The Ministry of Labor has published a draft of a point system that will form part of a new procedure for hiring foreign nationals. The ministry says it welcomes input on the system in future discussions.
The labor ministry has been gradually loosening restrictions on hiring foreign talent since 2013. The policy change is meant to help Taiwan cope with an aging population and brain drain. The proposed point system aims to provide employers with an alternative method of evaluating and hiring foreign talent outside of the existing system, which is based only on monthly salary.
The point system will take into account factors including education, work experience, Chinese proficiency, and ability in other languages. Foreign workers’ eligibility for different positions will be determined based on their total scores.
The labor ministry will also simplify the evaluation and hiring process for foreign talents trained or educated in Taiwan. The ministry expects that the move will encourage more overseas students to stay and work in Taiwan.