(Source: Maxim Geeroms)

I came to Taiwan to follow a fellowship in reconstructive microsurgery after I completed my plastic and reconstructive surgery training in 2021 in Belgium. This fellowship would allow me to work with and learn from world-renowned surgeons at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (長庚醫院), in combination with academic master studies at Chang Gung University (長庚大學). I was selected for the fellowship starting on July 1st, 2021. However, due to COVID-19 and border restrictions, I was only allowed to enter Taiwan on October 2nd.

I had planned to stay for one year as this is the fellowship requirement. Ultimately, I will stay one year and three weeks since I had to undergo quarantine and self-health management for a total of three weeks. I have a work contract for next year, which had to be postponed due to my late start in Taiwan, and, hence, late departure.

My partner Clarissa planned to join me in Taiwan for the whole year but was unfortunately not authorized to enter Taiwan. The biweekly updates from the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control and Bureau of Consular Affairs did not mention travel permissions in our favor. Until now, she is still not allowed to enter Taiwan, because, as I hold a student Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), she is excluded from people who can apply for a visa for a family reunion.

I have sent multiple requests to the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education, Bureau of Consular Affairs, and Centers for Disease Control, but unfortunately without any luck or change. Because the borders are open to people seeking fertility treatment and to business people, it is an absurd measure to keep couples and families longer separated. Foreign students are currently forgotten and have the lowest priority to be reunited with their partner.

In light of the current situation and vaccination state, it is reasonable to allow partners of student ARC-holders to apply for a visa to enter Taiwan in order to be reunited after many months.

– Maxim Geeroms


(Source: Ashwin Pai)

I am Dr. Ashwin Pai, a Plastic Surgeon from the UK. I am here in Taiwan doing Microsurgery Fellowship and MSc Microsurgery at CGU and CGMH. I came to Taiwan in October 2021 after a lot of struggle with paperwork and a Visa.

The plan was to stay for one year and so far I am sticking with that plan, but I do plan to cut it short if I feel very homesick or don’t get a chance to see my wife and children at least once in this time or if they are unable to visit me.

As my wife is employed and my children go to school we were planning to do frequent visits during this one year between the UK and Taiwan so that at least we see each other a few times during this one full year of living apart, which in itself is a very big ordeal for us or for anyone with a family.

Though authorities have been helpful and they understand the situation, I am not sure if they are actually the policymakers. The policymakers need to pay heed to our cohort who have been separated from our loved ones by these unjust rules. It would be helpful if the authorities put themselves in our shoes temporarily while they write these rules. 

I feel ARC holders on student visas have been wrongly discriminated against because their dependents are not given visitor visas. Most of us have children and this separation has an adverse impact on them. 

I don’t think we are any different than work ARC holders in terms of our financial situation as we have come here temporarily after very gainful employment and can surely support our dependents while they are here. The authorities could ask for proof of finance before giving a visa and not completely cut off the route for applying for a dependent visa.

I hope Taiwanese authorities could relax the visa rules for both Dependent and Visitor visas and allow spouses and children of Student ARC holders with adequate financial holdings to be eligible to come to Taiwan. 

I would also look for relaxation of quarantine rules for fully immunized visitors so that it actually becomes viable to visit Taiwan and not spend the entire period of the visit in Quarantine. The world has moved ahead in terms of these rules and most countries have withdrawn these rules.

One of my friends who was due to come to Taiwan in February 2022 to take Chinese language lessons in a University had to abandon their trip due to various reasons including the non-availability of the Govt Quarantine facility due to Chinese New Year, unable to start University on time, and hence having to pay a penalty for late joining. They, therefore, had to abandon the trip at the last moment causing a lot of distress in terms of financial loss and mental stress.

- Ashwin Pai

About the authors:

Maxim Geeroms, MD, Ph.D., is a 33-year old Belgian plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon, currently pursuing a fellowship in the specific field of reconstructive microsurgery at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Linkou, Taiwan. He is combining the fellowship with an academic master at Chang Gung University.

Ashwin Pai is a 39-year-old Plastic and Reconstructive surgeon from London, U.K. He is currently in Taiwan to pursue his Microsurgery Fellowship at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Masters in Microsurgery at Chang Gung University.

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Uploaded by Ian Huang