Taiwan Talent Office helps foreigners navigate new work, residency rules

Taipei, Jan. 30 (CNA) Recent amendments to Taiwan's law governing foreign professionals have expanded pathways to work and long-term residency, and the International Talent Taiwan Office can help them understand how the new rules apply to their individual circumstances, according to the office's director.

"There are many government processes that come with moving to a new country, and we hope to provide the best information we can," Jonathan Liao (廖炳坤), managing director of the International Talent Taiwan Office, told CNA in an interview on Thursday.

"If there are questions we cannot answer ourselves, we help verify them with other government agencies," Liao said, adding that his team offers assistance in multiple areas, including setting up banking, finding housing and schools for children -- even importing pets.

The International Talent Taiwan Office was set up in November 2023 as part of efforts spearheaded by Taiwan's National Development Council (NDC) to attract foreign professionals to work in Taiwan.

The office has three branches across Taiwan -- in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung -- that employ some three dozen workers in total.

Every month, the branches respond to around 4,700 emails, phone calls and instant messages both domestically and internationally, Liao said, adding that foreign professionals from 119 countries have contacted the office so far.

The office also provides on-site consultation services for those already in Taiwan, with 416 consultations having taken place in the Taipei office alone in 2025, according to Liao.

"Ultimately, we want foreign professionals to stay in Taiwan longer," Liao told CNA during a tour of the Taipei branch office -- an airy, open-plan space that also has private consultation rooms.

Official data suggests Taiwan's efforts at attracting foreign talent have had some success.

The number of foreign professionals in Taiwan has grown from less than 40,000 in 2018 to "nearly 80,000," said NDC Deputy Minister Jan Fang-guan (詹方冠) earlier this month at an event explaining amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals, which came into effect this year.

Changes to the law include allowing international graduates of Taiwanese universities to work without a work permit for two years after graduation and giving recent graduates of the world's top 200 universities a two-year open work permit.

The reforms also shorten permanent residency timelines for Taiwan-educated foreigners and some "foreign specialist professionals," allow spouses of foreign specialists to work freely, and expand access to pension and employment insurance systems.

Under the law, there are different categories of foreign professionals based on factors such as industry and income level, and different legal working options ranging from open-work permits and employer-based working arrangements to digital nomad and premium "gold card" visas.

The Taiwan Talent Office exists to "demystify" the various visa options and answer any questions foreigners might have, Liao said, adding that email is the best way to get in contact.

"There are different funnels for people to ultimately stay in Taiwan," Liao said, adding that the Talent Taiwan office is there to help foreigners understand those various pathways.