The Executive Yuan yesterday unveiled a “new economy immigration” bill, which seeks to relax regulations on foreign professionals and attract “mid-level” foreign skilled workers.
As immigration laws are only concerned with hiring foreign professionals and migrant workers, the nation has very few mid-level skilled workers from abroad, National Development Council Minister Chen Mei-ling (陳美伶) told a weekly news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei.
There were about 210,000 fewer mid-level foreign workers than were needed last year, with the manufacturing industry experiencing the biggest shortfall, she said, citing government data.
Photo: CNA
According to the bill, the category includes people with credentials to work as technicians or technical assistants, tradespeople, machine operators and personal healthcare professionals, in addition to other occupations to be defined by the government.
Eligible applicants would be required to fulfill at least one of three qualifications: Hold a high-school or equivalent degree, or have graduated from the Overseas Community Affairs Council’s Overseas Youth Vocational Training Workshop; have worked in Taiwan for at least six years as a migrant worker; or fulfill other government-defined criteria that would boost economic development, the bill says.
Salaries paid to such workers must not be lower than the 70th percentile of the average salary in the worker’s profession and applicants must have obtained necessary credentials issued by the central government or other recognized institutions to practice their chosen profession, the bill states.
The bill also proposes relaxing a rule that restricts permanent residency for foreign professionals and mid-level foreign skilled workers by allowing them to obtain permanent residency after they have lived in the nation for an average of at least 183 days per year within five consecutive years — instead of at least 183 days every year for at least five consecutive years.
Mid-level foreign workers’ spouses and children would be eligible to apply for permanent residency once the worker has fulfilled the aforementioned requirement, provided that the worker has passed financial or skill checks, the bill says.
Foreigners with permanent residency would be included in the government’s employment insurance plan, as well as its child-rearing and public kindergarten subsidy programs, it says.
Those who work in the private sector would be protected by the labor insurance system, while those working as public-school teachers would be able to claim their pensions on a monthly basis under the civil servant and teacher insurance system, the draft says.
Mid-level foreign skilled workers are not classified as blue collar or migrant workers, Chen said.
Such workers must be sourced based on the prerequisite that they would not affect the salary levels or employment chances of Taiwanese, she added.
This means that the total number of such workers, as well as the number allowed in each industry, would be subject to a quota, she said.
The bill also seeks to lift restrictions that require foreign employers to possess a certain amount of assets or make a certain amount of revenue, greatly relaxing rules on foreign businesses.
It also includes a rule on “resident investors,” which says that foreigners or overseas Taiwanese who do not have a household registration, but who have been granted residency due to the amount of their investments, could apply for permanent residency.
If passed, the act would integrate rules on immigrant investors and permanent residents, demonstrating the government’s resolve to strengthen the nation’s workforce and to synchronize it with the rest of the world, National Development Council Deputy Minister Kao Shien-quey (高仙桂) said.
Conflict with Taiwan could leave China with “massive economic disruption, catastrophic military losses, significant social unrest, and devastating sanctions,” a US think tank said in a report released on Monday. The German Marshall Fund released a report titled If China Attacks Taiwan: The Consequences for China of “Minor Conflict” and “Major War” Scenarios. The report details the “massive” economic, military, social and international costs to China in the event of a minor conflict or major war with Taiwan, estimating that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) could sustain losses of more than half of its active-duty ground forces, including 100,000 troops. Understanding Chinese
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said it is closely monitoring developments in Venezuela, and would continue to cooperate with democratic allies and work together for regional and global security, stability, and prosperity. The remarks came after the US on Saturday launched a series of airstrikes in Venezuela and kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was later flown to New York along with his wife. The pair face US charges related to drug trafficking and alleged cooperation with gangs designated as terrorist organizations. Maduro has denied the allegations. The ministry said that it is closely monitoring the political and economic situation
UNRELENTING: China attempted cyberattacks on Taiwan’s critical infrastructure 2.63 million times per day last year, up from 1.23 million in 2023, the NSB said China’s cyberarmy has long engaged in cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure, employing diverse and evolving tactics, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said yesterday, adding that cyberattacks on critical energy infrastructure last year increased 10-fold compared with the previous year. The NSB yesterday released a report titled Analysis on China’s Cyber Threats to Taiwan’s Critical Infrastructure in 2025, outlining the number of cyberattacks, major tactics and hacker groups. Taiwan’s national intelligence community identified a large number of cybersecurity incidents last year, the bureau said in a statement. China’s cyberarmy last year launched an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts per day targeting Taiwan’s critical
‘SLICING METHOD’: In the event of a blockade, the China Coast Guard would intercept Taiwanese ships while its navy would seek to deter foreign intervention China’s military drills around Taiwan this week signaled potential strategies to cut the nation off from energy supplies and foreign military assistance, a US think tank report said. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) conducted what it called “Justice Mission 2025” exercises from Monday to Tuesday in five maritime zones and airspace around Taiwan, calling them a warning to “Taiwanese independence” forces. In a report released on Wednesday, the Institute for the Study of War said the exercises effectively simulated blocking shipping routes to major port cities, including Kaohsiung, Keelung and Hualien. Taiwan would be highly vulnerable under such a blockade, because it
RSS