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    Information page on the Retention of Foreign Intermediate Skilled Workforce Program

Information page on the Retention of Foreign Intermediate Skilled Workforce Program

Transnational Technical Workforce Enhancement Program


To further strengthen the retention and recruitment of foreign technical personnel required by industries, the Ministry launched the "Transnational Technical Workforce Enhancement Program" on January 1, 2026. This program encompasses three major measures: "relaxing the ceiling on the retention of foreign technical personnel," "introducing foreign technical personnel for the hospitality and commercial port/wharf cargo handling and warehousing industries," and "enhancing government efficiency."


1. Relaxing the ceiling on the retention of foreign technical personnel: For migrant workers who qualify to transition into foreign technical personnel, employers may now apply to retain all of them, with the allocation ratio relaxed from 25% to 100%.


2. Introducing foreign technical personnel from overseas for specific industries: Employers in the hospitality and commercial port/wharf industries who raise the wages of local workers by NT$2,000 are permitted to recruit and employ foreign technical personnel from overseas who possess specified academic and work experience, language proficiency, and technical skills to work in Taiwan.


3. Enhancing government efficiency: Establishing overseas offices to handle the recruitment, skill testing, and entry assistance for foreign technical personnel, and collaborating with source country governments to jointly promote direct hiring and skills training initiatives.


To optimize workforce deployment and retain outstanding technical talent, the Ministry has promulgated the "Regulations Governing the Qualifications and Working Permits of Foreign Technical Workers," which will take effect on January 1, 2026. Applicable to industries currently employing migrant workers—including manufacturing, slaughtering, construction, agriculture, and long-term care—employers may apply to transition senior migrant workers who have worked in Taiwan for 6 years or more, or overseas Chinese and foreign students who have obtained an associate degree or higher in Taiwan, into foreign technical workers, provided they meet the required salary and technical skill qualifications. Foreign technical workers face no limit on their duration of stay in Taiwan, enjoy higher wages, refine their technical skills, and are exempt from paying employment stability fees. Furthermore, after working for an additional 5 years, they become eligible to transition into the permanent residence system.


Foreign technical workers continue to be covered by Labor Insurance and National Health Insurance. Those in industries covered by the Labor Standards Act are also eligible for the old labor pension scheme upon retirement in Taiwan. After employers successfully transition migrant workers into foreign technical workers, they can retain experienced talent tailored to their operational needs. The original migrant worker quotas freed up by this transition can then be used to apply for new migrant workers, thereby increasing overall foreign manpower and helping alleviate labor shortages.

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Detail ：

The President gave instruction after the convention of the “New Southbound Policy Special Review Conference” on July 9 2021, with the establishment of the “5 Ministers Meeting on  Population Vitalization and Immigration Policy” on August 12 2021 by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Education, Overseas Compatriot Affairs Council and the Ministry of Labor to the invitation of National Development Council. Three task forces have also been established for the advocacy of “Intensification of the Recruitment of Professional Talents from Overseas”, “Intensification of Attracting and Keeping Overseas Compatriot Students and Foreign Students”, and “Study on the Keeping of Foreign Technical Personnel” with relevant actions plans. 
Prospective candidates among the foreign technical personnel include overseas Compatriot students and foreign students who have earned associate bachelor degree and above, and engaged in mid-level technical duties. Foreign workers who are under age 30 and employed under subparagraphs 8-10 of paragraph 1 under Article 46 of the Employment Service Act (hereinafter referred to as “migrant workers”) are encourage to go for the associate bachelor degree. Upon graduation, they may choose to stay in Taiwan for engagement in specialized technical work or mid-level technical work. Migrant workers who have been employed in Taiwan for 6 full years may convert their identity for engagement in mid-level technical work. 
The shortage of mid-level technical workers intensified in Taiwan year after year (in 2021, there was labor shortage of more than 130,000 people). The situation was exacerbated in the competing recruitment and keeping good quality foreign technical workers in neighboring countries. On February 17 2022, the Executive Yuan approved the “Keeping Good Quality Migrant Workers for Long-term Employment Scheme” studied and prepared by the Ministry of Labor, and agreed to unfold the “Keeping Foreign Mid-Level Technical Personnel Scheme” thereby open the opportunity for qualified migrant workers, overseas Compatriot students and foreign students to engage in mid-level technical work in Taiwan while assuring employment opportunity for the local population. There is also no requirement of years of seniority with a view to filling in the labor shortage gap in the shortest possible time by the good quality and well-seasoned foreign technical personnel. 

Attachment ：

•[Open In A New Window ]Full text approved by Executive Yuan in PDF format

  • Release date ：2022/06/14
  • Update date ：2022/06/14