| Established in October of 1986, the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei (CTOT) represents Canada's interests in Taiwan in the absence of formal diplomatic relations. The office, which has a staff of 55, also houses representatives from both the Alberta and Quebec governments. In addition, the Province of British Columbia trade office is located at the Taipei World Trade Centre. The CTOT provides the same support services as other Canadian missions abroad. It is staffed by officers from the departments of Foreign Affairs & International Trade and Citizenship & Immigration, as well as locally engaged staff. In order to promote the Canada-Taiwan relationship, the CTOT participates in a range of promotional events annually, including trade shows, hosting visiting delegations, and public affairs programs.
The CTOT consists of four sections:
- Trade & Investment
- Visa
- Consular
- General Relations & Public Affairs
SECTIONS OF THE TRADE OFFICE
Trade & Investment
The trade and investment section is responsible for promoting Canadian exports to Taiwan and attracting Taiwan investors to the Canadian market. The trade section covers these primary sectors: agriculture and fisheries, biotechnology, environment, construction, transportation, information technology and telecommunications.
Visa
The visa section processes applications for visitor visas, student authorizations and employment authorizations (ie, non-immigrant services) for those interested in entering Canada for a temporary stay. With increased tourism between Taiwan and Canada, Taipei has become the largest Canadian visitor visa issuing office in the world. The visa section's hours of service are 0900-1100 & 1400-1600.
Consular
The consular section provides consular services - passports, citizenship, registration, notarisations, consular assistance - to Canadian residents and visitors to Taiwan.
General Relations & Public Affairs
The general relations and public affairs section works to advance overall relations between Canada and Taiwan on economic and other non-official issues. Public affairs promotes Canadian culture and academic relations through a variety of activities and programs. |
