These are two very good ideas for a visa for Taiwan. Thailand does it and it brings in a lot of money from retired folk
Just what I was thinking. If people are making their money overseas and spending it in Taiwan, it seems like a beneficial contribution to the local economy.
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Exactly. Who cares if they are lazying it up here so long as they consume and contribute to the economy. As it stands, people do this already by coming back under years worth of visitor visas.
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And better than all those well-off Taiwanese in the U.S. who only come back to take advantage of NHI–which they haven’t been paying into–when they need something major done.
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You guys are such busybodies and haters.
If some of the ~ 1300 ~ people that got a gold card are pushing the rules a bit in the grand scheme of things it’s not a huge problem. A much bigger problem are locals using their dual passports to evade the obligations of citizenship, cheat the NHI, etc etc.
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Thats a lot of whataboutism.
When westerners come to taiwan you like to talk about the systemic discrimination, but when i talk about the same in your country many of you say “our country dont owe you a thing” or “youre a guest in our country”.
I mean stuff like criminal aliens. Abuse of visa system, dreamers, etc… Fact is locals do all kinds of bad thing but if an alien commits so much as a petty theft they are summarily exiled.
So yea if a bunch of retirees come to taiwan using the gold card and not adding to the talent pool of taiwan, then yea it should be canceled. If taiwan wants to create a retirement visa then petition for that.
Sure. Difference is Taiwan needs others esp. the west to survive 
Anyways it’s in Taiwan’s interest to clarify and enforce its visa requirements. Also in the interest of genuine visa holders in that category.
Which is exactly what your post is… 
There is no requirement in the gold visa under the economic section that the person has to work while here. While it may be expected, its not in the rules. If Taiwan wants it can fix the rules, sure. It’s not like that many are beating down the doors to live here, unlike the multitudes of Taiwanese now living in the USA
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Thats debatable.
Taiwan seems fine with doing oem and having very few foreigners here.
No, we definitely don’t do that. That would be frowned upon and called racist.
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Whole lot of assumptions about what the gold card is about in this thread, when there is an earnings option right there laid out for you. can’t get much clearer than that.
Like that youtuber ? whats her talent? speaking chinese? (like every taiwanese person) being able to eat stinky tofu? being a good looking blonde girl (most likely this one)
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I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. Criminal aliens in Taiwan, or in the U.S.? The U.S. doesn’t get around to deporting criminals for years. The two or three years under Trump when it was happening quickly were an aberration. Now that Biden is running things, he’s announced that he is re-importing deported illegals so that they can argue their cases in the U.S.
For even minor crimes, Taiwan seems to just refuse to renew their ARCs when they expire, so they’re forced to leave. For more serious crimes, it’s either immediate deportation or prison followed by being sent home to serve out any remaining time in your own country’s prison system.
This sounds exactly right to me. To piggyback on what Dan2006 is saying:
The gold card doesn’t have an employment requirement. It’s not like you have to have a job lined up to get the gold card and come to Taiwan. If that were so then it would be just like getting an ARC through employment, but that’s not what it is.
Taiwan has made a choice to relax requirements, and make it appealing for talented foreigners to come and spend time in Taiwan. Of course it’s assumed that a number of those people will want to do something while living in Taiwan, such as work, start a business, or contribute somehow. And it’s also assumed (simply by reviewing the requirements, and the lack of a work requirement) that some people who get the gold card might just “hang out” and enjoy Taiwan.
And if someone gets a gold card and just hangs around for a couple of years, well, the process has ensured that they have a PhD from a world top 200 institution, or they are an accomplished professional, etc. The type of people who are not as likely to cause trouble, but who are likely to spend money and / or hopefully become a cultural ambassador for Taiwan when traveling or returning to another country.
Taiwan population is contracting quickly. No one’s having kids. Taiwan needs to attract more bodies and taxpayers fast. Gold card holders are just a drop in the bucket, population wise, nothing to care much about. But at least they are likely to be nice people who will tend to help and not hurt Taiwan. And if some small percentage of gold card holders start a great business or do something else to make Taiwan a destination / raise Taiwan’s international profile, then the program is working.
Nope, not hurting anything to clear out the red tape and bureaucracy, and let some accomplished, vetted people live in Taiwan for awhile.
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Its definitely a step up from allowing people that have been here for years on visitor visas in and out indefinitely. At least this way Taiwan can have some prevetted residents as you said.
Agreed. And I’d add that they pretty clearly have been focused on accepting lots of remote workers or people with foreign-sourced income. If the goal is to bring foreigners whose work is entirely outside Taiwan to just live and spend their time inside the borders, what is the practical difference between an independently wealthy or retired foreigner doing the same?
What the?
Taiwan’s OEM, and other industries are highly dependent on around 800,000 foreigners living (and working) here.
For sure. Think about the blue collar labor, western engineers. TSMC would be nothing without ASML. https://www.asml.com/en
Those who have won international awards or achieved outstanding distinction in the fields of performing arts, visual arts, publishing, film & TV, popular music, handicrafts, and cultural administration.
So what’s outstanding about her arts and culture then? Making brainless videos about peanut butter burgers counts as culture and art? That seems like a pathetically low standard.