Fulfilling the conditions would allow him to apply for naturalisation within one year of arrival in Taiwan back then.
As a former teacher with no business experience, there were huge risks involved, but he said it was his only way out.
“If I had not retired, it would have been difficult to continue in the education field,” said Mr Chan.
“If I said anything politically incorrect, students would complain. Even just one or two complaints could cause a lot of trouble.”
HARD TO SECURE RESIDENCY
However, the tides started to turn just a year after Mr Chan relocated, with reports surfacing in 2022 that plans to relax immigration rules for Hong Kongers had been put on hold.
“I have lived here for two years and I filed the application after the first year. But there is still no progress,” he said.
Ms Shirley Cheung, founder of Formosa Immigration Consultancy, said: “Nearer to the end of 2021, when we submitted applications to the Taiwan government to try to get citizenships for my customers, we waited for two to three months, and we still didn’t get any feedback from them.”
Before that, it typically took just a week to get approval, she added.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council refuted claims that there were hidden quotas, when complaints of stonewalling started streaming in.
It said it had mandated a review for applicants who were citizens of mainland China or employed by agencies associated with China, due to security concerns.