Nine professionals who specialize in education, medicine and legal affairs have been approved by the Ministry of the Interior for naturalization to become Republic of China citizens without the need to surrender their original citizenship, the ministry said yesterday.
The ministry at a meeting on Tuesday reviewed the applications for naturalization under the Nationality Act (國籍法).
The law was amended in December 2016 to allow high-level foreign professionals to obtain citizenship without relinquishing their original nationality as part of the government’s efforts to recruit and retain top talent.
Since the amendment was promulgated, 100 foreign professionals who have devoted themselves to Taiwan and showed their love for the nation have been approved for naturalization, the ministry said.
Of the latest additions, four work in education, four have medical expertise and one is in the legal sector, it said, adding that five are Malaysian, one is American, one is Canadian, one is Indian and one is from Turkmenistan.
The American, identified only by his Chinese surname, Tan (譚), secured lawyer’s licenses in California and Washington, and has practiced law in Taiwan for almost 15 years, the ministry said.
Tam specializes in intellectual property rights, so his naturalization is expected to help Taiwan in the competitive global IP market, the ministry said.
A Malaysian woman surnamed Fan (范), also among the nine, has devoted herself to paleography, it said.
Fan has won honors for her work, including a Fu Ssu-nien (傅斯年) scholarship granted by Academia Sinica, Taiwan’s top research institute, it said.
Another Malaysian, surnamed Tsai (蔡), is a neurosurgeon and is well known for his sophisticated operating skills, the ministry said, adding that such professionals are in high demand in Taiwan.
With naturalization, the nine have the same voting rights and access to social welfare as other Taiwanese, it said.
A page on the ministry’s Web site, https://www.ris.gov.tw/763, was set up to receive applications from foreign professionals seeking to become naturalized in the hope that they would make a great contribution to Taiwan at a time when the nation is eager to expand its talent pool, it said.
LOW RISK: Most nations do not extradite people accused of political crimes, and the UN says extradition can only happen if the act is a crime in both countries, an official said China yesterday issued wanted notices for two Taiwanese influencers, accusing them of committing “separatist acts” by criticizing Beijing, amid broadening concerns over China’s state-directed transnational repression. The Quanzhou Public Security Bureau in a notice posted online said police are offering a reward of up to 25,000 yuan (US$3,523) for information that could contribute to the investigation or apprehension of pro-Taiwanese independence YouTuber Wen Tzu-yu (溫子渝),who is known as Pa Chiung (八炯) online, and rapper Chen Po-yuan (陳柏源). Wen and Chen are suspected of spreading content that supported secession from China, slandered Chinese policies that benefit Taiwanese and discrimination against Chinese spouses of
PROMOTION: Travelers who want a free stopover must book their flights with designated travel agents, such as Lion Travel, Holiday Tours, Cola Tour and Life Tours Air Canada yesterday said it is offering Taiwanese travelers who are headed to North America free stopovers if they transit though airports in Japan and South Korea. The promotion was launched in response to a potential rise in demand for flights to North America in June and July next year, when the US, Canada and Mexico are scheduled to jointly host the FIFA World Cup, Air Canada said. Air Canada offers services to 13 of the 16 host cities of the tournament’s soccer games, including Toronto and Vancouver; Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico; Atlanta, Georgia; Boston; Dallas; Houston;
The US approved the possible sale to Taiwan of fighter jet spare and repair parts for US$330 million, the Pentagon said late yesterday, marking the first such potential transaction since US President Donald Trump took office in January. "The proposed sale will improve the recipient's capability to meet current and future threats by maintaining the operational readiness of the recipient's fleet of F-16, C-130," and other aircraft, the Pentagon said in a statement. Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has told him he would not invade Taiwan while the Republican leader is in office. The announcement of the possible arms
The Tainan District Court has found a teenager guilty of posting a sexually explicit video of his girlfriend on social media without consent. The court ruled his parents were legally responsible for the boy’s actions, and ordered NT$500,000 (US$16,051) to be paid in compensation to the victim. The incident took place in December last year, when the boy and his girlfriend, both under 18 and legally minors at the time of the incident, were in a relationship. The boy asked her to send him explicit videos, according to a court filing. A month later, he posted the video on social media, with its visibility
RSS