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


In order to supplement the industry workforce on April 30, 2022, the Ministry of Labor officially implemented the “Long-term Retention of Skilled Foreign Workers Program.” This applies to industries that already hire foreign workers, including manufacturing industry, slaughterhouse industry, construction industry, the agriculture and long-term care sector, allowing the retention of 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 from an educational institution in Taiwan, who meet salary condition eligibility and the required skill level, with employers applying for them to be re-designated intermediate skilled foreign workers. There is no limit to the number of years an intermediate skilled foreign workers can work in Taiwan, they receive a higher salary, have a more advanced skill level and are not required to pay an employment security fee. After working for a further five years, such individuals can also apply for permanent residency.


Intermediate skilled foreign workers continue to receive labor and health insurance protections and if in the future industry category intermediate skilled foreign workers to whom the provisions of the Labor Standards Act apply retire in Taiwan the old labor pension system applies. After an employer applies for a foreign worker to be re-designated an intermediate skilled worker, permission will be given to retain the needed number of personnel with the requisite skill level. In addition, the employer is also permitted to apply to recruit the same number of new foreign workers as the number of original foreign workers re-designated intermediate skilled foreign workers. As such, the increase in the number of foreign workers hired by an employer also helps to alleviate employment needs.


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

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Detail :

Answer: 
Yes. A relevant professional license, training course certificate or practical accreditation are required as a qualification. However, this technical requirement is waived if the monthly regular salary of an industry category worker is NT$35,000 or more; the monthly regular salary of an institutional care worker is NT$31,000 or more; the total monthly salary of a live-in care worker is NT$26,000 or more.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/03/25

Detail :

Answer: 
1. Foreign nationals engaged in industry category intermediate skilled work including ocean fishing work, manufacturing work, construction work, outreach agriculture work and agriculture work (including agriculture and food, forestry, animal husbandry, aquaculture and fisheries work) and slaughterhouse work shall comply with one of the conditions requiring a professional license, training course certificate or practical accreditation. If the regular salary is NT$35,000 or more, this technical requirement is waived.
2. Intermediate skilled social welfare work engaged in by foreign workers includes institutional care work and live-in care work, and requires practitioners to have the following qualifications:
(1) Must pass Chinese language proficiency certification in Taiwan (including (1) “basic level” or higher mandarin Chinese listening comprehension and spoken language, or “basic level” or higher Hoklo listening comprehension and spoken language; (2) 36 hours or more of Mandarin Chinese language training and have a course completion certificate or (3) An intermediate skilled worker language expression self-assessment completed by an employer. 
(2) Completion of 20 hours training (continuing education, supplementary training or training classes registered on the National Disabled Welfare Information Integrated Website).
3. These technical skill requirements are waived when the monthly regular salary of an institutional care worker is NT$31,000 or more and the total monthly salary of a live-in care worker is NT$26,000 or more.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2024/03/25

Detail :

Answer: 

Pass any of the technician technical skill verification: (1) general manual electric welding; (2) fixed crane operation -shear leg crane; (3) fixed crane operation -overhead (cockpit operation); (4) fixed crane operation - overhead (ground operation); (5) gas tungsten arc welding; (6) semi-automatic electric welding; (7) fork lift truck operation. 
Pass any of the technical subjects in the examination for the verification of technician technical skill:  (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.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/03/25

Detail :

Answer:
Foreign workers engaged in intermediate skilled slaughterhouse work must have a professional license, training program certificate or practical accreditation as detailed below, though these technical skill requirements are waived if the monthly regular salary is NT$35,000 or more:
(1) Professional license: Individuals who are members of a meat health and system control group at a workplace certified as passing Ministry of Agriculture Slaughterhouse Meat Product Health and Safety Control System certification and have a certificate to verify that status.
(2) Training program: Individuals who have attended 80 hours or more of Ministry of Agriculture approved management related training classes and obtained a program completion certificate or attended 80 hours or more of a technical training program organized by an employer and obtained a program completion certificate or affidavit. In addition, a foreign worker must have worked for the employer for a minimum of three years prior to an application.
(3) Practical accreditation: In accordance with practical accreditation regulations drafted by the Ministry of Agriculture, when applying to the ministry for practical accreditation an employer can submit written evidence and practical video evidence.
 

