After two months of job-hunting and being accepted to work for a large Taiwan corporation as a technical writer, I was abruptly informed last evening that they won’t be able to hire me because the Workforce Development Agency found that I do not meet the two-year work experience requirement for working in Taiwan as a foreigner. Is there any way to contest this or ask for an appeal? Here’s a link to the FAQ: http://www.wda.gov.tw/en/home.jsp?pageno=201111180014&acttype=view&dataserno=201412040003
I lived here in Taipei for three years from 2011-2014, during which time I studied Mandarin and attended a year of university at a Taiwan university. When I got married last summer, I had the option of continuing my studies in Taiwan for a minimum of three years before graduation, or returning to the US where I only had one year remaining. As time was of the essence, I went with the latter option, and returned this summer to find a job. I have worked for a few years doing part-time jobs in the US, but never for more than a year in a stretch. If you know what they’re basing their two-year assessment off of, I’d really like to know. (Do they only count full-time employment after a person has graduated?)
Other information of note: I am fluently multilingual in English, Japanese, and Mandarin. Both my mother and my wife live and work full-time in Taipei. I graduated this year with a degree in mathematics.
I can understand why a country would have these kinds of controls on foreign talent entering the country, but I will be devastated if I have to spend two years apart from my wife and my mother before being able to work in Taiwan.
Yes there is a way to get an exemption. It is quite a bureaucratic process but read this thread about one guy who was successful. forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … ckpacker24
Normally they only count two years related full-time work experience after graduation.
as far as I know, if you have a Master’s degree you are no longer required to have any work experience. If you hold a Bachelor degree they require 2 years, if you have no higher education degree, you need 5 years of relevant experience
Well, they say 2 years work experience. If you have a degree at least 2 years old and also some work experience, you combine. For formality’s sake, I need to inform you that it’s illegal, however it has been done.
If you choose to take this path, which for formality’s sake, I must state is illegal, make sure that none of your paperwork, diplomas, degrees, or stamps in your passport contradicts your 2 years of work experience at a particular place or places.
Shit is that what they call it now? Not the CLA?[/quote]
Before: Bureau of Employment and Vocational Training, under the Council of Labor Affairs
After: Workforce Development Agency, under the Ministry of Labor
[quote=“dondada”]Yes there is a way to get an exemption. It is quite a bureaucratic process but read this thread about one guy who was successful. forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … ckpacker24
Normally they only count two years related full-time work experience after graduation.
Good luck![/quote]
I’m the guy who was successful!
The bureaucratic process isn’t very long, but it is quite difficult to get them to make an exception. From what I’ve seen, the easiest way to get them to make an exception is to be able to speak a foreign language (other than English). The deciding factor in the CLA granting me an exception was my ability to speak Thai. Also, since that time, my company has hired another foreigner who had to go through the same process and also got an exception because he speaks Spanish.
If you speak Japanese, your company should get your company to use this when they apply for your exception (even if you won’t really be using it for work).
You can get an exemption if your employer initiates the Consultation Mechanism and the agencies agree.
There is now a detailed explanation of the process (in Chinese) here. Point your employer to p. 44.
It has not been difficult to get an exemption in the past for the two-year requirement. The last time I check, the WDA approved 31 out of 32 applications for exemptions to the two-year work experience requirement.
It’s also important to know that the employer can also apply for exemptions to the minimum capital/revenue requirement for both regular Taiwanese companies and foreign-invested companies. Approval rates are well over 90%.
The main problem has been lack of information. Foreign employees, employers, and front line case workers at the WDA are all confused about this.
I had to get prove the two-year work experience for my previous job, but that wasn’t hard, tho. All I had to do was to obtain letters from my earlier jobs, which included some part-time as well.
Now, I’m married to a Taiwanese and that isn’t an issue anymore…
P.S.: I found strange that the OP created this topic, but didn’t come back to check on it. It may be helpful for others, still.
“They have initially discussed scrapping the restrictions on two years of work experience, removing the restrictions on the salary threshold and instead respecting market mechanism.”
“They have initially discussed scrapping the restrictions on two years of work experience, removing the restrictions on the salary threshold and instead respecting market mechanism.”
It was about time…[/quote]
That is really interesting timing. Let’s just hope they really follow through with it.
That would make Taiwan among the easiest places in the world to get a work visa!
But they still restrict us long term expats from becoming citizens, and I don’t think that will change for a long time.
They also desperately need to adjust the tax laws or else they’ll never get foreign executive teams setting up here, they would simply pay way too much tax on their income!
That’s a much bigger problem that is blocking investment here.
