The Legislature’s Economics Committee yesterday passed a preliminary review of a draft bill aiming to attract more foreign professionals to work in Taiwan.
The proposal is part of the government’s efforts to solve the “five shortages” of Taiwan’s investment environment, namely of talent, workers, land, water and electricity, National Development Council Minister Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) said.
“Taiwan does not have much foreign talent because of an unhospitable legal environment. We hope this draft can change that, and attract and retain foreign professionals,” Chen told a question-and-answer session at the committee meeting.
The council estimates the bill could increase the number of foreign professionals in Taiwan by 1,800 people per year, Chen said.
The bill would benefit foreign professionals with expertise in the arts or specialist teachers in various fields, well-known international academics or managerial officials, and research and development experts in science, technology, manufacturing and commerce.
However, Chinese nationals are not covered by the draft, while Hong Kongers and Macanese are.
The length of employment for foreign professionals is to be extended from three years to five years. Foreign professionals whose annual income exceeds NT$3 million (US$99,239) would only be taxed on half of their annual income for three years, the proposal said.
Foreign professionals who have permanent residency permits would be able to apply for permanent residence permits for their spouses and children without financial proof if they legally reside in Taiwan for five consecutive years.
Lawmakers also amended the jobseeker visa regulation, cutting the length of the visa from one year to six months.
“A one-year visa is too long. If a foreigner is as good as they claim, they need only a few months to find a job in Taiwan,” Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Yen-hsiu (李彥秀) said.
During the review, the National Development Council dropped a proposed internship visa, saying it would prevent foreigners graduating from universities outside of Taiwan from taking part-time jobs here through the internship visa.
“We understand lawmakers’ concerns over the possibility that some people might manipulate the internship visa to do something else in Taiwan,” Chen said.
However, the one-year internship visa for foreigners graduating from Taiwanese universities is to remain unchanged, she said.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) said foreign interns who have studied in a Taiwanese university would be able to help Taiwanese companies expand into global markets in the long term.
For instance, Hsiao said Indian interns in the Taiwanese firms might become the companies’ overseas employees or local support if the firms are to invest in India in the future.
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