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Attracting Global Talent:Streamlining Immigration Policies to Build a Home Away From Home in Taiwan

Updated: Jan 21



In order to tackle the growing need for mid-level technical professionals while retaining foreign talent to support Taiwan's industrial growth, the Ministry of Labor has initiated the Long-term Retention of Skilled Foreign Workers Program. Targeting labor-intensive sectors, this program allows qualified migrants wishing to settle in Taiwan to apply for an extended work permit and is designed to preserve the rights of migrant workers without impacting local employment. As of June 2023, the program has received 13,477 applications, of which 10,703 have been approved, with the majority of applicants being from Indonesia.

As a result of this program and other initiatives, the government has successfully attracted 23,861 professionals from NSP countries to work in Taiwan as of June 2023, 30% of whom come from Malaysia, followed by Indonesia and Vietnam. The talent who choose to stay in Taiwan primarily focus on specialized or technical roles, arts and performance, language instruction, contract work, supervisory roles in Overseas Compatriot or foreign-owned firms, as well as coaching and athletics.

Notably, high-level management talent has also been recruited, with 1,178 Employment Gold Cards - a 4-in-1 card that includes a work permit, residence visa, Alien Resident Certificate, and reentry permit — issued as of June 2023 and 312 cardholders hailing from Singapore.


Source: Office of Trade Negotiations, Executive Yuan. (2023).Attracting Global Talent: Streamlining Immigration Policies to Build a Home Away From Home in Taiwan’, The New Southbound Policy: The Pursuit of Mutual Prosperity, Benefits, Sharing, and Consensus, October 2023, 16 https://www.ey.gov.tw/otn/F0631889C2B547DF/dd70d14d-cf1c-47a8-a452-d08c9bcabef2

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