Articles 28–29 — T-15 Days, No Implementing Regulations

Articles 28 and 29 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals activate June 30, 2026 — 15 days from publication. As of June 15, no implementing sub-regulations have been gazetted in the ROC Official Gazette. The National Development Council continues coordination with NIA, Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Ministry of Labor; no application procedures, eligibility forms, or NIA processing guidelines have been published.

Art. 28: Foreign professionals / specialist professionals / senior professionals with 10+ years legal Taiwan residence → access to disability evaluation and care services.

Art. 29: Same groups plus dependents aged 65+ with 10+ years legal residence → access to long-term care services.

Risk: Statutory activation date Jun 30 may hold while practical benefit access is delayed by absent sub-regulations. Sources confirming outstanding: KPMG Flash Alert 2026-009; Vialto Partners; Newland Chase.

Program Statistics — March 31 Remains Latest

April 2026 Gold Card statistics have not been published as of June 15. Latest confirmed figures (March 31, 2026): 16,316 cumulative approvals / 8,526 valid cards. March net gain: +392 approvals / +154 valid cards — nearly double the prior monthly average of ~204, attributed to backlog clearance or seasonal acceleration. April data expected approximately July 2026 (4–6 week publication lag).

Cumulative: 16,316 approvals (Mar 31, 2026) · Valid: 8,526 · March pace: +392 (prior avg ~204/month)

Stuart Fairchild — MLB Promotion; Card Status Unknown

Stuart Fairchild (Cleveland Guardians outfielder) was selected to the MLB roster from Triple-A Columbus on May 29, 2026. NDC Minister Yeh Jiunn-hsien publicly announced proactive government outreach to assist Fairchild's Gold Card application on March 16, 2026 (Sports field); application outcome remains unknown from open sources as of June 15.

NDC US Outreach — No Dates Published

NDC's East Coast US June 2026 outreach tour remains listed as "coming soon" with no specific dates or venues announced as of June 15. West Coast US September 2026 (Taiwan Tech Summit) is listed on the NDC calendar but no specific dates are confirmed. The May 28 Taichung talent event has passed.

Eligibility — Unchanged

All qualifying criteria remain unchanged from the January 1, 2026 Act amendments:

  • Monthly salary threshold: NTD 160,000 before-tax (any single tax year within 3-year lookback)
  • Qualifying fields: 12 professional categories (13 for Architecture)
  • Standard review: 20 working days; up to 40 if additional documents requested
  • NIA procedural guidelines last updated: April 21, 2026

2026 Act APRC Pathways — In Force

  • Standard: 3 years (avg 183 days/year in Taiwan)
  • NTD 6M+/year income: APRC after 1 year
  • Taiwan PhD graduates: APRC after 1 year; Master's: 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
  • Digital nomad visa: 2-year maximum

Pending Items

Art. 28–29 sub-regulations: not gazetted (T-15 days) · April 2026 stats: not published (expected ~Jul 2026) · NDC East Coast US June tour: no dates · Stuart Fairchild Gold Card: outcome unknown · NTD 5M asset APRC pathway: legally valid, NIA approval inconsistent