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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

Introduction to the Long-term Retention of Skilled Foreign Workers Program


To supplement industrial manpower, the Ministry officially implemented the "Long-Term Retention of Skilled Migrant Workers Program" on April 30, 2022. This program applies to industries currently employing migrant workers, including manufacturing, slaughtering, construction, agriculture, and long-term care. Employers can apply to transition experienced 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 personnel, provided they meet the specified wage and technical criteria. Foreign technical personnel face no limit on their years of work in Taiwan, enjoy salary increases, can further refine their skills, and are exempt from paying the Employment Stabilization Fee. Furthermore, after working for another 5 years, they can transition into the permanent residency system.


Foreign technical personnel continue to be covered by Labor Insurance and National Health Insurance. Those working in industries subject to the Labor Standards Act will also be eligible for the old labor retirement pension system upon their retirement in Taiwan. After employers apply to transition migrant workers into foreign technical personnel, they can retain the skilled talents they need based on demand. Once a migrant worker transitions into foreign technical personnel, their original migrant worker quota becomes vacant, allowing the employer to apply to recruit a new migrant worker. This increases the employer's overall foreign workforce and helps alleviate manpower demands.


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.


Press release： https://www.wda.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=7F220D7E656BE749&sms=E9F640ECE968A7E1&s=B55C7B2F38FFE80D

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Detail ：

I. Passing the technical subjects of the examination is required. There are 78 subjects for verification of technical skills in manufacturing with certification of scoring in examination: 
(1) refrigeration and air-conditioning installation and repair; (2) electrical appliances repair and maintenance; (3) casting; (4) furniture wood work; (5) industrial wiring; (6) cold work; (7) running water piping; (8) steel bar; (9) form board; (10) automobile repair and maintenance; (11) thermal treatment; (12) heavy machinery repair and maintenance; (13) industrial electronics; (14) audiovisual electronics; (15) chemicals; (16) boiler operation; (17) transformation installation and repair; (18) industrial panel; (19) power supply wiring; (20) survey and measurement; (21) women clothing; (22) petrochemicals; (23) agricultural machinery repair and maintenance; (24) ceramic-gypsum mold; (25) mobile crane operation; (26) shear leg crane operation; (27) elevator installation and repair; (28) heavy machinery operation; (29) shoe making; (30) power supply cable installation and repair; (31) hydraulic; (32) air pressure; (33) offset printing; (34) food inspection and analysis; (35) meat processing; (36) Chinese rice food processing; (37) Chinese pasta processing; (38) class 1 pressure container operation; (39) panel electronics; (40) electrical electronics; (41) digital electronics; (42) computer software application; (43) computer software design; (44) computer hardware installation and repair; (45) industrial piping; (46) gaseous fuel duct piping; (47) chemical engineering; (48) electronic embroidery; (49) mechanical parking facility installation and repair; (50) aquaculture food processing; (51) powered bike repair and maintenance; (52) computer assisted dimensional drawing; (53) auto body work; (54) special gas equipment installation and repair; (55) communication technology (telecommunication wiring); (56) auto body painting; (57) engineering pumping inspection and repair; (58) power supply equipment inspection;  (59) transforming equipment installation and repair; (60) underground power line installation and repair; (61) elevated power line installation and repair; (62) electromechanical integration; (63) network installation; (64) web page design; (65) aircraft repair and maintenance; (66) milling machine; (67) lathe; (68) molding; (69) mechanical processing; (70) preliminary printing process; (71) screen printing; (72) high air pressure equipment; (73) high air pressure container operation; (74) computer assisted mechanical design drawing; (75) solar photovoltaic installation; (76) bamboo knitting; (77) pottery work; (78) metal forming. 

II. Application for verification of technical skill may be made by conventional application and online (excluding general manual electric welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and semi-automatic electric welding). Information on the process of registration and the timing for different tiers of registration are shown in the brochure for national technician technical skill verification of the year, which is available from download from the technical skill verification center website/verification zone/applicant zone at https://reurl.cc/3jz5gM

III. For participating in the national technician technical skill verification, visit the national technician technical skill verification registration and information on the test subjects: https://skill.tcte.edu.tw 

For additional information on the registration for national technician technical skill verification and related issues, call the national versification service hotline at: 04-22599545 

IV. For information on participating in quick test with instant assessment and issuance of certificate for technical skill verification, visit the following website: https://etest.wdasec.gov.tw/ 

For information on the registration of quick test with instant assessment and issuance of certificate for technical skill verification and questions on verification, call 04-22500710

  • Release date ：2022/06/16
  • Update date ：2022/06/16

Detail ：

I. The items of foreign languages for verification should be inscribed in the physical document for verification in manufacturing: 
(1) General manual electric welding; (2) Fixed crane operation-arm type; (3) Fixed crane operation- overhead type (cockpit operation); (4) Fixed crane operation-overhead type (ground operation); (5) gas tungsten arc welding; (6) Semi-automatic welding; (7) Fork lift truck operation. 

II. Regarding the 5 categories in manufacturing like general manual electric welding (including shear leg crane in fixed crane operation, overhead crane- cockpit operation, overhead crane - ground operation), examination questions on the subjects in foreign languages (including Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai and English languages) will be inscribed in physical documents for assisting in application. 

III. Application for verification of technical skill may be made by conventional application and online (excluding general manual electric welding, gas tungsten arc welding, and semi-automatic electric welding). Information on the process of registration and the timing for different tiers of registration are shown in the brochure for national technician technical skill verification of the year, which is available from download from the technical skill verification center website/verification zone/applicant zone: https://reurl.cc/3jz5gM 

IV. For participating in the national technician technical skill verification, visit the national technician technical skill verification registration and information on the test subjects: https://skill.tcte.edu.tw 

For additional information on the registration for national technician technical skill verification and related issues, call the national versification service hotline at: 04-22599545

V. For information on participating in quick test with instant assessment and issuance of certificate for technical skill verification, visit the following website: https://etest.wdasec.gov.tw/

For information on the registration of quick test with instant assessment and issuance of certificate for technical skill verification and questions on verification, call 04-22500710

  • Release date ：2022/06/16
  • Update date ：2022/06/16