Migrant workers who are close to the maximum 12 or 14 years that they are allowed to stay in Taiwan can now have their employers apply for a one-year extension to their work permit, the Workforce Development Agency said on Tuesday.
The extensions would be available to migrant workers employed in the manufacturing sector, who are currently limited to a maximum of 12 years in Taiwan, and to private home-based migrant caregivers, who are currently limited to 14 years, the Ministry of Labor agency said in a statement.
The move is designed to reduce the risk of cross-border movement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to save resources related to quarantine and testing, the agency said, adding that the policy might be adjusted if the pandemic situation changes.
The worker’s consent must be obtained before an employer can apply to the ministry for an extension, the agency said.
Applications can only be made within 30 days before or after an existing employment permit is to expire, it said.
For example, a private home-based migrant caregiver whose employment permit is to expire on July 15 and who is about to reach a total of 14 years working in Taiwan can have their permit extended to July 15 next year, it said.
There are about 35,320 migrant workers who are eligible for an extension, agency data showed.
There were 666,371 migrant workers in Taiwan as of the end of April, with 446,485 employed in the manufacturing sector and 219,886 in the social welfare sector, ministry statistics showed.
Rights groups have criticized Taiwan’s rules regulating the stay of migrant workers.
The Migrant Empowerment Network in Taiwan, a coalition of civil groups promoting migrant workers’ rights, said that the different rules for how long white-collar and blue-collar foreign workers are allowed to stay in Taiwan are “discriminatory” and “anti-equality.”
There are no caps on how long white-collar foreign workers can remain in Taiwan, but blue-collar foreign workers are only allowed to work in Taiwan for a maximum of 12 to 14 years, the coalition said in a statement on May 8.
Migrant workers are treated as “merely spare and disposable guest workers for employers,” it said.
On April 30, the ministry launched a pathway to permanent residency for migrant workers, with the first step to be reclassified as a “mid-level skilled worker” if they have been employed in a designated field for at least six years and meet certain conditions, such as minimum-wage requirements.
However, the income qualification has drawn criticism, especially from migrant care providers working in private homes, who say their average monthly salary is about NT$17,000 when they need a minimum monthly pay of NT$24,000.
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