Under the current policy, the Taiwanese government only permits Taiwanese companies/factories engaged in the businesses of outbound investment and whole plant output to provide training to foreign nationals on behalf of a foreign company. The permitted foreign nationals may obtain a visitor visa to undertake training courses in Taiwan. If a foreign company wishes to send its employee for a short-term training course in Taiwan, the foreign employee can only use a visa exemption program or visitor visa for business purposes. The duration of stay allowed under a visitor visa is 14 to 90 days at the discretion of the visa official in an overseas Taiwan Embassy, Consulate or trade office.

Resident visa and ARC

Resident visas may be granted to foreign nationals who intend to stay in Taiwan for more than six months to join family, pursue studies, accept employment, make investments, carry out missionary work or engage in other activities. A resident visa is valid for three months, covers a single entry or multiple entries and allows a stay in Taiwan for a period of more than six months.

Applicants coming to Taiwan for employment or investment purposes are required to submit relevant documents to the competent authorities of the central or local government for approval. Resident visa holders for various purposes must apply for an ARC within 15 days of their arrival in Taiwan. A multiple reentry permit will be automatically included in the ARC, so that ARC holders may leave and reenter the country as many times as they require. The length of residence will depend on the validity date of the ARC.

A foreign national who holds a visitor visa that allows a stay in Taiwan for more than 60 days (which is not otherwise annotated by the issuing authority to prohibit extensions) can apply directly to the National Immigration Agency for an ARC, if at least one of the following requirements is satisfied:

• The individual is married to a  Taiwanese who resides in Taiwan and has a valid household registration or is allowed to reside in Taiwan.
• The individual is under 20 years old and has immediate relatives who are Taiwan citizens who have valid household registrations or are allowed to reside in Taiwan.
• The individual has obtained employment/work permit approvals issued by the WDA or other relevant competent authorities and the remainder of the approved employment/work permit period is more than six months from the ARC application date.
• The individual is permitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for diplomatic reasons.