The new rule will allow 2,400 of the Chinese spouses to immigrate to Taiwan each year, an increase from the current quota of 1,800.

But with nearly 20,000 in line to receive residency permits, officials said those who begin to apply now will have to wait at least eight years before they can obtain the rights.

The legislative Yuan -- Taiwan's parliament -- is expected to approve the new quota this year, officials said.

The new rule was approved by the government Mainland Affairs Council last week as Taiwan was seeking to resume semi-official talks which Beijing broke off in 1995 in anger over a Taiwanese campaign to gain international recognition.

Taiwan's top negotiator with China, Koo Chen-Fu, will visit the mainland next week for discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Daohan, about resuming the talks.

``Weare doing our utmost to accommodate the Chinese as Taiwan is already densely populated,'' a Mainland Affairs Council official said, on condition of anonymity. ``Many of them have children and keeping the families apart may be inhuman.''

As an expediency, the council proposed early this year granting the Chinese spouses virtually uninterrupted residency rights after children are born. Under the current system, they could visit Taiwan only once a year, for no more than six months.

The proposal has yet to be approved by the legislature.