MOEA updates guidelines for foreign students interning in Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 8 (CNA) The Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) on Thursday issued updated guidelines to protect the rights of foreign students interning in Taiwan, including clearer rules on student eligibility, internship stipends and working hours.

Under the revised Guidelines Governing the Application of Foreign Students to the ROC in the Capacity of Interns in Enterprises and Organizations, students must be enrolled at overseas universities officially listed by Taiwan's Ministry of Education, the MOEA's Department of Investment Review said in a news release.

Students must have completed at least one semester of study before coming to Taiwan and be of an age appropriate for their program. They must also be studying a field related to their internship and have basic Chinese or English communication skills to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the internship, the department said.

Speaking to reporters before a meeting, Economics Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) said a total of 1,805 foreign students were approved to intern in Taiwan last year, with their internships covering the food and beverage, logistics and manufacturing sectors.

Kung added that interns must be paid no less than the minimum wage, including scholarships and living allowances. Working hours are limited to eight hours a day and 40 hours per week, and interns may not be scheduled to work between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. without their written consent, to prevent them being overworked.

Taiwan's minimum monthly wage, effective Jan. 1, is NT$29,500 (US$934), while the hourly rate is NT$196.

Meanwhile, the MOEA reiterated that interns must also be covered by appropriate insurance provided by the internship host, including at least group accident or occupational accident insurance.

The ministry said it will conduct joint inspections with relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Labor, on an irregular basis as part of oversight measures. Internship providers that violate the rules can be barred from hosting foreign interns in Taiwan for six months.

Addressing concerns that the updated guidelines could raise costs and prompt pushback from some businesses, Kung said foreign interns "should not be treated as cheap labor."

Without elaborating, he added that the ministry has other support measures for companies undergoing upgrades or restructuring and believes the guidelines will strike a balance between business development and intern protections.