Taiwan's minimum wage increases and their effect on APRC application

[comfy123]

@Zllig

Are you implying that a single person can’t support themselves on 60k per month in Taiwan? What are you smoking?

You might be able to survive. But not save any money.

Some of us can’t even get out monthly credit card spend down to 40,000 a month

[Zllig]

You might be able to survive. But not save any money.

Might?! Maybe this should be a new thread, but that sounds incredibly sad. You sound like you have a budgeting and spending problem.

For a single person: 10-15k is reasonable for rent, 9k for food, 5k for miscellaneous needs (emphasis on need), and 10k for fun money lands you at 34-39k per month. All the rest can go to savings. If you aren’t living above your means, you can easily put away 20k+ every month. Obviously you can tweak these numbers as you see fit (it’s basically just the 50-30-20 rule) or as you increase your income. Obviously this is differs for every person, but I think it’s a reasonable standard of living (even in Taipei).

Some of us can’t even get out monthly credit card spend down to 40,000 a month

I don’t understand what this means. Are you keeping a balance in the tens of thousands every month? If so, you should have no problems getting approved for credit cards from banks. They should fucking love you.

[justintaiwan]

@comfy123

The APRC is not an entitlement.

And Taiwan’s rules are very reasonable.

I agree that at some point in the future the 2x minimum wage requirement might become a problem but probably not for quite some time.

@Andrew

them. I also have a Vietnamese friend who’s been struggling with this for years. She’s now earning about that amount

Why doesn’t she try this alternative?

@foc

Certificate issued by the R.O.C. (Taiwan) government certifying that its holder is a professional or technician or has passed a technical test

If the income requirement becomes difficult to meet then this would probably be the easiest alternative? Provided your Chinese is good

https://law.moj.gov.tw/ENG/LawClass/LawAll.aspx?pcode=D0080133

[Andrew]

@justintaiwan

Why doesn’t she try this alternative?

@foc

Certificate issued by the R.O.C. (Taiwan) government certifying that its holder is a professional or technician or has passed a technical test

We’ve actually spoken about this before:

Personal loans

That is the income requirement for permanent residency - two times minimum wage, which keeps increasing every year. @comfy123 is for some reason talking about the (lower) salary requirement for being classified as an intermediate skilled worker, presumably because that’s more convenient for his narrative. Yes, there are technical certification criteria through which people can qualify as well. I hadn’t overlooked that, I just don’t know all the fields and subfields in which these exams are of…

I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at that list of professional/technical exams, but to my understanding the range of options is really quite limited and not applicable to most occupations — the description above seems more promising than it actually is. It’s not really feasible for most people to take a few years off to study for and pass government exams in, say, civil service, radiology, or welding (all of which I believe have multiple levels and prerequisites), unless they were already working in one of those fields. It’s been a while since I looked, but going from memory someone would need to be quite experienced/specialized for this to be an option, by which point applying based on salary might well be the easier option.

I’d be interested to know how many people get an APRC through this route though. I’ve never heard or read or anyone doing it. Have you? Anyone else? @foc @fifieldt

[comfy123]

@Zllig

ns. Are you keeping a balance in the tens of thousands every month?

No. As I said “spend” I pay the cards down to 0 every month.

@Zllig

you should have no problems getting approved for credit cards from banks. They should fucking love you.

I do get calls often asking me if I’m interested in taking out a personal loan.

@Zllig

you can easily put away 20k+ every month.

Well I’ve seen time and time again people post how they cannot reach the current income.

People give them illegal means to workaround it…

Then a year later they are complaining that as a foreigner they are ineligible for rent subsidies…

[foc]

@Andrew

I don’t know if you’ve ever looked at that list of professional/technical exams, but to my understanding the range of options is really quite limited and not applicable to most occupations — the description above seems more promising than it actually is. It’s not really feasible for most people to take a few years off to study for and pass government exams in, say, civil service, radiology, or welding (all of which I believe have multiple levels and prerequisites), unless they were already working in one of those fields.

There are two categories here.

1. professional/technician
2. skill certification

The first one includes things like lawyers, CPAs, clinical therapists, and civil engineers. It is out of reach for most APRC holders.

The second one is for certification for things like a beautician, welder, cook, backhoe operator. My understanding is that there are usually three levels of certification.

@amitkattal if you want to DM me about your job and skills, I might be able to help you figure out what is available for you.

