Here are the Taiwan statutory updates for 2024
Effective August 26, 2024
Taiwan Eases Employment Rules for Overseas Chinese and Foreign Graduates in Hospitality
To address labor shortages in Taiwan’s hospitality sector, the Ministry of Labor has amended the “Regulations on the Permission and Administration of the Employment of Foreign Workers.” This amendment, effective 26 August 2024, allows qualified hospitality businesses to hire overseas Chinese and foreign graduates from Taiwan universities.
Key Details:
- Employer Eligibility: Eligible employers include:
- Tourist hotels licensed by Taiwan’s Tourism Administration.
- Hotels or homestay facilities with business registration issued by local governments.
- Graduate Eligibility: Eligible graduates include overseas Chinese, foreign, or other ethnic Chinese students who hold an associate’s degree or higher from accredited institutions in Taiwan. These graduates must have completed 80 hours of training in hospitality, either through industry-academia internship programs or technical courses recognised by the Tourism Administration.
- Permissible Job Roles: Graduates may work in hospitality services such as housekeeping, cleaning, reservations, front desk, and restaurant service within the lodging establishment.
- Wage Requirements: First-time hires in hospitality must be paid at least NT$30,000 per month, while rehires must receive at least NT$33,000 per month.
- Employment Permit Validity: Permits for graduates are valid for up to three years. Employers can apply for extensions within four months of expiry or assist employees in transferring to a new employer or role two to four months before expiration.
Source: Lexology
Effective March 1, 2024
Immigration Law Updates
Taiwan’s recent amendments to its immigration laws will take effect on March 1. These changes include:
Visitor visa extensions
Visitor visa holders who were allowed to stay for 60 days or longer and did not receive a “no extension will be granted” remark can now apply to extend their stay for a fee of NT$300. This means that they no longer have to get another visa if they wish to stay for longer. However, the cumulative stay cannot reach more than six months nor could the extended period be longer than the original permitted stay.
Increasing the notification period for foreign nationals to inform the government about changes in their address
Foreign nationals who want to change their living address or switch employers while residing in the country are now afforded a 30-day window to inform government authorities. Previously, they were only given a 15-day timeframe to do so.
Prolonging the deadline for foreign nationals to request an Alien Resident Certificate following their entry date
Individuals entering Taiwan with a resident visa will have a 30-day period to submit their application for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC), an extension from the former 15-day requirement.
Additionally, these foreign nationals may now request an extension of their ARC and residency privileges as early as three months prior to the expiration of their current ARC, an increase from the previous one-month period.
Lengthening specific durations of entry bans
The length of time for which foreign nationals can be prohibited from re-entering Taiwan if they overstay their visa has been extended from a previous cap of three years to a new maximum of seven years.
Additionally, biological children of such foreign nationals, who face entry bans as a consequence of their parents’ illegal work activities or visa overstays, now have the opportunity to request a reduction of their own bans by 50%. To qualify for this lesser penalty, the child must either be a Taiwanese citizen (regardless of household registration status in Taiwan) or a foreign national possessing permanent residency in Taiwan.
Penalty fines increase
Foreign nationals lacking household registration or exceeding their permitted residency duration will incur penalties ranging from NT$10,000 to 50,000, an escalation from the former NT$2,000 to 10,000 fines. The amount is contingent on the overstay length.
Source: National Immigration Agency
