The Ministry of Labor is considering an overhaul of restrictions on the number of years foreign workers can remain in Taiwan, the Chinese-language United Evening News reported on Thursday.
Current regulations divide foreign workers into “white-collar” skilled workers and “blue-collar” workers. While there is no limit to the number of years skilled workers can remain, blue-collar workers are not allowed to stay for more than 12 years and are also required to leave the country temporarily every three years.
The United Evening News report quoted unnamed ministry officials as saying that the requirement for foreign caregivers to leave after 12 years creates problems for their employers because it is hard for their wards to adjust and difficult to find experienced replacements.
Ministry officials said they would like to implement an evaluation system to allow workers with valuable language or other skills to remain longer than 12 years, adding that minimum wage requirements for such workers would be hiked.
Another change mentioned was dropping requirements that the workers leave the nation every three years.
In a press release yesterday, the ministry said that while under current law, time spent as a foreign blue-collar worker does not count toward the years required to apply for citizenship or permanent residence, it would seek to allow foreign blue-collar workers who acquire valuable skills to switch their status to “skilled workers.”
The changes would require approval by the Legislative Yuan and would benefit the about 3,800 foreign blue-collar workers who have been in the nation longer than nine years, but less than 12.
Taiwan International Workers’ Association researcher Wu Jing-ru (吳靜如) welcomed the prospect of allowing further extensions, while calling for the ministry to drop review requirements.
Subjecting extensions to review could be used to intimidate workers who stand up for their rights, she said, reiterating group calls for foreign blue-collar workers to be protected by the Labor Standards Act (勞動基準法), including being granted the right to freely switch employers.
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