Staying, working or living with family in Taiwan usually involves several separate procedures — visa, residence, work permit and family status — each with its own authority, criteria and documents. A change of job, marriage or company structure can affect a status you already hold. We advise foreign nationals, expatriate professionals and their families, and the Taiwanese companies that employ them, starting from nationality, purpose of stay and current status, and working out the right application route, the documents and the risks.
A work permit is a separate procedure from entry and residence. In most cases the appropriate visa and residence status must still be confirmed according to nationality, length of stay and the work arrangement, and the work must stay within the approved scope. It is advisable to check all of this before the start date, so that the work permit and residence status connect.
An ARC is generally issued on a specific ground of residence such as employment, joining family or study. An APRC is permanent resident status, for which the applicant must meet a required period of residence and other statutory conditions. Actual eligibility depends on the applicant's status, residence record and the law in force at the time of application.
It may. Where residence is based on employment, leaving or changing employers can involve a new work permit, a change in the ground of residence and application deadlines. The procedure and timing should be confirmed before resigning or moving, to avoid a gap in status.
It is usually necessary to confirm that the company and the position qualify, that the individual meets the education and experience requirements, the salary or job-content requirements, and the order in which the work permit, visa and residence applications are made. The company should also review the employment contract, tax and HR administration at the same time.
Start by reviewing the reasons for refusal, the date of the decision and the deadline for seeking a remedy, then assess supplementing the file, re-applying, an administrative appeal or administrative litigation. Deadlines and strategy vary with the type of decision, so advice should be sought promptly after the written decision is received.
If you are facing one of the issues above, it helps to gather the relevant notices, contracts, correspondence, a timeline of events and the outcome you hope for before contacting us to arrange a consultation. Once we understand the basic facts and have completed a conflict-of-interest check, we will explain how we can help, the scope of engagement and our fees. The outcome of any matter depends on its specific facts, the evidence, the applicable law and the decision of the competent authority or court.
Discuss a matter →