As of August 1,1988, Foreigners Applying for Visas to the R.O.C. Will No Longer Need to Provide Letters of Guarantee
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has simplified the procedure for foreigners to apply for visas to come to the R.O.C. The Ministry announced that the revisions of the relevant regulations took effect as of August 1, 1988. Important features of the revisions include the following:
(1) Individuals from countries with whom the R.O.C. has diplomatic relations or those from countries which are friendly despite lacking diplomatic relations no longer need supply a Letter of Guarantee; those from countries which lack diplomatic relations and are unfriendly, or those lacking any official national status, need no longer have a Letter of Guarantee so long as they are invited by a government agency, a state-run enterprise, or an educational institution of the college level or above or so long as they are coming to the R.O.C. to attend an international conference.
(2) Wherever an individual has the guarantee of any responsible person of any of the organizations listed below, if that individual receives a letter with the official seal of that organization there is no need to return to the police station to confirm the guaranty. These organizations include: profit-making enterprises whose net receipts exceed NT$20 million, foreign based enterprises whose operating capital exceeds NT$5 million, national level organizations approved by the Ministry of the Interior, and schools or academic institutions at the college level or higher which have been approved by the Ministry of Education.
(3) The number of people who can be guaranteed by a single guarantor has been increased from the previous level of five to either ten individuals or five families.
(4) A responsible person at a travel agency established with approval of the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Communications can serve as guarantor for members of tourist groups, but can do so for no more than two groups per month.
(5) Guarantors need not transfer their responsibility to another person if they leave Taiwan for a short time; they nevertheless remain responsible for the guarantee until the guaranteed individual leaves Taiwan.