Taiwan | Revised Immigration Act implemented

The Taiwanese government announced several changes to immigration policy, effective March 1.

‌Key Points:

• Foreign nationals may now apply for an extension of their visitor visa at the National Immigration Agency for a fee of 300 New Taiwan dollars (about US$9.39), provided that they were originally permitted to stay for 60 days or longer and their visa does not state that “no extension will be granted.”
  • Extensions of visitor visas were previously not allowed, and the extension period that is granted cannot exceed the original permitted duration of stay and may not exceed a total stay of over six months.
• Applicants holding an Alien Resident Certificate may now apply to extend their status up to three months before expiration, up from one month.
• Additionally, foreign nationals who entered the country under a resident visa on or after Jan. 1, 2024, will now have 30 calendar days to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate, which is up from 15 calendar days.

Additional Information: Taiwanese officials have also recently introduced more restrictive changes to immigration policy, including for foreign nationals born in mainland China. These individuals must now submit additional supporting documents when applying for an alien residence card or alien permanent residence card to prove that they do not have a household registration in China or have obtained a Chinese passport.

Overstay penalties have also increased to NT$10,000–NT$50,000 (from NT$2,000–NT$10,000), and the maximum ban from entering the country due to overstay has increased from three to seven years.

BAL Analysis: The Taiwanese government intends to revise immigration policies to benefit certain resident visa holders and visitor visa holders to reduce difficulties in applying for Alien Resident Certificates or extend visitor visas. Alternatively, fine increases for overstay and a greater maximum entry ban demonstrate the government’s attempt to deter overstays and illegal work.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice Group.

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