Exciting Update for International Graduates in Taiwan!
Starting January 1, 2026, Taiwan is introducing key changes to support international graduates seeking work after graduation. Under the amended Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法, Article 12):
Graduates can work part-time or full-time during their extended stay without a separate work permit from the Ministry of Labor.
Eligible graduates can apply for a job-seeking extension of up to 2 years (renewable once).
Employers benefit from a simplified hiring process, promoting talent development and retention.
This amendment removes barriers and allows graduates to gain valuable work experience seamlessly, while also making Taiwan an even more attractive destination for international talent.
Read the official amendment here: National Law and Regulations Database : Article 12 (第十二條) – Work Permit Exemption for Recent Graduates
Under the amended Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals, foreigners who have obtained an associate degree or higher from a Taiwanese university and are in Taiwan as recent graduates with a permit to extend their stay for job seeking are allowed to work in Taiwan during the permitted extended residence period without applying for a separate work permit
I heard that you would need to apply for job seeking extension , basically what you get if u quit ur job or if u graduate and want to find one. I would suggest to check with immigration first before any changes. Other types like work -ARC still needs work permit .
To add to my previous post: I recently found out that I will be laid off soon as part of a company restructuring. During this process, I contacted the immigration office and Talent Taiwan to clarify whether certain policies would apply to me.
Even though I graduated in June 2025 and recently switched to a work ARC, these policies do not apply in my case. They only apply when changing directly from a student ARC to a job-seeking ARC extension. Additionally, there is an option for graduates from universities ranked in the QS Top 200—but in Taiwan, only NTU, NYCU, and Tsing Hua qualify.
This means that for people like me, the only option is a 1-year job-seeking extension (consisting of two 6-month periods) during which we cannot work, despite being recent graduates.
A few more nuances regarding APRC (permanent residency):
The 2-year job-seeking period with an open work permit from a student ARC does not count toward APRC.
However, the 1-year period after working (switching from work ARC to job-seeking ARC without an open work permit) does count.
This should be made more clear in the new regulations. I hear this for the first time.
This can be bad news for people aiming for APRC and not knowing.
Like what’s the reasoning for this? We want the educated students stay and work in Taiwan after graduating, but we will make it harder for them to stay permanently??? @fifieldt
Honestly I find this just as wierd, its like they remove some barrier but makes other worse and its not talked about enough. I just wish the law was clearer so people dont get stuck in this situation.
My understanding is a student ARC or extension of the student ARC hasn’t counted towards APRC for quite a long time. Since there is now the open-work permit aspect it just needs to be decided if a graduated student would benefit from that or if they want to pursue APRC quicker and move to a foreign professional based ARC. Graduating can deduct the time needed towards being eligible APRC.