I also think that four or five years of steady employment with an income approaching but still under the threshhold might be enough to qualify under the catch-all ( Other documents that is sufficient to prove that the applicant is capable of supporting himself/herself or making a living.)

I would ask for a raise on these grounds. If I didn’t get it, I would look for a new job. At the same time, I would find a skill I am interested in and get certified. I would also compile employment and income records for last five years.

[Andrew]

@foc

I also think that four or five years of steady employment with an income approaching but still under the threshhold might be enough to qualify under the catch-all ( Other documents that is sufficient to prove that the applicant is capable of supporting himself/herself or making a living.)

I’m also curious if anyone ever qualifies under that route. I know it exists, but I’ve never heard of someone actually using it or suggesting it as a possibility.

I assumed immigration had put it in there to give them some discretion in cases where they might want it, but I’d be surprised if they’re willing to use it to accept applications from people with multiple years of being under but close to the requirement.

[irish91]

Here is a post made in the “HOW TO GET YOUR APRC” Facebook group which is extremely helpful (Credit to James Lick):

UPDATED FOR 2025 MINIMUM WAGE:

Since the new year is coming, along with new APRC income requirements, it’s a good time to review the requirements for most applicants:

Monthly minimum wage:
2023: $26,400
2024: $27,470
2025: $28,590

(Minimum wage adjustments take effect on January 1.)

Annual minimum earnings for typical APRC applicants(*):
Apply in 2024 using 24 x $26,400 = $633,600 in 2023 income.
Apply in 2025 using 24 x $27,470 = $659,280 in 2024 income.
Apply in 2026 using 24 x $28,590 = $686,160 in 2025 income.

(The income requirement is twice the minimum wage. The above calculation is based on twice the minimum wage for 12 months, or 24 times the monthly minimum wage. The total income in the year is what matters, not in which months you earned it.)

(*) The following are some exceptions that may apply to certain applicants:

• Spouses of citizens with household registration (JFRV ARC holders) can apply with no income or assets requirement (effective January 1, 2024).
• Dependents of foreign professionals who have held an APRC for 5 years AND where the dependent has had an ARC for 5 years can apply with no income or assets requirement.
• Dependents of foreign specialist professionals (e.g. Gold Card ARC) who have held an APRC for 3 years AND where the dependent has had an ARC for 3 years can apply with no income or assets requirement.
• Dependents of foreign senior professionals may apply concurrently or immediately with no income or assets requirement.
• Most applicants apply based on the prior calendar year’s annual income which will be compared with the prior year’s minimum wage. It is also possible to apply based on the prior 12 calendar months’ income which will be compared with the current year’s minimum wage. Example: Applying in October 2024 using the prior calendar year’s annual income will require $633,600 of income in the calendar year 2023, while applying using the prior 12 month period’s income will require $659,280 of income during the 12 month period of October 2023 to September 2024.
• Any qualifying applicant can show assets of $5m in Taiwan instead of income.

I don’t know much about the English job market but as an engineer I’d say after 5 years of working you should be able to make that amount with promotions from junior to senior and pay increases that typically come along with that.

I know there was comments a few years ago and people seemed to have already been struggling before the previous increases took affect.

There isn’t any law saying the rule is 2 times the national minimum wage so it could be changed easily. Also I don’t think its really NIA as a department that set the standard but the MOI as it also applies to naturalization.

[Andrew]

@irish91

There isn’t any law saying the rule is 2 times the national minimum wage so it could be changed easily. Also I don’t think its really NIA as a department that set the standard but the MOI as it also applies to naturalization.

Don’t know how difficult it would be to change, but that requirement is written in Article 15 of the Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act:

Anyone applying for permanent residence with circumstances other than the one stated in the preceding subparagraph shall meet one of the following conditions:
(1) Having an average monthly income in R.O.C. (Taiwan) in the previous year that is more than twice of the monthly minimum wage promulgated by the Ministry of Labor;

[irish91]

@Andrew

Don’t know how difficult it would be to change, but that requirement is written in Article 15 of the Enforcement Rules of the Immigration Act

Ah yeah, those enforcement rules are submitted by the relevant ministry and just need a 60 day public consultation phase to change. No vote in the Legislative Yuan needed. Same thing as MOI is currently doing for the Enforcement Rules of the Nationality Act

[Mataiou]

yep, the enforcement rules are administrative acts completely drafted and release after the consultation period by the responsible agency/ministry. No legislative passage is required.