The Ministry of the Interior has introduced new fee standards for the Employment Gold Card, allowing foreign professionals to extend the validity of the cards for up to three years at a time, as part of a program aimed at increasing the number of foreign specialists in Taiwan.
Foreign nationals applying to extend their Gold Cards are to pay NT$1,500 (US$54) for a one-year extension, NT$2,500 for two years, and NT$3,500 for a three-year card.
Residents of Hong Kong and Macau are to be charged a flat fee of NT$800 regardless of length.
The fees were announced by the ministry on Aug. 5 in a statement regarding the draft amendment to the Fee-Charging Standards for Employment Gold Cards, Employment Pass Cards and Entrepreneur Visas.
The Employment Gold Card program was launched in 2018 to appeal to foreign professionals who possess expertise needed by Taiwan in the fields of science and technology, economy, arts and culture, finance, education, architecture, law and sports.
In accordance with Article 8 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及雇用法), employment-seeking foreign professionals whose qualifications are certified by the ministry to work in one of the eight fields, can apply for an Employment Gold Card.
The ministry’s fee-charging amendment was proposed after the Legislative Yuan passed a revision to the Act in June to make Taiwan more attractive to overseas professionals.
The revision allows foreign specialists to apply for permanent residence in Taiwan after working in the country for three years, instead of the previous five years, provided they have lived in Taiwan for at least 183 days each year.
The fees charged for an Employment Gold Card vary depending on the effective period, whether the application is domestic or from overseas, and whether the applicant is subject to special handling fees.
Overseas applications by foreign nationals who are subject to a special handling fee will cost NT$1,500 for a one-year card, NT$2,500 for a two-year card, and NT$3,500 for a three-year card.
Domestic applicants who arrived in Taiwan on a visa allowing a stay of 60 days or longer are to be charged NT$3,700, NT$4,700 and NT$5,700 respectively. Hong Kong and Macau residents in that situation will be charged NT$3,100 for cards of one to three years.
The qualification-based program has been popular since it was launched in February 2018.
More than 2,800 cards have been issued. Most of the card holders work in Taiwan’s semiconductor, artificial intelligence and offshore wind power sectors, among others, statistics compiled by the National Development Council show.
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