The Ministry of the Interior said Friday that it will amend the law within three months to ease requirements on the naturalization of foreign spouses in Taiwan.
The announcement came after President Ma Ying-jeou promised that the government will soon remove a provision that requires foreign spouses to submit proof of financial solvency when applying to become a Taiwanese national.
Under the law, foreign spouses must prove that they have at least NT$420,000 (US$13,819) in their bank accounts, or that they have earned an average monthly salary over the past year that is twice as high as the minimum wage, to be eligible to be naturalized in Taiwan.
Ma made the remarks earlier in the day at a workshop marking the fourth anniversary of the Legal Aid Foundation.
The interior ministry said it will also relax other requirements on the naturalization of immigrant spouses in Taiwan, but did not specify which ones.
At present, the law requires foreign spouses to have lived in Taiwan for three consecutive years, more than 183 days each year, to be eligible to be naturalized.
The law also requires them to pass a Chinese language test and give up their citizenship.
Meanwhile, the National Immigration Agency has decided to earmark funds to establish a professional translator database to enhance the translation services it provides Taiwan's foreign spouses, the ministry said.
The database is due to be completed by the end of this year.