YouTube creator LeLe Farley shared that he was denied entry into Taiwan in a video posted on Saturday. Despite obtaining a Taiwan Employment Gold Card, the U.S. national was unable to enter the country due to having worked illegally in Taiwan, according to the National Immigration Agency’s (NIA) statements made Saturday.
LeLe Farley lived in China and studied at Nanjing University. Despite receiving a scholarship from the CCP, he said he chose the path of anti-communism, posting countless videos online criticizing the government.
While in Taiwan in 2023, Farley had recorded television shows despite not having a work permit at that time, according to the Taipei City Labor Department. The Operation Directions for the Entry Bans on Foreign Nationals on the NIA’s website stipulate that individuals who have worked illegally are subject to an entry ban lasting three years.
Farley said he spent a month packing all of his belongings after obtaining the gold card on February 21 this year, selling his car and various recording equipment, and terminating his lease in preparation to start a new life in Taiwan. He said he headed to board his one-way flight to Taiwan on March 11, and wasn’t informed that any entry restrictions had been imposed on his passport until Los Angeles International Airport staff scanned his passport and told him.
The NIA stated that because LeLe Farley no longer meets the conditions for the Taiwan Employment Gold Card, it has been revoked in accordance with regulations, though he can still apply again when he once again meets the requirements.