TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of the Interior said that starting in January, eligible parents of new immigrants can stay in Taiwan for up to one year to help ease childcare responsibilities and support the government’s initiative for new residents.
According to the Regulations Governing Visiting, Residency, and Permanent Residency of Aliens, foreigners staying in Taiwan for more than 60 days who have not been restricted from extending their stay can apply to the National Immigration Agency for an extension. This applies to those whose children are new immigrants and are pregnant or have grandchildren under the age of two, per CNA.
The ministry said applications must include a pregnancy certificate or a hospital record of prenatal checkups within the past month. For grandchildren under two, a household registration document is required.
The ministry said that some new immigrant families face childcare struggles due to postpartum recovery or working spouses, and the initiative aims to stabilize their finances and provide support.
The ministry has established a fund with an annual budget of NT$1 billion (US$32 million) to help local governments support new immigrants. The assistance includes medical subsidies, childcare, Mandarin language courses, and legal aid, while the government also provides employment support and vocational skills training for the group.
The ministry reported that Taiwan’s new immigrant population has exceeded 610,000 as of September 2025, accounting for about 2.5% of the total population. The majority come from China, totaling around 380,000, while 210,000 are from Southeast Asian countries, with numbers from Southeast Asia growing rapidly.
In 2024, Taiwan had 265,000 students who were children of new immigrants, the Ministry of Education said. About 71% are concentrated in six major cities, led by New Taipei with 40,000 students, followed by Taichung with 36,000 and Taipei with 33,000. The ministry added that Southeast Asian language courses have been offered in elementary and junior high schools since 2020.