  • Release date :2023/03/25
  • Update date :2023/11/28

Detail :

Answer: 

Obtain the certificate of service of construction site supervisor, public work quality management engineer certificate of completion, occupational safety manager certificate of completion, or occupational safety and health management staff certificate of completion. 
Passing any of the following technical kill verification: (1) general manual electric welding; (2) semi-automatic electric welding; (3) gas tungsten arc welding; (4) survey and measurement; (5) construction and decoration; (6) steel bar; (7) form board; (8) concrete cement; (9) gardening and landscaping; (10) horticulture; (11) construction waterproof; (12) plaster work; (13) furniture and wood work; (14) door and window wood work; (15) architectural engineering management; (16) building interior design; (17) building interior decoration engineering management; (18) renovation wood work; (19) construction engineering management; (20) earth anchor; (21) steel scaffold; (22) metallic partition wall; (23) construction drawing application; (24) fixed crane operation; (25) mobile crane operation; (26) heavy machinery operation; (27) sewage work and maintenance; (28) fork lift truck operation; (29) occupational safety management; (30) occupational health management; (31) occupational safety and health management.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/03/14

Detail :

(1) Individuals engaged in intermediate skilled agricultural work in the field of agriculture and food, are required to pass the Agriculture and Food Industry Technical Conditions Examination and obtain a certificate issued by the Ministry of Agriculture or local agricultural competent authority
(2) Individuals engaged in intermediate skilled agricultural work in the field of outreach agricultural, are required to pass the Agriculture Technical Conditions Examination and obtain a certificate issued by the Ministry of Agriculture or local agricultural competent authority
(3) Currently there is no recognized certification for individuals engaged in intermediate skilled agricultural work in the fields of forestry, animal husbandry, aquaculture and fisheries.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/11/28

Detail :

There is no such limitation. Foreigners who meet the requirements of the skill verification for professional licensing under Annex 13 of the Review Standard, passed the examination, and obtained the technician certificate. For the mid-level technical work in the industrial sector just need to pass the skill examination in the 78 items designated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (such as appliance repair and maintenance).

  • Release date :2022/07/11
  • Update date :2023/03/15

Detail :

Answer: 
1. Industrial upgrading and transformation related expert knowledge and technical training programs offered by universities and colleges, including “Physics, chemistry and earth science,” “mathematics and statistics,” “information communication technology,” “engineering and engineering industry” and “manufacturing and processing.” For information on related subjects and departments, visit the information website for universities and colleges of the Ministry of Education (https://ulist.moe.gov.tw/Query/Discipline).
2. Information on industrial upgrading and transformation related expert knowledge and technical training programs offered by Industrial Development Bureau, Ministry of Economic Affairs, is available at the Industrial Development Bureau technical personnel training global information website (website: https://idbtrain.stpi.narl.org.tw). 


3. Industrial upgrading and transformation related expert knowledge and technical training programs organized by the Workforce Development Agency, the Ministry of Labor (website: https://gov.tw/Xht).
4. Programs related to “manufacturing,” “information technology” and “science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” under the competency-based quality accreditation program (iCAP) organized by the Workforce Development Agency, Ministry of Labor (website: https://gov.tw/Z9M).
5. Digital learning programs organized on the Workforce Development Digital Services Platform, Workforce 

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/03/25

Detail :

Answer:
If a foreign worker has worked for the same employer for three years or more, that employer can provide an affidavit that the worker has attended an accumulated 80 hours or more of employer-organized expert knowledge and technical training classes which can be used as evidence of attending intermediate skill training classes. Answer:
If a foreign worker has worked for the same employer for three years or more, that employer can provide an affidavit that the worker has attended an accumulated 80 hours or more of employer-organized expert knowledge and technical training classes which can be used as evidence of attending intermediate skill training classes. 

