The National Immigration Agency (NIA) has notified Chinese spouses in Taiwan to provide proof of renouncing their Chinese citizenship within three months, otherwise their residency permits and household registration may be canceled. During a legislative session, NIA Deputy Director-General Chieh-Cheng Chen (陳建成) and Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) clarified that this requirement is a legal mandate, not a political response to recent events involving Chinese influencers in Taiwan.
Officials stated that the requirement is based on Article 9-1 of the Cross-Strait Act, amended in 2004, which prohibits Taiwanese citizens from having household registrations or using passports from mainland China. Chinese spouses who obtained Taiwanese citizenship before 2004 must submit proof of canceled Chinese citizenship within six months.
Previously, the National Immigration Agency (NIA) investigated cases only upon receiving reports, resulting in 676 cancellations over 20 years. Now that the NIA is verifying all cases, they have found upwards of 10,000 of the more than 140,000 Chinese spouses in Taiwan have not yet provided the necessary documentation.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chuang Jui-hsiung (莊瑞雄) criticized the suggested methods for obtaining proof as impractical and urged authorities to consider alternative solutions. He proposed establishing special provisions or simplified mechanisms for long-term residents with stable lives and no criminal records, suggesting affidavits or other processes could replace the current requirements.
In response, NIA officials stated they are working with the MAC and Straits Exchange Foundation to develop solutions for those facing difficulties obtaining the required documents. Both agencies acknowledged they have received numerous appeals and confirmed they will provide case-by-case assistance to those with reasonable explanations for being unable to submit the required proof.