Taipei: Chinese nationals seeking permanent residency in Taiwan through family-based applications will soon face stricter requirements, as the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) has proposed a new amendment to existing residency regulations. The draft amendment mandates that applicants must provide proof of having renounced their Chinese passport or not having applied for one, according to a notice issued by the MOI.

According to Focus Taiwan, the proposed changes aim to ensure that Chinese nationals applying for long-term or permanent residency in Taiwan submit a notarized document proving they have either not applied for or have renounced their Chinese passport. Currently, under Articles 30 and 31 of the “Regulations Governing the Residency, Long-Term Residency or Residency for Naturalization of the People of the Mainland China Area Living With a Relative in the Taiwan Area,” applicants are only required to provide proof of losing their “original household registration” in China.

The draft amendment seeks to revise this requirement to include proof of “losing household registration in the Mainland Area and having not applied for or renounced a Mainland passport.” This change clarifies the interpretation of “original household registration,” as defined by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), which refers to any documentation indicating status as “people of the Mainland Area.”

The MOI noted that the amendment aligns with Article 9-1 of the Cross-Strait Act, which prohibits residents of the Taiwan Area from having household registrations or holding passports issued by the Mainland Area. The amendment is part of a broader initiative by President Lai Ching-te, involving 17 strategies to address national security threats from China.

However, obtaining proof of renouncing a Chinese passport may be challenging for Chinese nationals, as the People’s Republic of China does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state. MAC deputy head and spokesperson, Liang Wen-chieh, acknowledged the difficulty and stated that those unable to obtain the required proof could submit an affidavit declaring they have not obtained a Mainland passport.

Liang emphasized that if it is later discovered that an individual used a Mainland passport, their permanent residency could be jeopardized. He explained that the draft amendment addresses concerns about the inability to verify whether Chinese nationals hold a Mainland passport, a provision stipulated in the Cross-Strait Act.

The public comment period for the draft regulation has closed, and the MOI will announce the implementation date after considering the feedback received.