TAIPEI (The China Post) — The Ministry of Labor (MOL, 勞動部) announced on Dec. 30 that employers whose employment permits for migrant workers are due to expire between Jan. 1, 2022, and March 31 will receive an automatic extension of three months.
In this way, employers won’t have to submit an application for an extension, the MOL said, adding that around 70,000 employers are set to benefit from this newly-announced regulation.
According to the MOL, employers who have successfully acquired permits to hire migrant workers should complete the formalities within 6 months from the date specified in the permit. If they fail to complete the process within that time period, their permits lose their validity.
Although Taiwan maintains its level 2 epidemic warning, in consideration of the new variant strain of the virus having a high risk of transmission, the government is standing firm on its strict border control measures.
As Taiwan’s labor shortage issue is still quite urgent, the MOL pushed for an automatic extension of employers’ permits for three months so they won’t need to apply again, and risk losing workers.
The MOL explained that follow-up regulations and procedures will be made according to the Central Epidemic Command Center’s (CECC, 中央流行疫情指揮中心) assessment of the international and domestic epidemic situation so that they can review it and adjust it in a timely manner.
For those who have inquiries about the requirements and precautions for extending the validity period of the employment permits, you can contact the MOL by phone at 0800-000-978, or go to “Information Release > Latest News” posted on the website of the MOL’s and Workforce Development Agency (WDA, 勞發署).