MY QUESTION: We were told by many sources that if our son kept dual citizenship if he should happen to travel to Taiwan between the ages of 19-40 (I think those are the correct numbers), he could be held in Taiwan and forced to serve in the military. Do you know if this is true? Can you share any benefits to a child for keeping his Taiwan citizenship?
HER ANSWER: Yes, there is one-year mandatory military service requirement in Taiwan for man at 19 (or postpone to attend college), then all men between 19-40 are in reserve to fight if a war breaks out which is quite unlikely. However, Taiwanese with expat status on their Taiwanese passport gets a 90-day relief. Therefore as long as they leave Taiwan in 90 days they won't be drafted when they live in Taiwan using their Taiwanese passport. My brother lived in Taiwan for 3 years under this status. He had to travel to HK quite often, so he never had issue with that 90-day rule and was never drafted. My brother wanted to live in Taiwan and enjoy the almost free health care under the National Health Insurance, so that was an obvious advantage to use his Taiwanese expat/citizen status. I can't really think of other tangible beneifts, unless you consider his right to vote and work freely in Taiwan as benefits. :) Taiwan actually makes it very hard to obtain a Taiwanese citizenship for the new immigrants, so the benefits of citizenship will be more for people from less developed countries to be able to live freely in Taiwan.
If the citizenship laws are not changed in Taiwan, your son's Taiwanese expat status can be applied and renewed at anytime. There has been talks of repalcing the mandaory military services with an all-volunteer military, so the draft could be a non issue a few years down the road.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
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3 comments:
Tish, I admire so much the research you put in to doing all you can to maintain Matthew's heritage and his connection to this birth country. I've talked to several adoptive parents who don't do that, and I can't understand why. I'm so impressed with the questions you ask- asking things I would never think to ask, and it so much to Matthew's benefit. Boy, he's one blessed boy to have you for a Mama!
I learn so much from your blog- which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Time lately here has become something I cannot afford to waste. As a result, my blog reading time has become minimal, but yours is one I can't miss because I know I'll be missing something that will challenge, inspire, or encourage me- or it will teach me something completely new. And, I LOVE to learn. So, thanks!! :)
Thanks also for the photography tips. I also have another lens (I call it my paparazzi lens, because I don't know it's actual name). I don't use it all that much, but I suppose I should pull it out and see what it can do. I do agree that being flat on your belly gets the best pictures. I do that a lot too, and people think I'm crazy. I am such a "big picture" person, that it never occurs to me to take pictures of the little things around me (truth be told, I don't usually even SEE those things). I should start trying to see those things more- and try to tap into the power my camera has!!! I'll do all that next week, when life settles down! :)
jenna, thanks for the compliment but, truth be known, i really do not know even a smidge of what i should know in order to raise M with a knowledge and appreciation of his birth culture!
Interesting bit! I never knew that about the military. I wonder if China is similar?
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