An amendment to the Employment Service Act to remove the cap on the duration foreign labours may stay in Taiwan will be deliberated in the Legislature and may pass third reading in the near future.
An agreement has reportedly been reached across party lines to treat the labour law revision as a priority when the next Legislative session begins in mid-September.
The current law states that foreign workers may stay in Taiwan for up to three years, at which point they can reapply for a new term with a maximum of 12 years in total.
There are 580,000 foreign labourers in Taiwan, 3,800 of who have lived on the island for nine to 12 years.
This group will be the first to benefit from the revision if it passes the Legislature.
According to the proposed amendment, if a foreign labourer's service is deemed necessary by his or her employer, there are requirements regarding language proficiency, work skills and wage level of the foreign worker that must be met.
The rule implies that a wage increase may be necessary to grant a stay beyond 12 years, the Labour Ministry said.
The proposal was allegedly hashed out by the Ministry of Labour and the ruling Kuomintang (KMT), and they would need the Democratic Progressive Party's (DPP) cooperation for the amendment to clear the Legislature.
"Loose Principle" to process extension applications
Many employers of foreign labourers have voiced complaints about the inconvenience brought by the existing law.
For example, those working in domestic care tend to acquire a skill set that is unique to each family and thus form a more trusting relationship with their employers.
As such, the labourers' departure when their time is up could mean trouble for their employers.
While an extension for staying over 12 years requires the government's approval, the competent authority will follow a "loose principle" in processing the application, the Labour Ministry said, adding that the aim is to satisfy the employer's human resource needs as well as keeping experienced and skilled labourers in the nation.
A programme introduced earlier that grants technically skilled foreign labourers permission to stay is still under way, the Ministry of Labour said.
So is a "talent retention mechanism" that grants long-term residency to "technical blue collar workers" as the government tries to keep proficient and experienced workers in Taiwan.