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