Cabinet to loosen work-permit rules

Starting Jan. 1, foreigners with a master's degree in specific high-tech or service-related fields will not need work experience to get a work permit, a Cabinet official said yesterday.

Under the plan, all potential applicants will be required to file their application to the Council of Labor Affairs, instead of various government agencies as they do now.

Applicant's university or college must be recognized by the Ministry of Education.

Currently, the Enforcement Rules of the Employment Service Act (就業服務法施行細則) stipulate that, to be eligible for a work permit, foreign employees with a master's degree must have at least one year of experience.

Two years' experience is required if the person holds a bachelor's degree, except for those working in certain fields at science-based parks, in operation headquarters, or research and development centers based in Taiwan, or in 12 designated technological service fields.

No work experience is required for those with a doctorate.

According to a Cabinet official, the change is part of the Cabinet's plan to attract more foreign talent to the country.

"Our goal is to recruit 1,836 professionals from abroad and train more than 13,000 domestic technology professionals by 2005," the official said.

Under the plan, foreign employees with a master's degree specializing in 18 high-tech-related and six service-oriented industries will not need work experience to get a work permit.

The high-tech industries include semi-conductors, biotechnology, electronics, information software or hardware, communications, aeronautics, environmental protection and healthcare.

The service-oriented fields are information software, environmental engineering, environmental protection, pollution prevention, engineering consulting and product design.

To satisfy the educational needs of technology professionals' children, the Cabinet hopes to amend the Private School Law (私立學校法) to allow private primary and secondary schools founded by ROC citizens to offer foreign-language courses or programs that can be attended by both Taiwanese and non-Taiwanese students.

The amendments, if approved by the legislature, will enable private schools to compete with Taiwan-based foreign schools, such as the Taipei American School (TAS), as well as stimulate the educational atmosphere at a time when more Taiwanese people are interested in learning foreign languages, the official said.

The Cabinet began allowing private and public schools to offer foreign-language courses and programs on a trial basis in June this year.

To rectify crowding at TAS, in the Shihlin District, the official said, the Cabinet has negotiated with the Taipei City Government to lease a 4.3-hectare lot on Chiu-tsung Road in the Neihu District for the school to build a second campus.

The school is expected to take one year to build and cost between NT$800 million and NT$1 billion. Once completed, the new campus would accommodate about 800 students.

The Taipei European School, which has campuses in Yangmingshan and Shihlin, will continue to lease the Shihlin campus from the National Property Bureau. While the contract is renewed annually, the Cabinet has agreed to renew it every 20 years as requested by the school, the official said.