Fairchild to receive Taiwan Employment Gold Card in public ceremony

Taipei, Aug. 19 (CNA) Taiwanese-American baseball player Stuart Fairchild's application for a Taiwan Employment Gold Card has been approved, a senior National Development Council (NDC) official said Wednesday.

The NDC and Ministry of Sports are planning a public ceremony in November to formally present Fairchild with the card, NDC Deputy Minister Peng Li-pei (彭立沛) said.

Fairchild, affectionately nicknamed "Feizai" (費仔) by Taiwanese fans, represented Taiwan at the World Baseball Classic (WBC) in March and was eligible to play for the country through his Taiwanese mother.

The 30-year-old outfielder drew widespread attention for his performance during the tournament, hitting home runs and driving in key runs that made him a fan favorite in Taiwan.

Fairchild recently became a free agent after a brief stint in the Seattle Mariners organization.

Following his strong performance in the WBC, the NDC reached out to encourage him to apply for the card, a four-in-one document that combines an open work permit, resident visa, Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) and re-entry permit in a single smart card valid for one to three years.

The Gold Card program was launched in 2018 under the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals to attract and retain overseas talent by providing a more flexible work and residency framework.

The program targets foreign professionals with expertise in fields including technology, economics, education, arts and culture, sports, finance, law, architecture, national defense and digital technology, as well as others recognized by the authorities as possessing special expertise.

Responding to a question from Kuomintang lawmaker Lu Yu-ling (呂玉玲) during a legislative hearing about the status of Fairchild's application, Peng said the review had been completed and that the NDC and Sports Ministry were arranging a public ceremony to jointly present Fairchild with the card.

Lu said that while more than 10,000 Employment Gold Cards have been issued to date, relatively few have gone to applicants in the sports field. She asked whether the eligibility threshold was too high or whether applicants simply did not meet the requirements.

Deputy Sports Minister Huang Chi-huang (黃啟煌) said the eligibility criteria for sports-related applicants have gradually expanded, allowing not only athletes but also sports science researchers and data analysts to apply.

Huang said Taiwan is currently seeking more sports support professionals, particularly specialists in sports data analysis.

The Sports Ministry plans to hold another meeting on Aug. 27 to discuss further easing the eligibility criteria in an effort to lower barriers and attract more international talent, he added.