If dual nationality was possible, bear in mind that ~90% of the people who would take advantage of it would probably be women from Thailand/Mainland China (OK, China’s a special case so maybe not relevant). To convince any legislator that this is a good thing, you’ll probably have to consider the pros/cons of it from an overseas bride point of view. The few Westerners who want to take advantage of it are totally insignificant compared to this.
What would this mean for the mail-order bride business? What about all those brides who have already given up their original citizenship - will they be able to reapply for their original country? Would 1000s of Thai brides suddenly disappear back ‘home’ taking their children with them?
OK for Hartzell and Spack, let’s get my lack of sympathy issue out of the way first…a 65-year-old man who has lived in Taiwan for almost 40 years knowing full well the rules regarding dual citizenship yet continued to stay here, hope against hope that he would be able to attain dual citizenship gets no sympathy from me. It was his choice clear and simple and he has to accept the consequences of making a bad (???) choice or he can give up his other citizenship and become Taiwanese.
There, that said, let’s look at some facts…well at least as I see them.
First, just because other countries allow dual citizenship doesn’t mean Taiwan (or any one of the HUNDREDS of countries that don’t allow it) needs to change and allow dual citizenship. I know the argument about reciprocity HOWEVER as nice as it sounds I doubt very seriously if it is a legal requirement on any countries part.
Second, what would be Taiwan’s motivation to allow dual citizenship? What could it benefit Taiwan? This is a key question. It doesn’t enhance the government or improve Taiwan’s image in any one’s eyes except the few foreigners who would take advantage of it.
Third, what are the disadvantages of allowing dual citizenship? Well has David mentioned, foreign brides running home with there children (Taiwanese citizens) as soon as they figured out that they were (and always would be) second class citizens. Children born to dual citizens most likely would have dual citizenship as well so they would be entitled to live and work in Taiwan with the current regulations governing foreigners thereby (at some point in the distant future) reducing the job market for Taiwanese citizens who didn’t have dual citizenship and are thus stuck on the island.
These are just a few of the issues has I see them and try as I might I can’t see any real benefit to Taiwan to allowing dual citizenship. Hell on this densely populated island I can’t see much benefit in allow naturalized citizenship but that’s another issue.
But to answer the question, what’s the next step…well obviously the next step is to convince someone in a position of power that allowing dual citizenship somehow be good for Taiwan.
Well let’s look at some arguments for dual citizenship from other countries…
British citizens whose wives have dual citizenship now living in Taiwan -
these women can live and work here, fueling the local economy let are free to retire with their spouses back to England. Of course neither have paid taxes in Britain for the last xxx years but that doesn’t matter they are British citizens, as are their children, so they are entitled to return ‘home’ and take advantage of the national health care system. Not a very good argument for dual citizenship is it?
US dual citizens, well they can’t milk the system as such but they can live abroad avoid taxes on most of their income and then return in their retirement years to enjoy life in the U.S. and benefit from things other peoples’ taxes paid for. And their children can attend universities at an in-state rate if their parents maintained their state of residence. Another bad example.
Anyway, I am sure someone can find a good reason for dual citizenship.
This is Taiwan and unfortunately for foreigners the laws aren’t clear or fair.
Surely this is a bloody good reason for wanting dual citizenship. Don’t see why you should give up one nationality to get clear and fair laws in a country where you are a productive member of the economy.
Well as I said butcher boy, yes there might be some very valid reasons for foreigners wanting dual citizenship but what is in it for the Taiwanese or the government? Until we can come up with some very strong benefits for the nation I don’t think it will ever happen. Does anyone know offhand how many other Asian (or non-Asian, for that matter) countries that allow foreigners to attain citizenship without renouncing their old citizenship? Perhaps they have come up with some positive benefits of allowing foreigners to do this and these (benefits) could be presented to the Taiwanese government to help change the system here.
Well according to this unofficial web site…geocities.com/twnwoc/2nationality.html….
58 countries allow dual citizenship while 78 don’t. As with most things in life there are exceptions and those are listed on the web site.
Here a nice quote…Mark Krikorian, director of the Center for Immigration Studies, also believes Mexican dual citizenship will have a negative impact on the U.S.
