Here’s some wonderful news for everyone hoping to work as an OFW in Taiwan.
The Executive Yuan made an announcement last Wednesday, December 2, 2015, that Taiwan has eased on its restrictions pertaining to hiring or retaining foreign professionals, laborers, and students. Premier Mao Chi-kuo approved the Ministry of Labor’s proposal for decreasing the implemented restrictions.
With the new regulations in place, companies who want to hire foreign workers will no longer be required to have a paid-in capital of NT$5 million (or a ballpark figure of US$153,000). Foreigners applying for jobs in Taiwan, on the other hand, will no longer be required to have a 2-year work experience. These changes will soon take effect starting the first month of 2016.
Additionally, if foreign professionals are hired, they are required to have at least NT$47,791 per month as a salary. Those who get lower than that will undergo an evaluation to determine whether they should be allowed to work. Considerations will include that person’s academic record, foreign language fluency as well as professional skills and knowledge. In the individual’s points exceeds 60, then he or she can work in Taiwan, regardless of the salary.
Liu Chia-chun, Workforce Development Agency director, said, “Faced with the exodus of professionals and the shortage of grassroots skilled workers, we hope to ease restrictions to retain good foreign workers.”
Currently, there are at least between 26,000 to 29,000 foreign professionals working in Taiwan each year. Ironically, many foreign workers leave Taiwan for good after working there for 12 years. For the most part, they then look for other opportunities outside of Taiwan such as Japan or South Korea.
With the recent adjustments on the restrictions, it is expected that the numbers of the retained workforce will grow higher in the near future. At least 1,500 foreign workers every year will be retained under the new regulations.