The Ministry of the Interior on Tuesday announced plans to allow jobseekers from Hong Kong and Macau to extend their residency permit for up to one year, making it easier for people from the territories to stay in Taiwan.
The draft amendments posted on the ministry’s Web site aim to bring regulations governing residency for people from the territories in line with recent changes to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) promulgated on July 7 to ease barriers to residency for foreign professionals.
According to the draft, people from Hong Kong and Macau who are studying and working in Taiwan would be allowed to extend their residence permits for six months while looking for a job, followed by another six-month extension if needed.
Photo: Reuters
Foreign professionals who have completed an advanced degree in Taiwan could also obtain permanent residency one or two years earlier, depending on whether they have a master’s or doctorate degree.
Currently, applicants for permanent residency must have stayed in Taiwan for at least 183 days each year for five consecutive years after graduation, and prove they have made an average monthly income of at least twice the minimum wage during the final year of that period.
The National Immigration Agency is accepting comments or suggestions about the amendment until Nov. 26.
Photo: Reuters
If passed, the rules could take effect as early as early next year.
The proposals come as Hong Kong authorities expand a crackdown on trade unions, charities, film and professional associations — including for journalists — that engage in what the government deems “political” activities.
Along with the UK, Taiwan has become a favored destination for Hong Kongers.
A record 10,800 Hong Kongers relocated to Taiwan last year, and 6,150 gained residency from January to last month, National Immigration Agency data showed.
Hong Kong closed its representative office in Taipei in May and has all but shut down Taiwan’s office in the former British colony.
While President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) has been a vocal advocate of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protesters, her government has been criticized by advocates who say that Hong Kongers still face too many administrative hurdles when trying to find work and live in Taiwan long-term.
NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT: An official said that Guan Guan’s comments had gone beyond the threshold of free speech, as she advocated for the destruction of the ROC China-born media influencer Guan Guan’s (關關) residency permit has been revoked for repeatedly posting pro-China content that threatens national security, the National Immigration Agency said yesterday. Guan Guan has said many controversial things in her videos posted to Douyin (抖音), including “the red flag will soon be painted all over Taiwan” and “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China,” while expressing hope for expedited “reunification.” The agency received multiple reports alleging that Guan Guan had advocated for armed reunification last year. After investigating, the agency last month issued a notice requiring her to appear and account for her actions. Guan Guan appeared as required,
A strong cold air mass is expected to arrive tonight, bringing a change in weather and a drop in temperature, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The coldest time would be early on Thursday morning, with temperatures in some areas dipping as low as 8°C, it said. Daytime highs yesterday were 22°C to 24°C in northern and eastern Taiwan, and about 25°C to 28°C in the central and southern regions, it said. However, nighttime lows would dip to about 15°C to 16°C in central and northern Taiwan as well as the northeast, and 17°C to 19°C elsewhere, it said. Tropical Storm Nokaen, currently
‘NATO-PLUS’: ‘Our strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific are facing increasing aggression by the Chinese Communist Party,’ US Representative Rob Wittman said The US House of Representatives on Monday released its version of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, which includes US$1.15 billion to support security cooperation with Taiwan. The omnibus act, covering US$1.2 trillion of spending, allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative, as well as US$150 million for the replacement of defense articles and reimbursement of defense services provided to Taiwan. The fund allocations were based on the US National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2026 that was passed by the US Congress last month and authorized up to US$1 billion to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency in support of the
PAPERS, PLEASE: The gang exploited the high value of the passports, selling them at inflated prices to Chinese buyers, who would treat them as ‘invisibility cloaks’ The Yilan District Court has handed four members of a syndicate prison terms ranging from one year and two months to two years and two months for their involvement in a scheme to purchase Taiwanese passports and resell them abroad at a massive markup. A Chinese human smuggling syndicate purchased Taiwanese passports through local criminal networks, exploiting the passports’ visa-free travel privileges to turn a profit of more than 20 times the original price, the court said. Such criminal organizations enable people to impersonate Taiwanese when entering and exiting Taiwan and other countries, undermining social order and the credibility of the nation’s
RSS