As the new semester begins, universities and colleges across Taiwan are actively assisting international students in adapting to campus life. Recently, the Taipei City Service Station of the National Immigration Agency was invited to attend orientation workshops at National Taiwan University and National Taipei University of Technology for new international students. The focus of these workshops was to inform new students about Taiwan's residency laws and human trafficking prevention, helping them understand their residency rights and integrate into life in Taiwan, receiving enthusiastic responses.
Xu Ziheng, a new student from Malaysia at National Taiwan University, stated that he chose to study in Taiwan due to its open academic environment, providing more opportunities for student development. Through this orientation, not only did he make friends from various countries, but he was also deeply impressed by Taiwan’s multiculturalism and the convenience of life, finding it to have a high and comfortable quality of life.
Nguyen Minh Duy, a student from Vietnam at the National Taipei University of Technology, shared that he chose to study in Taiwan to learn Chinese, having heard about Taiwan’s friendly policies for foreign students and its scholarship programs. He has been in Taiwan for six years and is fluent in Chinese. This year, he was admitted to the master's program in Engineering and Management at the National Taipei University of Technology, and he plans to apply for an Employment Gold Card to stay and develop his career in Taiwan. He described Taiwan as his "comfort zone" and hopes to apply for permanent residency in the future, aiming to live in Taiwan long-term.
Nguyen Minh Duy, a Vietnamese student at the National Taipei University of Technology, plans to apply for an Employment Gold Card to stay and work in Taiwan (Image / Sourced from the National Immigration Agency Website)
Immigration officer Zhao Xiangyi introduced the residency regulations for international students, explaining that applications for student residency can now be processed entirely online, making the process convenient and fast. According to the amended Immigration Act, students can apply for an extension of their residency permit within three months before its expiration, with overdue fines raised from NT$10,000 to NT$50,000. The maximum period of stay in Taiwan can be extended up to seven years. Additionally, foreign students are required to apply for a work permit if they wish to work, with a maximum of 20 hours per week during school terms (excluding summer and winter breaks), and illegal work is strictly prohibited.
Immigration Officer Zhao Xiangyi from the National Immigration Agency Explains the Regulations Regarding Residency for Foreign Students in Taiwan (Image / Sourced from the National Immigration Agency Website)