“In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, dual citizenship is a ‘self-evident absurdity,’” Krikorian told WND in an interview. “You can no more be a genuine citizen of two countries than you can adhere to two different religions at the same time.”
Part of the process is that you are given time to renounce your own citizenship before becoming an ROC citizen. But what they do not openly tell you is that after doing this you get an ROC Resident Certificate ( Not ARC ) and then have to stay here for 12 months wihout leaving to get your ID Card and Household registration.
As an being born Australian I can resume my Australian citizenship should I wish to resume living in Australia.
Never in the history of UK immigration and nationality law has the British government had any prohibition on dual nationality.
The bottom line in Taiwan is: The Taiwanese want dual citizenship for themselves and they allow and encourage it. What they don’t want is a bunch of white or dark brown people running around the island destroying the imaginary ethnic purity of the place. Distasteful as it is, it’s as simple as that. And don’t give me the military service argument ! You guys should take a trip around a few banking offices here. Do you think these dual national Taiwanese-American rich university returnees working on US passports and ARCs are in any danger of doing military service !? Please ! Cake and eat it !? We foreigners are rank amateurs at this game ! The locals must be having a good laugh at us trying in vain to get ROC passports - even having to give up our own !
I have three nationalities. All three countries allow multiple citizenships. Vannyel must hate me.
I wonder what on earth Roosevelt is talking about. “Genuine citizen” ? The stuff of the Soviets and McCarthyism. Nonsense on stilts.
And of course there’s nothing in it for the Taiwanese. They’ve got their foreign passports without having to give us an inch. They can bail out to the States or wherever at a moment’s notice. Why on earth would they need to give us anything ? What are we going to do about it - organise a petition ?
On the other hand - what do they give us anyway ? So you get an ROC passport. You can get a mobile phone. A credit card without a guarantor. Leave for more than two years. It’s not like they’re going to give you an old age pension. You’ll still have a jian bao card and pay taxes. What skin is it off their noses to give us a passport ? None. But they don’t like the thought of it. If I was American I don’t know if I’d like the thought of all those Taiwanese with US passports as a cheap insurance policy. The US taxpayer’s footing the bill. As you guys have to pay taxes even when you’re overseas, that’s you Americans in Taiwan, too. And they won’t even give you a crummy little ROC passport ! HAHAHAHA! :raspberry:
A passport is just a travel document that allows you to identify youself and travel to other countries either visa free or by acquiring the appropriate visa.
However I do find it amusing to stand in the ROC Nationals line only at the airport while the customs clerk is furiously waving me away to stand in another line.
Anyway if you really want to live here visa hassle free the become and ROC Citizen and stop whinging about the process. When I did it I applied without any help from lawyers ( waste of money )… and was told by many of the well informed that I would never get it. All countries have processes to be completed to acquire citizenship, but the problem here is that most of the different government office staff havd not done many applicants and half the time are unsure of what they should be doing.
But all in all I’m a happy camper with voting rights lol.
Singapore nationals acquiring citizenship of other countries automatically lose their Singaporean Citizenship on acquaistion of the other nationality.
The British government would inform the Singaporean Government and return the Singaporean passport to the Singapore High Commision in London. In Australia we do the same thing… inter government working relationship. The Singaporean Government asks foreign governments to inform them when their nationals haveacquired the other nationality.
PS I served in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade and served overseas as well.
I wonder how big a difference it makes in everyday life. Do you travel on your Aussie passport ? I presume you were able to resume Australian citizenship once the ROC nationality came through ?
Hexuan, I don’t hate you…more power to you.
Actually I wouldn’t mind having another passport but I am not that concerned about the ability to keep my old one. If I did want to become a Taiwanese citizen, I would go through the process and surrender/renounce my U.S. citizenship and then be standing in line at AIT trying to get a visa so I could visit my family every once in a while.
I have not re-acquired Australian nationality, so I travel on the ROC passport… quite amusing… especially when being told by airline staff I can’t board the flight to Taiwan as I don’t have a vaild visa lol
Cake and eat it !? We foreigners are rank amateurs at this game ! The locals must be having a good laugh at us trying in vain to get ROC passports - even having to give up our own ! 
