The Ministry of the Interior yesterday said it has drafted an amendment to help overseas Republic of China (ROC) nationals who do not have a household registration to enter Taiwan without entry permits.
The ministry was responding to requests by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) caucus whip Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) and representatives from the Chinese Residents’ Association in Seoul at a press conference in Taipei.
Under the current law, about 60,000 ROC passport holders who live overseas are required to apply for a permit to visit Taiwan because they do not have household registration, Lai said, demanding that the government fix the situation.
Despite holding ROC passports, overseas Taiwanese are excluded from the visa-waiver privileges offered by many countries to Taiwan, association president Lee Chung-hsien (李忠憲) said.
Overseas nationals who have graduated from local schools have to apply for a resident permit if they want to remain in Taiwan, which will only be granted if they have a monthly salary of at least NT$37,619, national policy adviser Hao Ming-yi (郝明義) said, adding that this was another form of discrimination.
Vice Minister of the Interior Tseng Chung-ming (曾中明) said the amendment had been sent to the legislature for review and that during the interim, overseas Taiwanese can apply for a special entry permit or a landing visa when they arrive in Taiwan.
However, National Immigration Agency Deputy Director-General Ho Jung-chun (何榮村) said that if the regulations are relaxed, as many as 39 million people of Taiwanese descent around the world could be eligible for an ROC passport and enter the country, swamping the 23 million already living there.
Bureau of Consular Affairs Director-General Thomas Chen (陳經銓) said he would ask Taiwan’s overseas representative offices to discuss with their host countries the issue of granting visa-free treatment to overseas ROC passport holders.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
Taiwan-Japan Travel Passes are available for use on public transit networks in the two countries, Taoyuan Metro Corp said yesterday, adding that discounts of up to 7 percent are available. Taoyuan Metro, the Taipei MRT and Japan’s Keisei Electric Railway teamed up to develop the pass. Taoyuan Metro operates the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport MRT Line, while Keisei Electric Railway offers express services between Tokyo’s Narita Airport, and the Keisei Ueno and Nippori stations in the Japanese capital, as well as between Narita and Haneda airports. The basic package comprises one one-way ticket on the Taoyuan MRT Line and one Skyliner ticket on
A new tropical storm formed late yesterday near Guam and is to approach closest to Taiwan on Thursday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Tropical Storm Pulasan became the 14th named storm of the year at 9:25pm yesterday, the agency said. As of 8am today, it was near Guam traveling northwest at 21kph, it said. The storm’s structure is relatively loose and conditions for strengthening are limited, WeatherRisk analyst Wu Sheng-yu (吳聖宇) said on Facebook. Its path is likely to be similar to Typhoon Bebinca, which passed north of Taiwan over Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and made landfall in Shanghai this morning, he said. However, it
Starlux Airlines, Taiwan’s newest international carrier, has announced it would apply to join the Oneworld global airline alliance before the end of next year. In an investor conference on Monday, Starlux Airlines chief executive officer Glenn Chai (翟健華) said joining the alliance would help it access Taiwan. Chai said that if accepted, Starlux would work with other airlines in the alliance on flight schedules, passenger transits and frequent flyer programs. The Oneworld alliance has 13 members, including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Qantas, and serves more than 900 destinations in 170 territories. Joining Oneworld would also help boost