chinese?

Just went to my local HRO office to inquire.
The guy didn’t know anything about it and got visibly nervous. Got a woman to come over who had a copy of the regulations and took a copy of my arc along with info about my job in Canada and degrees and said she would ask and call me back.

It says on the regs clearly my prior line of work so will be interested in the reply.

One thing I’m not sure about, is it subject to the standard 5 year wait period like the aprc? Immigration was not sure about this, there was a break in my arc 4 years ago for 3 months that makes me eligible for the aprc next year unfortunately but citizenship under the professional category they didn’t know and said it’s up to the HRO office.

Also immigration noted I work in the education field and asked how it was relevant to the professional category, I said that I can’t get a job in my professional field with arc as no company sponsors it.

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I wonder if it would be smarter to wait until everybody got up to speed on the new regulations. On the other hand, it seems maybe moving on this quickly could be advantageous since some in the government might like to see some results on their new policy. Hmmmm.

I expect the other requirements remain the same.
I could be wrong though so take this with grain of salt.

MIn 5 years residency unbroken (get proof from the immigration agency), clean record , Chinese proficiency (72 hours of Chinese classes with cert to prove it), current ARC and passport copy.

You need to apply at your local household registration office for the 歸化 document…they then submit it to the ministry of interior I think. The household registration office have people who will guide you through the steps.

So far above is what I submitted…they can be pretty anal about having it in the right format it has to be all in Chinese for instance. They will give you clear instructions what they want follow to the letter.
They may also delve into your court record without telling you …
They do not need tax statements and hopefully do not delve into them…

As I have started applying already I need to figure out if I can continue with current application and then submit my professional record to executive yuan for review (I should qualify working in two of the key tech fields in economic category) so I don’t need to renounce my original citizenship…that’s the plan!!

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