But then you get looked at like an alien when you tell them why you like Taiwan
I like the weather… reply Taiwan is too hot
Reply…the salary here is not good compared to your country
I like the pace of life… reply really?? It’s so busy here.
I find the country beautiful. Reply… your country is more beautiful.
You’ve been here for years? You won’t go home ?
I don’t the the NDC is trying to gain face (maybe I’m wrong). I think they are trying to get a sense of how—if at all—things are working with the Gold Card scheme, and this is their attempt to get some early data points.
If anyone goes to this event, do let us know what happens.
Guy
Humility is a virtue.
That’s more like self loathing to me but meh
I had big issues trying to bring my family in under an investor visa. Turns out the paperwork requirements for me, the investor, are fairly easy. Of course no one working in BOCA or MOFA has a clue so they said the paperwork I have is all fine.
I received my visa and my family, too. When we went to apply for our ARCs we were told a completely different story. The family’s documentation requirements were “different.”
I had to call in my connections to get it done. When push came to shove, NIA gave in and waved some silly requirements.
As you experienced, no one is familiar with these new programs. And in Taiwan it seems that “no” is the answer for anything people don’t understand.
Has anyone with the gold ARC and no employer registered for health insurance with the NHI? I see inconclusive information in this thread that suggests either one can get health insurance immediately with the gold card, or one has to wait 6 months without leaving Taiwan more than once and not for more than 30 days on that departure, which adds to the 6 months in Taiwan requirement… is it now known whether NHI eligibility is immediate for self-employment?
I should receive my gold ARC this week and am trying to workout travel plans. I have no employer as of yet and was planning to do consulting work.
I have the same question about NHI. I was told I can get it as soon as I get my ARC. But when I went to NHI they said I had to wait 6 months.
My international health insurance policy is about to expire. I don’t want to renew it as the company now has a reputation of not paying claims.
I haven’t started (moved) my company to Taiwan yet. I wonder if I have an actual company I can get it right away?
My US health insurance is pretty much useless. I can’t even use it in another state - much less overseas (where the cost is a fraction!).
Hi All,
Here are two things I cannot find online about the program. If anyone knows please advise. I also emailed my local Taiwan consulate with these.
If I get approved for a 3-year Visa under this program, does the 3-year period begin the day I’m approved/accepted? Or does it begin when I first land in Taiwan to begin my stay?
How far ahead of my expected travel to Taiwan can I get the Gold Card approval? Do I have to land in Taiwan by a certain date or time period once I get the Visa approved? For exaple, if I plan to move to Taiwan in May 2019, when should I apply for the Gold Card program to allow time for processing?
Hi,
Once the Gold Card is approved the card is printed with the expiry date of 3 years from date of approval.
I don’t believe you need to enter by any time period. I got approval from my home country, received a PDF that I downloaded and printed to show border control on arrival. It took me 1 month from approval to get organised and relocate to Taiwan. It didn’t state any “enter by date” etc. When I landed in Taiwan I collected the Gold Card from the NIA Office.
Applying early is best in my opinion, that way you allow time for being asked to provide more information. If it does get approved quickly then your 3 years will start from the time of approval… maybe you can ask NIA if you can specify a certain start date.
Regards
Anyone going today at the ceremony this afternoon? Is there a dress code? I’m hesitating, wearing short / flip flops now and can’t really go back home
just do it for ironic effect and livestream on youtube/facebook (put link here)
My understanding, based on a quick read of the current Act and a visit to the NHI offices who gave me some documentation:
Since 1st January 2013, the standard for Foreigners residing in Taiwan is that you do not get health insurance until you have lived in Taiwan for 6 months (continuous residence, allows one trip abroad for less than 30 days in which case you add those days too, otherwise I guess it resets to zero). This is nothing new.
The recent change with the new Act is that (since Feb 8th 2018), if a “Foreign Professional” with residency gets a job in Taiwan for a Taiwan company then the 6 month waiting period requirement goes away (also for certain other members of their family) and you can apply for health insurance immediately. Note that “Foreign Professional” also includes certain foreigners who do not have gold cards - it’s a broader definition, it’s not an incentive that is specifically a part of the gold card program.
My reading is that this is consistent with the text of the act, and the text in the leaflet that summarises the act, with both specifically refer to employment in a way that I interpret to exclude foreign contractors and the self-employed.
