TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Five weeks before the deadline, over 8,000 Chinese spouses have yet to submit proof that they have renounced their Chinese household registration.
Since April, the National Immigration Agency has issued over 12,000 notices to Chinese spouses and their children, requiring submission of proof within three months, per Newtalk. On April 16, the Mainland Affairs Council announced that these persons may alternatively submit a sworn statement or apply to delay travel to China to obtain the necessary documents.
The NIA has reminded the public that the application deadline is June 30. The NIA said it continues to receive documentation verified by the Straits Exchange Foundation as proof of renunciation and applications to submit sworn statements or delay processing.
The agency has boosted staffing to handle the increased volume and is notifying applicants of results. A dedicated NIA website section provides application forms and important information.
It also offers a tool for checking whether proof of renunciation has been submitted. The NIA urged those facing difficulties to contact the NIA, the MAC, or the SEF.
The NIA emphasized that as long as individuals are willing to comply with legal requirements, they will receive as much assistance as possible based on fairness and humanitarian considerations. However, those who have been notified but fail to cooperate may have their Taiwan household registration revoked per the law.
On Wednesday, MAC Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) reported to the legislature that out of the 12,000 notified, 1,784 have submitted proof, 880 have filed sworn statements, 352 have requested to delay travel, and 485 have sought special assistance. Meanwhile, 8,499 have taken no action.
MAC Deputy Minister Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) on Thursday said the reason the NIA has not yet received many of the documents is that a large batch is currently undergoing verification by the SEF, and another large batch is still in transit between Taiwan and China, per RTI. He expressed confidence that many documents would be received before the deadline and said the council is optimistic about the progress.
Even so, Liang stressed that he does not rule out that some Chinese spouses might think they can do nothing “to test the government's resolve." He said that the government wants to clarify this is not the right mindset and warned, "If you do nothing and end up unable to provide your documents, and expect the government to make an exception for you, I think that would be rather difficult.”
