An amendment to the Immigration Act (入出國及移民法) passed the legislative floor yesterday prohibiting international marriage brokers from seeking profits. Under the new legislation, violators could face fines of up to NT$1 million (US$30,000).
Anti-discrimination and anti-domestic violence regulations were also added to the amendment, which stipulates that it is against the law to discriminate against people on the basis of nationality, race, skin color, social rank or place of birth.
Foreign spouses are allowed to apply for a restraint order if they have been the victim of domestic violence and will be able to stay in Taiwan temporarily if divorced, rather than being deported immediately.
PHOTO: CHANG CHIA-MING, TAIPEI TIMES
Anybody violating the anti-discrimination and anti-domestic violence regulations will face fines of up to NT$30,000.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (
The law also protects assembly and parade rights for immigrants.
Immigration agency charges will be regulated and immigration officers must review applications on short-term, temporary and permanent residency, according to the amendments.
Immigrants who were smuggled into Taiwan should be placed in temporary refuges with proper care before being deported, according to the amendments.
Meanwhile, in related news, some 80,000 immigrant spouses who have not yet been naturalized may benefit from a new policy announced by the Ministry of the Interior yesterday to allow more forms of financial proof during the citizenship application process.
Under the Nationality Law (
However, many immigrant groups protested that the requirement is discriminatory and unjust.
In response, the ministry has decided to "include more accepted forms of financial proof, and allow alternative ways to calculate the total amount," Deputy Minister Lin Mei-chu (
In addition to financial proof based on savings, new forms of financial proof accepted include "verification of employment with the amount of salary and period of employment, movable properties with a total estimated value of more than 24 times the legal minimum [monthly] wage, real estate properties with a total estimated value of more than 24 times the legal minimum [monthly] wage, or a certificate of professional skills issued by the government," Lin said.
"Movable properties" include stocks, funds, government bonds, and insurances, while the value of real estate properties must be proved by submitting a real estate value assessment report by a certified real estate assessor or a receipt for land value tax, Lin said.
The financial proof may include values of properties under the names of an immigrant spouse's Taiwanese spouse, the Taiwanese spouse's parents, or the immigrant spouse's parents if registered as residents of Taiwan, she said.
A certificate of professional skill is also valid if it belongs to the immigrant spouse's Taiwanese spouse, parents, or parents of the Taiwanese spouse, if these people are willing to provide them with a financial guarantee, she said, adding that any document that can prove one's professional skills may be counted as a certificate of professional skills.
She cited a taxi driver's license as an example.
Hsieh Ai-ling (謝愛齡), director of the ministry's population administration department, said the new policy may be in place as soon as the end of the year.
More than 78,000 immigrant spouses still awaiting naturalization "could benefit from the new policy," Hsieh said.
However, Hsieh pointed out that the number does not include Chinese immigrant spouses, as the "naturalization process for them falls under the jurisdiction of the Mainland Affairs Council," she said.
CALL FOR SUPPORT: President William Lai called on lawmakers across party lines to ensure the livelihood of Taiwanese and that national security is protected President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday called for bipartisan support for Taiwan’s investment in self-defense capabilities at the christening and launch of two coast guard vessels at CSBC Corp, Taiwan’s (台灣國際造船) shipyard in Kaohsiung. The Taipei (台北) is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels, and the Siraya (西拉雅) is the Coast Guard Administration’s (CGA) first-ever ocean patrol vessel, the government said. The Taipei is the fourth and final ship of the Chiayi-class offshore patrol vessels with a displacement of about 4,000 tonnes, Lai said. This ship class was ordered as a result of former president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) 2018
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
HOTEL HIRING: An official said that hoteliers could begin hiring migrant workers next year, but must adhere to a rule requiring a NT$2,000 salary hike for Taiwanese The government is to allow the hospitality industry to recruit mid-level migrant workers for housekeeping and three other lines of work after the Executive Yuan yesterday approved a proposal by the Ministry of Labor. A shortage of workers at hotels and accommodation facilities was discussed at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee. A 2023 survey conducted by the Tourism Administration found that Taiwan’s lodging industry was short of about 6,600 housekeeping and cleaning workers, the agency said in a report to the committee. The shortage of workers in the industry is being studied, the report said. Hotel and Lodging Division Deputy Director Cheng
‘SECRETS’: While saying China would not attack during his presidency, Donald Trump declined to say how Washington would respond if Beijing were to take military action US President Donald Trump said that China would not take military action against Taiwan while he is president, as the Chinese leaders “know the consequences.” Trump made the statement during an interview on CBS’ 60 Minutes program that aired on Sunday, a few days after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in South Korea. “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘we would never do anything while President Trump is president,’ because they know the consequences,” Trump said in the interview. However, he repeatedly declined to say exactly how Washington would respond in
RSS