Agreed. I don’t think they really care how gold card holders are doing. Probably just a publicity stunt, which is why they have called the media too.
If they really wanted to get feedback, they could have done an online survey or just emailed us directly. There’s only like 50 or 60 of us so far.
I have prepared some “feel-good / Save-face” answers for them, as is the corporate style in Taiwan. Save the face, then stab in the back. 
I quit my job at the end of August while I was on a gold card. Coincidentally my wife had just come to taiwan and gotten her ARC as my dependent.
I went to NHI to test their claim of “No 6 month wait” for families of Gold card holders.
Thankfully someone recognized the card and said my wife could get NHI card immediately as long as I had a job and my company was paying for my health insurance.
Unfortunately I found out “from them” that my company had cancelled everything with NHI the day I left ( without the courtesy of informing me) so I was also without health insurance and therefore I couldn’t get it for my wife either.
I was given two options:
Pay for my own health insurance as a self-employed individual. My NHI card would be reinstated immediately but my wife would need to wait for 6 months to be eligible ( because I would still technically be regarded as jobless)
Get a “regular” job, and get my company to automatically pay my health insurance. Then my wife wouldnt need to wait 6 months. I could either pay for her my self or have my company help me pay for her too ( via deduction from my salary, of course).
Luckily I had a job waiting for me. It took my company just a week to get health insurance for both me and my wife, and she didn’t have to wait at all.
Don’t know if this info helps but that’s basically my experience with NHI after getting a gold card.
What if your spouse is from HK/Macau/China?
lol
I can give them some honest answers if they like :
**1. What is your plan of working or starting a business in Taiwan?
Ans: Preferbly I would like to use Taiwan as a stepping stone to get to a better place some day. I do love Taiwan ( compared to Pakistan ) but I can’t imagine living here forever and in the end still be treated like a foreigner (even if someday I could speak perfect Chinese). On the contrary people regard me a local when I even go on short trips to the US / UK just because I can speak somewhat decent English. Of course I know the reasons for why people there would think that but still that’s a good feeling, (of belonging).
I wouldn’t think twice if a person of any race came up to me told me he/she were an American or British or French.
I doubt with my brown “Indian-looking” face I could ever have the courage to tell people ( especially outside Taiwan) that “I am a Taiwanese”. They would probably laugh their a$$ off. 
Would probably get the same response if I were black or Caucasian.
So in short, I don’t plan to work or do business in Taiwan, at least not in the long-term.
What is the biggest benefit you’ve got after receiving the Employment Gold Card?
The key benefit was to my next employer as they didn’t have deal with the hassle of my ARC. & Perhaps good thing was that my wife didn’t have to wait for 6 months for her health insurance.
Other than that, with gold card so far crap treatment in Taiwan in all walks of life continue as usual ( perhaps a little more)
Can I say “bragging rights” is a benefit?. Oh! And last but not least this special invitation and the free tea! Thanks for that.
P.S. We all know why you held this at 2:00 pm… Didn’t think we were worth buying lunch for aye?
2. What made you come to Taiwan to work?
Impossible to find work back home. Also they kill non-believers and there’s no beer there. & China was too crowded.
**3. Why do you like Taiwan?
It’s without a doubt better than my own country. My only regret is that I have traveled to far too many other developed countries before coming here so unfortunately I have a frame of reference where Taiwan sometimes fall short. But not be to an a$$hole from a shithole country talking bad about Taiwan, I do mean Taiwan is an awesome place. & If I can never make it to another better place, then I would love to live here and work for the betterment of the Taiwanese people and society.
*Is there any experience that touches you?
Yes I have never forgotten dealing with TECO and BOCA. Truly an unforgettable experience.
You should seriously give them these answers. It would be glorious.
Now, Fuzzy_Barbecue, show us on the doll where the experience touched you.
All,
Great to see many of you at the event today.
It’s started to filter into the news:
Key points for the friends in the thread:
@Fuzzy_BBQ: I thought the Gold Card allowed you to have automatic NHI access, but from what you are saying here it is still tied to an employer. So if you come to Taiwan and are searching for work, you will NOT have insurance until an employer sponsors you? You did say you could “pay for NHI yourself as self-employed”. What does that entail, and do you know the monthly cost per person? I have read here before that the cost share for employees is about $27USD a month, but I assume it is more if you are “self employed”? Thanks!