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MAC reviews employment rules for Chinese spouses

The Mainland Affairs Council could ease its restrictions on Chinese spouses of Taiwanese seeking jobs in Taiwan, an official said yesterday.

Under existing regulations, Chinese spouses are prohibited from obtaining a job in the first two years following their arrival or marriage, during which period they can only come to Taiwan for short stays.

From the third year, spouses who meet certain qualifications -- including those in low-income families, who are physically or mentally challenged, seriously ill or injured, or who have been victims of domestic violence -- can apply for work permits.

Spouses who fail to meet any of the these qualifications must wait until they are allowed to reside in Taiwan permanently -- usually four years after a marriage -- to obtain the right to work.

Quoting council statistics, the official said that approximately 60 percent of Chinese spouses had received permission to work in Taiwan two years after their marriage, but the remaining 40 percent have either been denied work permits for failing to meet the requirements or never applied for work permits in the first place.

The official said the council had commissioned academics late last year to study the feasibility of amending the regulations so thatChinese spouses can seek employment in Taiwan two years after their marriage, without any additional conditions.

Earlier this month, the council also invited officials from the Council of Labor Affairs, the Council for Economic Planning and Development, the Ministry of the Interior's Population Administration Department and the National Immigration Agency to exchange their views on the matter.

The topics discussed at the meeting included the possible impact of the amendment on immigration policy and the job market as well as resources the government would need to provide vocational training and employment services, the official said.

The council is expected to finalize its impact assessment in the near future, the official said, whereupon its findings will be submitted to the Executive Yuan for approval.
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