TAIPEI (TVBS News) — More than 5,000 people have signed a petition by the Crossroads (台灣全球連結發展協會) since August, urging the Taiwanese government to relax immigration policies. The petition advocates for allowing foreigners with permanent residency to acquire Taiwanese citizenship without renouncing their original nationality. The Ministry of Interior (MOI, 內政部) plans to respond within two months.
Currently, under the Nationality Act (國籍法), foreigners must reside in Taiwan legally for two to five years and renounce their original nationality to apply for citizenship. However, there are two exceptions for acquiring citizenship without renouncing your original nationality. One path is for those who have made notable contributions to Taiwan, benefiting individuals like Studio Classroom (空中英語教室) founder Doris Brougham (彭蒙惠) and basketball player William Artino.
From 2016 to 2023, 98 people successfully naturalized under this program. The other pathway is for high-level professionals, which Turkish entertainer Rifat (吳鳳) utilized. The Ministry of Interior reports that 261 people became citizens through this route between 2016 and 2023. Despite employing 753,000 foreign workers in 2023, only 28 have gained citizenship through the high-level professionals' program.
Taiwan faces labor market challenges from declining birth rates and an aging population. In June, Economic Minister J. W. Kuo (郭智輝) highlighted a labor shortage of 400,000 positions, suggesting the need for relaxed immigration policies. As the MOI prepares its response, the petition underscores growing public support for policy reform to meet Taiwan's labor demands.