Program Statistics

March 2026 cumulative figures remain unpublished as of 14 May. The official goldcard.nat.gov.tw monthly data report page is returning HTTP 403. Most recent confirmed data:

Feb 28, 2026: 15,924 cumulative approvals; 8,372 valid cards in force.
Net pace Nov 2025 – Feb 2026: ~204 approvals/month.

Digital Gold Card (MODA track, separate from standard Gold Card): 1,124 approvals as of 26 Feb 2026; ~60% software technology development; remainder: digital marketing, cybersecurity, AI.

May 13 Taipei Events

One-on-One Employment Meetings held 13 May at the Taipei International Convention Center (Xinyi), 13:20–17:10. Format: direct employer-professional interview matching. No NDC policy announcements indexed from this event.

Separate event same day: "Schooling in Taiwan" seminar, Kaohsiung — targeting international professionals' concerns about children's education within Taiwan's school system. No policy changes announced.

Next domestic talent event: 28 May — Taichung.

Articles 28–29 — 46 Days to Activation

Articles 28 and 29 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals activate on 30 June 2026. No implementation guidance, subsidiary regulations, or application procedures have been published as of 14 May. NDC is coordinating with relevant ministries on sub-law revisions.

Art. 28: Foreign professionals, specialist professionals, and senior professionals with 10+ years legal Taiwan residence may apply for disability evaluation and needs assessment to access disability care services.
Art. 29: Same qualifying groups (plus dependents 65+) with 10+ years legal Taiwan residence may apply for long-term care services.
No application procedures published. Activation in 46 days.

Eligibility — Current (Unchanged)

Salary threshold: NTD 160,000/month before-tax; any single tax year within 3-year lookback.
Fields: 12 professional categories (13 for Architecture).
Review time: 20 working days standard; up to 40 if docs requested. Mainland China connections: +1–2 months.

APRC Pathways — 2026 Amendment Detail

Effective 1 January 2026 under the revised Act:

  • Standard: 3 years (avg 183 days/year; reduced from 5 years)
  • Income fast track: NTD 6M+/year → APRC after 1 year
  • Taiwan PhD graduates: APRC after 1 year (183 days/year minimum)
  • Taiwan Master's graduates: APRC after 2 years
  • Top-1,500 global university graduates: exempt from 2-year work experience requirement
  • Top-200 graduates: personal open work permit up to 2 years

NDC US Outreach — Schedule

East Coast US tour: June 2026. West Coast US tour: September 2026 (coincides with annual Taiwan Tech Summit). No specific cities, venues, or dates confirmed in indexed sources as of 14 May.

Pending Items

Stuart Fairchild (Cleveland Guardians) Gold Card application (Sports field, NDC-initiated 16 March): no outcome confirmed. March and April 2026 statistics: not yet published. NTD 5M asset APRC pathway: legally valid; NIA approval remains inconsistent; no documented approved cases.