The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has increased the annual quota for Canadians participating in the working holiday program by 250, for a total of 1,250, following Canada’s earlier expansion to the same level for Taiwanese youth in the working holiday program.
The Memorandum of Understanding concerning Youth Mobility signed between Taiwan and Canada entered into effect on July 1, 2010. For the past nine years, the working holiday program has allowed 1,000 youth from each side to participate annually. As the program has been highly welcomed by Taiwanese youth, the Taiwan government has been lobbying to expand it. This May, Canada’s Ministry of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship agreed to expand the quota for Taiwanese youth. Based on the principle of reciprocity, the Taiwan government has agreed to do the same for Canadian youth.
MOFA expects that the quota expansion will deepen bilateral exchange and cooperation, provide more Canadian youth the opportunity to experience Taiwan’s culture firsthand, and add momentum to bilateral youth exchange and interaction.
MOFA also indicated that, beginning January 1, Canadian citizens already in Taiwan who are between 18 and 35 years of age and have not previously held a working holiday visa from the Republic of China (Taiwan) may now apply for such a visa, valid for one year, at the Bureau of Consular Affairs headquarters in Taipei or the regional offices in Taichung, Chaiyi, Kaohsiung, and Hualien. This reciprocal measure aims to encourage more Canadian youth to apply for the visa and discover Taiwan personally.
