No work permits required for foreign spouses?

According to a story that just came across my desk this evening, a bill passed its third reading in the legislature today that does away with work permits for foreign spouses altogether. I am very skeptical indeed about this, but the reporter is ADAMANT that his story is entirely correct.
Richard, can you confirm or deny this? If true, it is surely very big news indeed for a great many of us. Have you been keeping something under your hat?

Maybe the reporter meant that they are doing away with the necessity for having a (specific) work permit? That ideally a spouse should be able to work without a permit? Of course I’m being ridiculously naive and optimistic here…

My interest was aroused (or should I say, my bullshit antennae began to wave) when the story said that foreign spouses would not even have to apply for a work permit from the CLA (which would also negate the open work permit thing, wouldn’t it?). I mean, if the various ministries no longer issue work permits, as is the case now, and the CLA also does not issue work permits, as the reporter adamantly claims, then who would? I do know that the measure is of course mainly aimed at making it easier for “foreign brides” to be breadwinners, but a foreign spouse is a foreign spouse, innit?

Does this mean that not even an OWP is necessary? Has our dream of foreign spouse ARC’s that grant automatic work rights finally been realized?

English teachers cleared to work in public schools

2003/4/30
The China Post staff

Legislators yesterday ratified the latest revisions of the Vocational Service Law to allow all public schools and kindergartens to hire foreigners as English teachers. They also passed new rules to make give new conveniences to foreign caregivers and foreign spouses concerning employment.
Under the present regulations, only privately run educational institutes and kindergartens can employ people of foreign nationalities as English teachers.

But the new rules will give equal treatment to state-run schools and kindergartens to hire English teachers from abroad to help improve the standards of the international language.

The Legislative Yuan also adopted several attached resolutions proposed by Diane Lee, People First Party lawmaker and education reform advocate, and several colleagues.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) should give priority to locally-trained English-language teachers while the foreign teachers will mainly provide necessary assistance.

Only the foreigners with adequate qualifications and practical teaching experience can be hired as English teachers to ensure the quality of education.

The number of foreign teachers to be hired must be in accordance with the number of teachers cultivated domestically so that the job opportunities of local people will not be sacrificed.

Lawmaker Hsu Shao-ping of the opposition Kuomintang asked the MOE, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of National Defense to jointly study the feasibility of allowing Taiwan students who went abroad at a young age to fulfill their conscript obligations by teaching English.

The government now allows young boys to receive education in foreign nations. But they still must serve for one year and 10 months in the armed forces if they decide to return and live in Taiwan.

Hsu suggested that these male college students make contributions to the nation by teaching English as alternative military service.

For separate regulations in the same law, the legislators approved new rules to allow foreign caregivers to leave Taiwan for just one day before being rehired by their employers for renewed contracts.

The current rules require a departure of at least 40 days before returning to Taiwan. This has caused inconveniences for both employers and the foreign workers.

Another new rule that cleared the legislature allows foreign spouses of the citizens of the Republic of China to be directly hired by local employers without having to file applications with and getting permission from governing labor agencies.

The new measure effectively cut the administrative red tape for both employers and the foreign spouses. The number of foreign brides married into Taiwan families has continued to rise at a rapid pace in recent years. Those with low-income husbands are most eager to find jobs to help improve family finances.

– excerpted from chinapost.com.tw/i_latestdetail.asp?id=17669

Well according to the China Post article, not unless you’re a foreign mainland chinese bride.

Well according to the China Post article, not unless you’re a foreign mainland Chinese bride.

Heh! I think you need to reread that Amos :slight_smile:

Just to recap: Big continental country with 1.2 billion people, and missiles aimed at small island: People’s Republic of China.
Tiny island with delusions of grandeur: Republic of China.

Good news if it’s true - if we believe the China Post then presumably ‘cleared the legislature’ means that it is already in effect?

Amos, I don’t see any reference in your post to “foreign brides only.” What do you mean? The bill has passed its third and final reading, which means it still needs to be promulgated by the President.

Hey, i’m sorry, I thought I saw, well, my bad. :blush:

I had someone look at some other sources, and so far the story checks out. But I have a hard time believing it. There’s probably a clause in there that says, “But if you’re a Western college-educated male married to a Taiwanese woman, none of this applies.”

Richard Hartzel wrote [quote]As of May 13, 2003, a foreign spouse (married to a Taiwan national) with residency rights based on marriage does not need to apply for a work permit. Period.

That is in Article 48 of the revised Employment Services Act.[/quote]Richard, maybe you should make that a sticky and post it at the top of this thread. It’s pretty important news for a lot of people on this forum.

[quote=“amos”]Richard Hartzel wrote [quote]As of May 13, 2003, a foreign spouse (married to a Taiwan national) with residency rights based on marriage does not need to apply for a work permit. Period.

That is in Article 48 of the revised Employment Services Act.[/quote]Richard, maybe you should make that a sticky and post it at the top of this thread. It’s pretty important news for a lot of people on this forum.[/quote]

I agree, there are at least two separate threads about this topic, and as far as I know, neither one has been visited by Richard.

While you’re at it, maybe the NNFS webpage should be updated.
Also, does that alientw.org page ever get updated?

Richard Hartzel wrote [quote]As of May 13, 2003, a foreign spouse (married to a Taiwan national) with residency rights based on marriage does not need to apply for a work permit. Period.

That is in Article 48 of the revised Employment Services Act.[/quote]

Not only is this law, but it seems to be known about by the relevant government offices. I recently changed jobs, and after some investigation, the HR department of my new company informed me that they had checked, and I did not need a Work Permit. (When I started the process of changing jobs over a month ago, they were planning on applying for a work permit for me - as the news of this law hadn’t yet filtered down to the relevant offices.)

I trust the company has checked properly - it’s a big international company who have a HR dept. who take these things seriously, and it would cause the company (as well as me) trouble if it turned out I didn’t have all the correct paperwork.

So: I have no OWP. I have no company-specific Work Permit. I am currently working in Taiwan. … Oh, and I promise to post a follow-up if I get deported for working illegally here :slight_smile:

[Incidentally, I couldn’t find the other thread talking about this, otherwise i’d have cross-posted]

This information is correct.