Taiwan's Turn

Most weekdays, the line snakes out the door at the Taiwan visa office on the seventh floor of Artha Graha Tower at Pacific Place in South Jakarta. Many of the applicants are returning for their second or third stint in Taiwan.

Officially, Taiwan and Indonesia have no diplomatic relationsthe last bilateral agreement between the two countries expired in 1995. Yet, in the first half of 2015 alone, Taiwan admitted over 31,000 Indonesians, making it the second most important destination for Indonesians abroad. Most migrant work are employed as caregivers for the elderly, or as construction laborers.

September 22, 2015