Program Status — Apr 22, 2026
No new NIA policy changes, legislative amendments, or eligibility threshold modifications as of April 22, 2026. All January 1, 2026 Talent Act amendments remain the operative baseline. The NTD 160,000/month average before-tax salary threshold is unchanged; verification uses any one tax year within the three-year window preceding application.
Valid cards (Feb 28, 2026): 8,372
Valid cards (Jan 31, 2026): 8,318
Total approved (Feb 2018 – Oct 2025): 14,907
March and April 2026 figures not yet published — NIA publishes with ~6-week lag. March figures expected mid-May 2026.
NDC Recruitment — US Trips Confirmed
The National Development Council has confirmed talent recruitment trips to the United States in July 2026 and October 2026, targeting AI and digital professionals from the US and India. The NDC is establishing a talent recruitment hub in California's Silicon Valley. These trips operationalize the NDC's target of attracting 120,000 foreign professionals by 2028 (current count: ~80,000, up from <40,000 in 2018).
Articles 28–29 — 69 Days to Activation
Articles 28–29 of the amended Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals activate on June 30, 2026 — 69 days from this report. These provisions extend disability evaluation/care and long-term care eligibility to foreign professionals and dependents with 10+ years of legal residence. No implementation guidance has been published by NIA or the Ministry of Health and Welfare as of April 22.
Key Eligibility Criteria (Unchanged)
Fields: 12 professional categories (13 for Architecture).
Review time: 20 working days standard; up to 40 if additional documents requested. Mainland China connections: add 1–2 months.
APRC fast-track: Continuous residence 3 years (↓ from 5); Global Elites (>NTD 6M/year): 1 year.
Top-1,500 university graduates: Exempt from 2-year work experience requirement.
NTD 5M asset APRC pathway: Legally valid; NIA approval inconsistent; no documented approved cases.
Approval Likelihood Assessment
The DIGI (Digital) category accounts for 1,124 approvals (May 2023 – Mar 23, 2026), ranking 4th of 12 categories. US nationals represent approximately 30% (~384 cards) of DIGI approvals. Software development constitutes ~60% of DIGI approvals; cybersecurity ~6%; e-commerce ~5%.