  • Release date :2023/03/25
  • Update date :2023/03/25

Detail :

Answer: 
The recognition of practical mid-level technical work in the industry will be carried out by the central competent authority administering the function, or the authorized groups. The Ministry of Labor will review on the basis of the letter of proof of practical work issued by the central competent authority administering the function, or the authorized groups.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/03/15

Detail :

The language competency required for social welfare category intermediate skilled work must conform to one of the following qualifications:

(1) Must attain “basic level” or higher spoken language or listening comprehension in the Ministry of Education’s Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) test or “basic level” or higher Hoklo language proficiency certification (spoken language and listening comprehension).
(2) Must attend 36 hours or more of classes and obtain a course competition certificate from a Mandarin Chinese language proficiency training program organized by an educational institution that enrolls students from overseas to study Chinese and is commissioned by a special municipality or county (city) government or authorized by the Ministry of Education. 
(3) When a foreign worker has been hired to engage in institutional care work or live-in care work by the same employer for three years or more and the employer self-assesses the spoken language ability of the worker to meet the declared standard of the Central Competent Authority, namely that the worker meets the required standards in five out of six assessment items for spoken language expression.

In addition, the training program and language competency requirements can be waived when a foreign worker hired to engage in intermediate skilled institutional care work receives a regular monthly salary of NT$31,000 or more, or a foreign worker hired to engage in intermediate skilled live-in care work receives a total monthly salary of NT$26,000 or more."
 

  • Release date :2023/03/25
  • Update date :2023/03/29

Detail :

Answer: 
Overseas Chinese and foreign students who have earned an associate bachelor’s degree or higher in a long-term care related discipline or have completed a long-term care service personnel training program announced by the Central Competent Authority at an associate bachelor degree level or higher or obtained a long-term care service technician certificate will be considered to have completed an intermediate skilled institutional care worker training course.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/11/28

Detail :

Answer:
Must have completed one of the following training programs:
1. A minimum of 20 hours continued education classes each year pursuant to the provisions of Article 21 of the Long-Term Care Services Personnel Training Certification, Continued Education and Registration Measures, 
2. Designated life service personnel (including foreign workers) must receive a minimum of 20 hours on-the-job training in the provision of welfare services to people with disabilities every year registered on the National Disabled Welfare Information Integrated Website pursuant to the provisions of Paragraph 1, Article 18 of the Regulations on Selection and Training of Professional Workers Providing Welfare Services for People with Disabilities. The Ministry of Health and Welfare determines the content and scope of on-the-job training.

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2024/03/25

Detail :

Answer: 
According to the Regulations Governing Supplementary Training for Foreigners Engaged in Home Nursing Care Work, supplementary training programs cover physical care service, daily care service, home making service, cultural adaption, communication skill, daily life conversation, workplace safety, prevention of injury, concept for protection of the handicapped, and protection of other rights, and other training programs related to the caring service for the handicapped. 

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/03/30

Detail :

Answer: 
(1) Supplementary training includes a physical environment (centralized training, home training) training program and a digital training program. For additional information on the content of the programs and the training organizations, visit the “Dedicated page on the long-term retention of intermediate skilled foreign workers program” at the Ministry of Labor website: https://gov.tw/4z4.
(2) In addition, when a foreign worker registers and logs into TaiwanJobs as a member from the supplementary training section of the MOL’s Foreign National Labor Rights Portal, links to the Workforce Development Agency digital services platform, or undertakes 20 hours or more of digital learning from the supplementary training section of the MOL’s Foreign National Labor Rights Portal and obtains a course completion certificate, that can also be used as proof of attending a training program for intermediate skilled live-in foreign care work. For the operational handbook please reference (website: https://gov.tw/A7q)
 

  • Release date :2022/06/28
  • Update date :2023/11/28