U.S. YouTuber LeLe Farley's Taiwan Gold Card revoked without notice

Taipei, March 23 (CNA) American YouTuber "LeLe Farley" was denied entry to Taiwan earlier this month after his Taiwan Gold Card employment visa was revoked for "illegal work" in Taiwan in 2023, according to the National Immigration Agency (NIA).

Farley "received payments" for appearances in politics-themed television shows without a work permit, which violated Article 43 of the Employment Service Act, Chen Po-tuan (陳伯端), head of the Occupational Safety and Health Division at the Taipei City Department of Labor, explained on Sunday.

The American national should have been fined and ordered to leave Taiwan under Article 68 of the Act, but since he was no longer in the country, the case was referred to the NIA for border controls to be imposed, Chen said.

However, Farley told CNA on Sunday that no Taiwanese authority got in contact to tell him he would be barred from entering the country.

On the contrary, he applied for a Taiwan Employment Gold Card at the end of November 2024 and received an email notification that his work visa was ready on Feb. 23, 2025.

In a YouTube video uploaded on Saturday that had been viewed nearly 400,000 times within 24 hours, Farley described how he had planned to "start a new life" in Taiwan after receiving his Gold Card -- a kind of open work permit for foreigners who meet strict eligibility criteria.

But Farley said his dream was "shattered" when a staff member at Los Angeles International Airport informed him on March 11 that he could not board his flight due to entry restrictions imposed on his passport by Taiwanese authorities.

"No explanation at all," Farley said in the video. "No clarification whatsoever. Just like that ... entry denied."

"Why was no issue discovered during the review process of the Gold Card application?" he asked.

"It's frustrating, but at the same time, you know, what can I do?" Farley told CNA on Sunday, adding he would try to appeal the decision.

The NIA said on Saturday that Farley would be unable to re-enter Taiwan for "a certain period of time" due to work permit violations.

Additionally, as he no longer meets the eligibility criteria for Gold Card issuance during the control period, "the permit has been revoked," it said.

The agency, however, did not say how long the entry ban would last nor when the entry ban was imposed.

Under Taiwan's Immigration Act, the NIA can prohibit foreigners from entering Taiwan if they have overstayed their visits, exceeded their period of residence, or worked illegally.

The entry ban period begins the day after the person leaves Taiwan and may last from one to seven years, according to the Act.

Farley, who is fluent in Chinese after previously studying in China, has more than 420,000 followers on YouTube, where he uploads political commentary and comedy videos that often criticize the Chinese Communist Party.