Program Statistics — March Figures Absent

Most recent official figures remain Feb 28, 2026: 15,924 cumulative approvals; 8,372 valid cards. No March 2026 monthly report has been published or indexed as of May 11. Publication was anticipated mid-May; the window has not yet elapsed. April 2026 figures expected ~June 2026.

Net approval pace Nov 2025 – Feb 2026: ~204/month
DIGI sector cumulative (May 2023 – Mar 23, 2026): 1,124 approvals
NDC target: 6,700 professionals in year one under 2026 Act; 10,000+ annually long-term

NDC US Outreach — Schedule Revised

Previous reporting listed NDC US recruitment trips as July 2026 and October 2026. Updated scheduling reflects a different structure:

June 2026: East Coast tour (cities TBC)
September 2026: West Coast tour, timed with Taiwan Tech Summit
Earlier Feb–Mar 2026 university tour covered: New York, Washington DC, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Houston

No July or October 2026 US trip itinerary has been publicly announced. Silicon Valley Startup Hub (Palo Alto, opened Jan 13, 2026) remains operational.

Domestic Talent Events

Talent Taiwan is running one-on-one employment meetings for global talent at three domestic venues:

Apr 28: Hsinchu (completed)
May 13: Taipei
May 28: Taichung

Stuart Fairchild — Gold Card Application, No Decision

NDC Minister Yeh Jiunn-hsien announced on March 16 that the government proactively contacted sports authorities to assist Cleveland Guardians outfielder Stuart Fairchild (played for Chinese Taipei at 2026 WBC) in applying under the Sports category. No approval has been reported as of May 11.

Articles 28–29 — 50 Days to Activation, No Implementation Guidance

Articles 28 and 29 activate June 30, 2026 (50 days). Art. 28: disability care services for foreign professionals with 10+ years legal residence. Art. 29: long-term care for 65+ with 10+ years residence. No ministerial circulars, subsidiary regulations, or application procedures have been published as of May 11.

Eligibility — All Criteria Unchanged

Salary threshold: NTD 160,000/month (before-tax; any single tax year in 3-year lookback)
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

Key 2026 Act provisions in effect since Jan 1, 2026:

APRC standard: 3 years avg 183 days/year (down from 5 years)
APRC fast track: 1 year for NTD 6M+/year income
Top-1,500 global university graduates: exempt from 2-year work experience requirement
Top-200 graduates: personal open work permit up to 2 years
Spouses: direct open work permit
Digital nomad visa: extended to 2 years (from 6 months)
Employment Insurance (unemployment + parental leave): available for APRC holders (BLI, eff. Jan 1)
Labor Pension System: eligible without APRC

Approval Likelihood Assessment

No change to prior assessment. Economy field applications meeting the NTD 160,000/month threshold with clean documentation have a high approval rate. DIGI sector (software dev ~60% of category; US nationals ~30%) approval trend is stable. NTD 5M asset APRC pathway remains legally valid but NIA approval is inconsistent; no documented approved cases.