August 26, 2013
No. 64
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) convened its 244th Council Meeting today (August 26), during which the Ministry of the Interior (MOI) proposed a report on "Procedures for the Cancellation of Original Household Registration in the Mainland by Mainland Spouses Domiciled in Taiwan." The proposed case was deliberated and approved at the meeting; the National Immigration Agency (NIA) will implement new measures from September 1 this year (2013) to duly resolve problems faced by Mainland spouses currently domiciled in Taiwan when returning to the Mainland to cancel their household registration, thereby protect their rights and interests.
The MAC stated that, during a meeting with an association for Mainland spouses earlier this year, Minister Wang was informed that some Mainland spouses who have domiciled in Taiwan and wanted to cancel their Mainland household registrations were unable to successfully return to the Mainland due to changes in related immigration rules. Minister Wang immediately directed his staff to promptly coordinate with the Straits Exchange Foundation to communicate with and gain consent from the Mainland side to allow the Mainland spouses to directly apply for a single-entry Taiwan Compatriot Travel Certificate upon arrival at any of the 32 direct cross-strait transportation link ports in the Mainland, thus temporarily resolving the problem faced by Mainland spouses when returning to the Mainland.
The MAC explained that, in order to thoroughly help Mainland spouses complete procedures to cancel their Mainland household registrations, the MAC proactively held several discussions with the NIA. After understanding and communicating with the Mainland side about procedures for canceling household registrations, a decision was made to adjust the current methods. Under the new procedures, the NIA will not immediately collect and cancel Mainland spouses’ Mainland Residents Taiwan Pass after they have domiciled in Taiwan, thus they may still enter the Mainland with the Pass to carry out their original household registration cancellation procedures. After the Mainland spouses return to Taiwan and submit documents certifying cancellation of their Mainland household registration, the NIA will then collect their Mainland Residents Taiwan Pass. Mainland spouses who have already had their Mainland Residents Taiwan Pass canceled will still be able to apply for a visa upon arrival at any of the 32 direct cross-strait transportation link ports in the Mainland, according to the aforementioned temporary method.
The MAC stressed that the government cares about the rights and interest of Mainland spouses and hopes that the new measures can be smoothly implemented to resolve procedural issues faced by Mainland spouses domiciling in Taiwan.