Visa to Taiwan for my chinese wife

[lerider]

I'm going to study on an exchange program 2010/2011, and I can choose between Taiwan and a few universities on the mainland. I'd like to go to Taiwan since the university I can choose there fits quite well with my chosen education.

The visa for me is no problem, but how does it works for my wife who is chinese citizen? Does anyone know if it's possible for her to obtain a one year visa to Taiwan? If not, what are the options?

If there are alot of regulations and problems for her to get a long term visa for Taiwan I will seriously consider choosing one of the universities on the mainland instead.

[gato]

This is tough. Maybe if your wife apply as a student to the same university, they can help her with the visa. I don't think she'll be able to get a one-year visa to Taiwan on her own. Taiwan has just started allowing PRC citizens to go to Taiwan on group tours. Individual tourists are still not allowed.

[James Johnston]

You might be better asking on this Taiwan forum:

http://www.forumosa.com

This particular thread is a few years out of date, but I understand that it is still not easy. I think there is a quota for Chinese spouses moving to Taiwan each year, and there are plenty of Taiwanese married to mainlanders who are in the same position. Admittedly, quite a few Taiwanese men don't actually want their mainland wives to move to Taiwan, because they would discover that he already has a wife and kids in Taiwan.

In sum, it really would be easier to go to mainland China.

Edited September 23, 2009 at 06:58 AM by James Johnston

[pandaxiongmao]

Does your wife have useful work skills in Taiwan? It could be possible for her to get a work visa if she can perform work in an area that is in demand.

Otherwise, to get a one year visa for her, it is too late.

The easiest way for a mainland Chinese to live in Taiwan long term is to gain citizenship of another country, and live in that country for 5 or more years. Then she could come to Taiwan just like any other non Chinese person.

Another option is if she is willing to study at least 2 years in a Japanese University, she could then 'study abroad' and come to Taiwan for long period of time.

To come directly from mainland China as a student, the longest student visa she could hope for would be a six month visa. This option still involves a lot of paperwork, and unless your wife is currently a University student, she would not be able to do this.

As a tourist, she can only come on a group tour that dictates where she is the entire time she is in Taiwan. To relate, think of a westerner going to North Korea, it would be very similar to that for her. There would not be opportunities for you to meet her on such a tour, unless you knew where the tour went and happened to be at that place.