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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 Changes to lift migrant worker retention
Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng speaks at a news conference in Taipei on Tuesday last week. Photo courtesy of the Executive Yuan via CNA
LABOR REGULATIONS: An official said that Taiwan last year had a shortage of about 13,100 intermediate-level workers, prompting the plans to change visa eligibility
By Shelley Shan / Staff reporter
Migrant workers who have worked in Taiwan for six years or more, as well as foreign students who have gained associate degrees from Taiwanese institutions, are soon to be eligible for work visas for medium-skilled technical positions through their employers based on a Ministry of Labor proposal, which advanced at a Cabinet meeting yesterday.
The ministry’s plan is to be implemented in April, the Executive Yuan said.
“According to Premier [Su Tseng-chang, 蘇貞昌], we are giving away well-trained talent to other countries because the current regulations require migrant workers to leave Taiwan after being in the nation for a number of years,” Executive Yuan spokesman Lo Ping-cheng （羅秉成） said.
Under the planned changes, the nation would quickly gain access to about 16,000 additional medium-skilled technical workers to fill vacancies in the manufacturing, construction, fishing and agriculture industries, as well as in nursing homes.
Taiwan had a shortage of about 13,100 medium-skilled workers last year, Workforce Development Agency Director-General Tsai Meng-liang （蔡孟良） said, adding that Japan and Singapore were among the destinations of such workers who left Taiwan.
The planned amendments say that the monthly salary should be at least NT$33,000 for an industral worker, and NT$24,000 to NT$29,000 for caregivers and nursing home employees to obtain a visa, Tsai said.
Applicants must obtain a work license, spend at least 80 hours in training, pass a language proficiency test and complete 20 hours of additional training, Tsai said, adding that workers in the industries who are paid NT$35,000 per month are exempt from the requirements.
Migrant workers and foreign students are eligible for permanent residency under the Immigration Act （入出國及移民法） after working in medium-skilled technical jobs for five years, provided that they earn at least NT$50,500 per month or have a Class-B Technician certificate, he said.
However, firms with a total workforce of 100 or more are limited to a maximum of 25 medium-skilled technicians who are migrants, and the overall number of migrant workers must not exceed 50 percent of the employees in a company, Tsai added.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
