TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A pair of undocumented migrant parents, who were unable to pay fines for overstaying their visas in Taiwan, took advantage of the visa overstay forgiveness program currently offered by the National Immigration Agency (NIA) and are waiting to go home.

The female Indonesian migrant worker, identified only by the pseudonym "Xiaoting," gave birth to a young son with her husband, who is also an undocumented migrant worker, CNA reported. The family lived in Changhua County.

However, when Xiaoting's husband, the sole breadwinner in the family, went out one day to buy baby formula, he was arrested and sent to a shelter for overstaying his visa. After the incident, Xiaoting struggled financially and had difficulty raising the child by herself.

Xiaoting wanted to return to her home country but hesitated because she could not afford the maximum fine of NT$10,000 (US$330) for overstaying her visa, per CNA. Later, she saw online that the NIA was offering the "Expanded Overstayers Voluntary Departure Program," which exempts overstayers from detention, makes them pay only the minimum fine of NT$2,000 for overstaying, and would not prohibit them from reentering the country, if they turn themselves in before June 30.

Upon learning about the program, the undocumented migrant mother took her baby to the NIA’s Nantou County Service Center to turn herself in and seek help.

After understanding Xiaoting’s situation, staff at the service center immediately contacted a service station to assist in their resettlement. After completing the relevant procedures and documents, the family of three will be able to return to their home country, per CNA.

The NIA urged overstayers to grab the opportunity and turn themselves in within the limited-time period before new regulations kick in.

The Nantou County Service Center issued a press release Tuesday (Feb. 7), stating that draft amendments to some provisions of the Immigration Act have been sent to the country’s legislature for review. The amendments seek to raise overstay fines from the current NT$2,000-NT$10,000 to NT$30,000-NT$150,000 and increase the period of restriction on overstayers' reentering the country from a maximum of three years to a maximum of 10 years.