[quote=“backpacker24”][quote=“Ricarte”]Interestingly, today it was announced that the Taiwan will ease its restrictions on hiring white-collar foreign professionals: http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201511260008.aspx
“They have initially discussed scrapping the restrictions on two years of work experience, removing the restrictions on the salary threshold and instead respecting market mechanism.”
It was about time…[/quote]
That is really interesting timing. Let’s just hope they really follow through with it.[/quote]
I would like to ask if Taiwan government doesn’t issue work permit for this role to anyone except those holding a passport from what it considers to be English-speaking countries, namely, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States ?
I applied for a post with one of the papers and I was told that whose native language is English, but who hail from other countries, like Singapore, are ineligible for work permit.
Can I check if there is any relevant taiwan law to it ?
Does anyone know how much is the minimum salary for Foreign white collars in Taiwan?
I graduated Masters degree here and a company offered me for a job. I will be in charge of
the expansion of the company’s products and services to emerging countries like Philippines.
How much is the tax? The Human Resource personnel in that company is not so clear with
the policies. They offer me only NT$35,000 as they say only few companies are willing
to process for the working visa. I think this is too small.
Does anyone know how much is the minimum salary for Foreign white collars in Taiwan?
I graduated Masters degree here and a company offered me for a job. I will be in charge of
the expansion of the company’s products and services to emerging countries like Philippines.
How much is the tax? The Human Resource personnel in that company is not so clear with
the policies. They offer me only NT$35,000 as they say only few companies are willing
to process for the working visa. I think this is too small.[/quote]
I can’t find a link right now, but if my understanding is correct for foreign white-collar workers, the higher the degree level they possess, the lower the minimum salary requirement. This may seem pretty counterintuitive at first, but the purpose of the minimum salary requirement is NOT to benefit the foreign workers, but rather it is a measure to dissuade companies from hiring foreigners over (cheaper) locals.
In a case where a company wants to hire a foreigner with just a Bachelor’s Degree, there is a high minimum salary of ~47k a month since, from the labor department’s point of view, the foreigner had better possess some special skill set valuable enough to warrant the company paying this premium price, otherwise they had better just hire a local for the job instead and pay something closer to 30k.
If the foreigner has a Master’s degree, on the other hand, then it is already assumed that he is more likely to possess valuable skills and will be not be competing for jobs with as many locals. Therefore, a high minimum salary is not required to dissuade companies from hiring these individuals.
Of course the elephant in the room is that it seems the labor department has assumed that there are hordes of white-collar foreigners scrambling to come to Taiwan and take all the the low-paying, long-hour office jobs from the locals. :roflmao:
[quote=“backpacker24”]I can’t find a link right now, but if my understanding is correct for foreign white-collar workers, the higher the degree level they possess, the lower the minimum salary requirement. This may seem pretty counterintuitive at first, but the purpose of the minimum salary requirement is NOT to benefit the foreign workers, but rather it is a measure to dissuade companies from hiring foreigners over (cheaper) locals.
In a case where a company wants to hire a foreigner with just a Bachelor’s Degree, there is a high minimum salary of ~47k a month since, from the labor department’s point of view, the foreigner had better possess some special skill set valuable enough to warrant the company paying this premium price, otherwise they had better just hire a local for the job instead and pay something closer to 30k.
If the foreigner has a Master’s degree, on the other hand, then it is already assumed that he is more likely to possess valuable skills and will be not be competing for jobs with as many locals. Therefore, a high minimum salary is not required to dissuade companies from hiring these individuals.
Of course the elephant in the room is that it seems the labor department has assumed that there are hordes of white-collar foreigners scrambling to come to Taiwan and take all the the low-paying, long-hour office jobs from the locals. :roflmao:[/quote]
In North America there have been reports in recent years of large companies bringing in Indians under temporary visa schemes, having permanent employees train them to do their jobs, and then forcing those permanent employees out by hook or by crook and of course hiring the Indians as their replacements. It’s not how the visa schemes are supposed to work, but it’s been happening. If they had to pay higher salaries, there would be no incentive.
What’s the total population of the world’s developing countries these days? Or for that matter, how about just Southeast Asia?
Hi guys i came accross this thread because im currently trying to get a working permit as a white collar in one company in taipei… i have a 9 years working experience in the same company but as a blue collar … is it still neede the 2 year requirement for me to be granted a white collar status ? I dont have any working from the country i am from… but im working in taiwan as blue collar since 2008… and my company want to try to apply me for white collar permit… thanks in advance for your inputs it will help me a lot .
They offer me only NT$35,000 as they say only few companies are willing