Taiwan introduces online residency visa applications

Taiwan’s introduction of an online residency application aimed at students and overseas workers will streamline the process and reduce waiting times.

The one negative about applying for a Taiwanese visa has been the long waiting lines at the island’s National Immigration Agency, as the new online facility will enable those needing the visa to simply go online and apply. Waiting times for approvals are also expected to reduce from 10 days to five, and visa extensions and renewals will now take two days rather than the previous five, thus reducing stress for applicants as well as streamlining the workload of immigration staff. Statistics show some 51,000 students at present attending education establishments in Taiwan, with local immigration offices full to the brim of young people just before school terms begin.

The changes are expected to reduce the chaos and give students more time to enjoy themselves before the semesters start. Taiwan’s Office of International Cooperation admin director Chang Hsun-ming is more than happy about the improvements, telling reporters he’s grateful for the help given by workers at the Taipei City Service Centre as he’ll no longer have to spend days personally guiding new student arrivals through the process as they’ll now be able to get the necessary permits with ease.

Meanwhile, a survey by a leading education foundation in Taipei has revealed almost 70 per cent of Taiwanese youth would be willing to work or study in Southeast Asia as it’s the best way to cultivate an international mindset. Many said communication deficiencies and foreign languages are the nation’s biggest problems when dealing with foreign diplomacy, with 50 per cent believing the Taiwanese need to become far more internationally-minded. In general, students preferred becoming exchange students or taking working holidays as their best chance to improve their international mindset.