Taipei: Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) has unveiled proposals aimed at attracting high-earning foreign professionals and digital nomads by easing residency and visa regulations.
According to Focus Taiwan, the draft changes propose amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals, allowing certain foreign professionals to apply for permanent residence after just one year.
The proposed amendments introduce a "global elite" category for foreign professionals earning an annual income exceeding NT$6 million (US$182,674), granting them eligibility for permanent residence after a year in Taiwan. This contrasts with the current requirement for employment gold card holders, who must reside in Taiwan for three years before applying for permanent residence.
Additionally, the proposal seeks to extend Taiwan's newly launched digital nomad visa from six months to a maximum of two years. This change aims to provide greater flexibility and security for digital professionals choosing Taiwan as their temporary base.
The draft also includes a new visa category designed to attract graduates from the world's top 200-ranked universities, modeled after the United Kingdom's High Potential Individual (HPI) visa. The NDC emphasized that current employment-seeking visas lack sufficient incentives, and the proposed category would allow graduates to reside in Taiwan without a fixed employer, enabling independent contracts or freelance work.
After the public commentary period, the proposal will be forwarded to the Executive Yuan for approval, and subsequently requires legislative passage to be enacted into law.