The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Thursday said that it plans to eliminate its quota limit and points system to allow more foreign and overseas compatriot students to stay and work in Taiwan after graduation.
In a special report submitted to the Legislative Yuan’s Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, the ministry said that it intends to review and amend regulations to eliminate the quota limit and evaluation points system for foreign and overseas compatriot students.
It is also deliberating introducing a specific work permit for the students, it added.
Photo: Lee Ching-hui, Taipei Times
Su Yu-kuo (蘇裕國), head of the Cross-Border Workforce Management Division within the ministry’s Workforce Development Agency said that under the current system, individuals have to be employed in one of 15 designated specialized occupations, and must also accumulate at least 70 points across eight criteria before their inclusion in the quota system would be considered.
The ministry established the points system in 2014. The evaluation criteria include educational background, salary, work experience and proficiency in Mandarin.
Employers also need to have capital of at least NT$5 million (US$153,563) or annual revenue of NT$10 million or above to meet the standard.
Su said that due to demographic changes, labor shortages and gaps in different industries, the Taiwan Confederation of Trade Unions previously recommended prioritizing the retention of foreign and overseas compatriot students.
However, neither the Employment Service Act (就業服務法) nor Article 51 of the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) specify foreign and overseas compatriot students in its work permit system.
Su added that the current system of increasing the quota every year is not effective given there are about 12,000 foreign and overseas compatriot students graduating annually.
Discussions are to be held with the National Development Council, Ministry of Education, Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC), and others regarding eliminating the quota adjustment, Su said.
Eliminating quota restrictions would provide foreign and overseas compatriot students with greater assurance during their studies and increase their inclination to remain and work in Taiwan, he added.
On the OCAC Web site, the term “overseas compatriot student” is defined as a student of Chinese/Taiwanese descent who has come to Taiwan to study, who was born and raised overseas, or who has been living overseas for six or more consecutive years and obtained permanent or long-term residency status overseas.
The term “overseas” refers to countries or regions other than Taiwan, China, Macau and Hong Kong, it says.
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