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.