In response to the recent discussion regarding work permit laws: One important issue for many foreigners in Taiwan that has yet to be mentioned is "the work rights of foreign spouses."
According to Article 48 of the Employment Services Act (ESA;
At the same time it must be pointed out that the Council of Labor Affairs is the central government agency in charge of work permit matters, and in overseeing the implementation of the ESA.
The original intent of this "foreign spouse" legislation, according to the comments of legislators and council officials in the original June 2000 public hearing at the Legislative Yuan, was to give foreign spouses work rights which are equivalent to those enjoyed by Taiwanese citizens. The foreign spouse advocacy groups in Taiwan had been pushing for this for several years, since, [according to their logic] "We are making money in order to support a Taiwanese spouse, so why should we be limited in the type of work we can do, or specific terms of employment, or any other restrictions?"
The Legislative Yuan mem-bers finally agreed to this reasoning. Unfortunately, at present, a large number of city and county government agencies do not respect the terms of ESA Article 48 in practice.
A good example is in the situation of private teaching academies [language institutes], kindergartens, toddler schools, or even various types of small companies or shops. Again, according to the ESA, if it is legal for a Taiwanese person to be hired and work there, then according to ESA Article 48, a foreign spouse [with a resident visa based on marriage to a Taiwanese citizen] may also be employed there, and they do not need a work permit. At the same time, the "foreign spouse" may also have multiple jobs, whether full or part-time.
I have consistently heard stories over the past few years of local city and county government agencies requiring foreign spouses to obtain work permits in order to work in education or other fields, and have also heard that labor insurance could not be applied for or other government paperwork could not be processed if a work permit was not received.
City and county government officers have also stated that certain categories of work are "off limits" to foreign spouses. Naturally, the majority of local employers are not eager to argue with city and county government agencies, and so this state of affairs continues to exist.
To my knowledge, in the last few years there have been many foreign spouses who have left Taiwan with their families precisely because of this reason, ie, they were unable to obtain "unrestricted work rights" from local city and county government agencies, and hence had a hard time making enough money to support their families.
However, as stated above, the council is the central government agency in charge of work permit matters. If the ESA says that "foreign spouses" do not need a work permit, then they don't need a work permit, and local government agencies have no authority to say otherwise.
If possible, I would hope that the Taipei Times could clarify this matter for the benefit of its readers.
I would also hope that the council would issue the appropriate instructions to all local government agencies to educate them on the content of ESA Article 48.
Name provided
Taipei
Having the title doctor or the letters PhD after your name carries the connotation of having broad knowledge. In reality, while people with doctoral degrees often possess highly specialized expertise and might be held in high esteem among their peers, they are likely virtually unknown to the general public. In Taiwan, people with doctorates are common, while probably fewer than one out of 100 of them could truly make a name for themselves. Of course, there are exceptions. Those who gain media exposure can easily become well-known, especially if they are involved in politics. However, many fail to live up to
Over the past few years, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a visible change in the EU’s approach to Taiwan. I call this phenomenon European hype about Taiwan. The change is noticeable at both the EU and member-state levels, with parliaments and Central Europe leading the way. The best example is the fact that Taiwan is finally mentioned in various EU documents (a real novelty compared with the past 30 years), in addition to statements by European politicians, an increase in bilateral contacts, a growing awareness of Taiwan’s importance and its contribution not only to European prosperity, but
Recent Taiwan-focused literature in the Philippines has mostly been about the risks to the 150,000 Filipino workers based in the country and Manila’s possible military entanglement in a Taiwan contingency due to the Philippines’ mutual defense pact with the US. While these geopolitical quandaries are consequential, due regard should also be given to how relations developed between the Philippines and Taiwan, especially after then-president Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration initiated the New Southbound Policy in September 2016. The regional policy’s rationale is similar to South Korea’s New Southern Policy, launched in 2017, which aims to hedge against overdependence on China and develop
The Chinese government’s sensitivity toward the Dalai Lama is a complex issue rooted in historical, political and cultural factors. Understanding this sensitivity requires delving into the intricate relationship between China and Tibet, as well as the broader implications of the Dalai Lama’s influence. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule. Since then, he has lived in exile in India, continuing to advocate for the rights and autonomy of the Tibetan people. Despite his public stance of seeking genuine autonomy rather than full independence for Tibet, the Chinese government