According to [National Development Council], the Taiwan Employment Gold Card is part of the [Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professional Talent], implemented in October 2017. It is part of a more comprehensive government initiative to attract highly skilled foreign talent to Taiwan.
Launched in 2018, the Taiwan Employment Gold Card is a 4-in-1 card, that includes a resident visa, work permit, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), and re-entry permit, which allows you to leave and re-enter Taiwan multiples times over the course of 1-3 years. Applicants can apply online without sponsorship.
Read more: NIA Taoyuan City Service Station reminds new immigrants to be vigilant of the African Swine Fever
Four-in-One
- Work Permit: Allows cardholders to seek employment freely, obtain employment at any time, work any part-time job legally, and freely change jobs.
- Resident Visa: Long-term visa which allows cardholders to stay in Taiwan for more than 180 days.
- Alien Resident Certificate: A physical ID card proving that you can live in Taiwan legally.
- Re-entry Permit: Allows unlimited entry and exit from Taiwan (even during COVID-19).
Qualification is based on an assessment of your professional skills. You don’t need to have already secured a job in Taiwan. The Gold Card costs anywhere between USD 100 and USD 310 depending on your nationality and the duration of the card.
A perfect application takes 30-days, however, if additional supporting documents are requested, expect a time frame of 50-60 days.
The Taiwan Employment Gold Card. (Photo / Provided by the National Development Council)
Industries that are eligible to apply for the Taiwan Employment Gold Card:
Please select which single ministry is most relevant, and in most cases also select a specific entry on the list of qualifications in that particular industry for your application.
- Science & Technology (Ministry of Science and Technology)
- Economy (Ministry of Economic Affairs)
- Education (Ministry of Education)
- Culture & Arts (Ministry of Culture)
- Sport (Ministry of Education)
- Finance (Financial Supervisory Commission)
- Law (Ministry of Justice)
- Architecture (Ministry of the Interior)
Benefits
- This card is an open-end work permit issued to employment-seeking individuals that require neither pre-confirmed hiring by or application through any employer.
- There are income tax benefits in terms of income tax deduction and exemption.
- Lineal relatives can apply for visitor visas with a maximum stay of up to one year.
- Spouses and children can apply for residency in Taiwan as well.
- Employment Gold Card Holders are eligible for National Health Insurance. Cardholders who are not employed in Taiwan professionally are subjected to a 6-month waiting period. Cardholders’ spouse, children under the age of 20, and adult children who cannot live independently due to physical or mental disability are subjected to the same rules.
