Knowledge Zone

Why do companies need to understand foreign professional talent hiring systems?

With the advancement of the New Southbound Policy, an increasing number of Taiwanese companies are interested in recruiting professionals from Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Whether it's technology research and development, international business, language teaching, or multinational management positions, there are clear regulations and procedures for legally hiring foreign professionals.

This article summarizes the application steps and precautions that enterprises need to know to help you successfully recruit talent.

I. Legal Basis

Taiwanese companies primarily adhere to the following regulations when hiring foreign professionals:

• Article 46 of the Employment Services Law stipulates the categories of work that employers may hire foreigners for, including specialized or technical jobs, investment management positions, school teachers, sports coaches, etc.
• The Foreign Professionals Recruitment and Employment Act provides more flexible work permits, residency and social security systems for foreign professionals, specific professionals and senior professionals.
• "Regulations on the Permit and Management of Employers Hiring Foreigners" : Standardizes application documents, review procedures and management matters.

II. Job Categories for Foreign Professionals

According to Article 46 of the Employment Services Act, companies may employ foreigners to perform the following jobs:

III. Hiring Process (Company Side)

The standard procedure for companies to hire foreign professionals is as follows:

Step 1: Confirm whether the job opening meets the hiring qualifications.

Examine whether the position to be hired falls under the job categories listed in Article 46 of the Employment Services Act to confirm that the position does indeed require foreign professionals.

Step 2: Register for domestic talent recruitment

According to regulations, applicants must register their domestic recruitment with a public employment service agency and publish reasonable employment conditions for at least 21 days. If they are unable to recruit domestic talent with reasonable conditions, they must obtain a "Recruitment Certificate".

※ Some categories are exempt from domestic talent recruitment, such as holders of employment gold cards and specific professional talents.

Step 3: Prepare all application documents

When applying for a work permit from the Workforce Development Agency of the Ministry of Labor, the required documents include:

• application
• Company registration certificate or business registration certificate
• Person in charge's identity document
• Certificate of Recruitment (Applicable Categories)
• List of domestic workers employed (applicable categories)
• Certificates of payment for labor retirement reserve fund, retirement pension and wage arrears compensation fund
• Foreigner's academic credentials
• Employment Contract

Step 4: Submit your application and wait for review.

Applications submitted through the Ministry of Labor's " Foreigners Working in Taiwan Service Network " online application system take approximately 15 to 30 working days to be reviewed.

Step 5: After obtaining the work permit, assist foreign talents in obtaining visas and residency permits.

Foreign talents should apply for a work visa at the overseas embassy or consulate with their work permit letter, and then apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) at the Immigration Agency after entering the country.

IV. Employment Gold Card

The Employment Gold Card is a document that combines four documents into one: work permit, residence visa, alien residence permit, and re-entry permit. It is valid for 1 to 3 years.

Target audience: Foreign professionals with special expertise in fields such as science and technology, economics, education, culture and arts, sports, finance, law, architectural design, and national defense.

• No need to have an employer first; you can freely seek employment and change jobs.
• Apply online and avoid visiting multiple government agencies.
• Spouses can be dependent on their spouses and work freely.
• An extension can be applied for 4 months before the expiry date.

V. Key Points of Legislative Amendments in 2025

• Relaxing educational requirements : Graduates from the world's top 1,000 universities are exempt from the 2-year work experience requirement when applying for jobs in Taiwan.
• Open to individual work permits : The first 200 university graduates can apply for work permits themselves (without employer assistance).
• Spouse's right to work : Spouses of certain professionals and senior professionals are free to work during their dependent period.

VI. Precautions

1. Salary threshold : The average monthly salary for professionals is approximately NT$47,971 or more.
2. Application deadline : It is recommended to submit the application 2 to 3 months before the expected start date.
3. Document verification : If a foreigner's academic credentials or work experience documents are in a foreign language, they must be verified or notarized by the overseas embassy or consulate.
4. Legal Employment Obligation : Employing foreigners without permission is punishable by a fine of NT$150,000 to NT$750,000 under the Employment Service Act.

The content of this article is based on the current laws and regulations of the Republic of China. The actual application shall be subject to the latest announcement of the competent authority.

※ Information Timeliness Reminder: The amounts, rates, market conditions, and regulations contained in this article are information as of the time of writing (2026). Basic wages, labor and health insurance rates, etc., may be adjusted every year. Please refer to the latest announcements from the competent authorities and current regulations for the most accurate information.