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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 :

Answer: 
For additional information, visit the “Special page on keeping foreign mid-level technical workers for long-term employment” at the website of the Ministry of Labor. The website: https://gov.tw/4z4

  • Release date :2023/03/22
  • Update date :2023/03/22

Detail :

Answer: 

1. Login the labor development digital service platform, register for membership, and view the online training programs. 
2. On completion of all the chapters and sections of the online training program, with learning hours at 80% or more of the total learning hours in accumulation, the foreigners could obtain the certificate of learning hours on the program. 

  • Release date :2023/03/22
  • Update date :2023/03/22

Detail :

Answer: 

1. If you have the need for obtaining proof of learning hours, you must register for membership in the first place before proceeding to viewing the content for tracking your learning hours. 
2. Steps for login the labor development digital service platform: enter the labor development digital service platform →click the top of the page for login: 
3. For members of Taiwanjobs: login directly and you can start view the content for learning. Not a member of Taiwanjobs: register for membership of Taiwanjobs in the first place, and login to start viewing for learning. 

  • Release date :2023/03/22
  • Update date :2023/03/22

Detail :

The focus will be on manufacturing industry key points with priority given to producing versions in multiple languages

  • Release date :2023/05/26
  • Update date :2023/10/30

Detail :

Answer: 

1.Foreign nationals engaged in industry category intermediate skilled work can login as a member of the labor development digital services platform or through the Foreign National Labor Rights Portal. Click “Personal information protection and learning records” / “My learning record” to obtain a certificate of completed course hours (click “Learning hours certification”)
2. For the engagement of foreigners in mid-level home nursing care work, click to select the [digital learning certificate of completion print put] at the cross-boundary labor right protection website /foreign home nursing care worker supplementary training zone, to obtain the certificate of supplementary training in digital learning.

  • Release date :2023/03/22
  • Update date :2025/10/15

Detail :

The training programs for “strategic industries” recognized by the Ministry of Labor will be announced in the second half of May each year. 
 

  • Release date :2023/03/22
  • Update date :2023/03/28

Detail :

Answer: 
Registration can be made directly through the liaison window of the training organization or the “Retention of Foreign Intermediate Skilled Workforce Program Page” at the Ministry of Labor website: https://fw.wda.gov.tw/wda-employer/home/mid-foreign-labor/index/2c95efb3804b1bea01804b3dcaef00b4?locale=zh

  • Release date :2023/03/23
  • Update date :2024/03/26

Detail :

Answer: 
Yes.Trainees whose attendance is 80% or higher, and satisfy the condition for completion of training of the training organization, will be issued the certificate of completion after the conclusion of training. 

  • Release date :2023/03/23
  • Update date :2023/03/23

Detail :

(1) The Ministry of Labor will invite the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Science and Technology, Construction and Planning Agency, Public Construction Commission and related competent authorities for target industries to conduct an inventory of industry needs and plan more courses or translate subject examination questions in certification categories foreign workers are more likely to sign up to sit exams. In the future, test processes will be refined to better enable employers to apply for foreign workers to be re-designated intermediate skilled workers.
(2) The industry talent investment program and industry upgrading and transformation related courses work with private sector training agencies (including industry groups, union groups, institutions of higher learning, and training agencies) to jointly establish training courses. If an employer has a recommendation regarding a program it can be submitted to the training agency as agencies submit proposals and applications in February or October.

  • Release date :2023/05/26
  • Update date :2023/10/30

Detail :

The foreign worker and employer come to an agreement as to how such costs will be covered

  • Release date :2023/05/26
  • Update date :2023/10/30

Detail :

Answer:
Employers can access the “Foreign Worker Searching System” at https://labor.wda.gov.tw/labweb/ to ascertain how many days the foreign workers they hire have worked in Taiwan, which facilitates applications for re-designation as an intermediate skilled foreign worker.
 

  • Release date :2023/05/26
  • Update date :2023/10/30

Detail :

Yes. Based on the discretionary standards of the foreign worker life care service plan employers are required to take out accident insurance for the intermediate skilled live-in foreign care workers they hire

  • Release date :2023/05/26
  • Update date :2023/10/30

Detail :

Answer:
No. White collar (professional) foreign workers are classified as Category I foreign workers in the Employment Service Act and currently white-collar foreign workers cannot be re-designated intermediate skilled workers in Taiwan.

  • Release date :2023/05/26
  • Update date :2023/10/30

Detail :

Answer: 
According to Article 5 of the Items and Standard of Billing for Private Placement Service Institutions, profit-making placement service institutions may charge for registration fee and finder free from foreigners in rendering placement service of works under subparagraph 11 of paragraph 1 under Article 46 of the Employment Service Act entrusted by the foreigners. The total amount of fee charged shall not be more than the salaries of respective foreigners in the first month of employment. Billing is permitted only when registration and placement service has been rendered with proof. In addition, the annual service charge shall not be more than NT$2,000.

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

Detail :

(1) Article 2 of the Standards for Fee-charging Items and Amounts of Private Employment Services Institutions (hereinafter the Fee-charging Standards) details the “registration fee” as the cost of registering to seek work or recruit. The “placement fee” is the cost of matchmaking and bringing together employers and job seekers. Article 3 stipulates that profit-making employment services agencies (hereinafter labor brokerages) commissioned by employers to provide employment services can charge a registration and placement fee, but in total the fees must not be more than the first monthly salary of the foreign worker. Article 5 stipulates that if an employment services agency is commissioned by a foreign worker to provide employment services related to work detailed in Subparagraph 7 to 11, Paragraph 1, Article 46 of the Employment Service Act it can charge a registration and placement fee, but in total the fees must not be more than the first monthly salary of the foreign worker.

(2) As with above, when a labor brokerage charges “employers” who apply to hire intermediate skilled workers or “intermediate skilled foreign workers” registration and placement fees they should do so in accordance with the principle that “fees are only charged for services provided.” When an “employer” or “intermediate skilled foreign worker” commissions a labor brokerage to provide employment services in accordance with Article 3 of the Fee-charging Standards (employers) and Article 5 (intermediate skilled foreign workers), the two sides should agree on a level for registration and placement fees that falls within the upper limit.

  • Release date :2023/05/27
  • Update date :2023/10/30