I’m officially a permanent resident of Taiwan

When I moved to Taiwan in January 2023, I planned for it to be a one-way trip. But that hinged on a lot of things going right, not least of all my three visa applications:

• My first Taiwan Gold Card visa (approved in August 2022, five months before I moved to Taiwan)
• My second Taiwan Gold Card visa (approved in June 2025, five weeks before the first one expired)
• My Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (which I just picked up from the National Immigration Agency)

All three applications were anxiety-inducing, as they had the potential to disrupt or completely derail my long-term plans.

I’ve previously helped friends with visa applications in New Zealand. I saw how stressful it was. At an intellectual level, I understood it. But it’s different to feel it yourself.

It’s terrifying.

My original Gold Card application was complicated by me being self-employed at the time. Then earlier this year, my second application was meant to be a simple renewal—but turned into an unpredictable all-new application after I was told my original category, ‘Science & Technology’, was no longer suitable. (Luckily, I had a skills match under the newer ‘Digital’ category, and it was all OK in the end.)

Then, when it came to applying for permanent residency, I had an alarming last-minute debate with staff at the National Immigration Agency before they even accepted my application.

So far as I can tell, it was because they were unfamiliar with the idiosyncratic rules for Gold Card holders. There are 1 million foreigners living in Taiwan, but only 8,000 Gold Card holders—most of whom don’t live in Kaohsiung and therefore don’t apply through the Kaohsiung office.

Unlike all other APRC applicants, who must reside here five years before applying, Gold Card holders can apply just three years after their first Gold Card was issued. In my case, that meant I applied for permanent residency less than three years after arriving in Taiwan, because my first Gold Card was issued five months before I moved here.

It’s a privilege I’m extremely thankful for.

If you ever consider moving to Taiwan (and you should!), I urge you to check for Gold Card eligibility. It’s a tremendously permissive visa that makes life easier in many ways—especially if you’re self-employed or working remotely.

Inquiry on applications submitted at the service counter

This is the email I received yesterday, telling me my Alien Permanent Resident Certificate was ready for collection:

The redacted part is my 12-digit ‘receive’ number. Since receiving it, I’d been checking my application status every day via the National Immigration Agency website.

This is the application status webpage; the title translates to ‘Inquiry on applications submitted at the service counter’:

The ‘Receive No.’ is the same 12-digit number in the email above. But you don’t enter all 12 digits—instead, you need to enter digits 4 thru 11.

If you include the first three digits, and/or the last one, it won’t work.

It’s like being given this number:

1234567890XX

But needing only this part of it:

4567890X

Next, the form asks for your national ID number. But if you type it in, the service will break. So you leave that field blank.

The birthday field works okay, but then the CAPTCHA always fails on the first attempt.

So, while I’m extremely relieved to now have my APRC, I’m also extremely relieved that I never need to make an inquiry on applications submitted at the service counter, ever again.

Somewhere I belong

I’m obviously happy—exceptionally happy—to have my APRC. I can now legally reside in Taiwan for the rest of my life. And as mentioned above, I’m extremely thankful too.

But when I started thinking about how to convey my feelings, I got kind of stuck. This moment is actually so personally significant it’s hard to comprehend or convey.

It would be different if I planned to reside here a while then move on. But I’ve made a life here and I don’t want to leave.

It’s cheesy but it’s true: I found the place where I belong.

Now I can stay.

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