Taiwan to ease work restrictions on foreign students

Taipei, Aug. 7 (CNA) Foreign students who graduate in the country will be eligible to take mid-level jobs in the hotel industry by the end of August, the Ministry of Labor said Tuesday.

An amendment to the Regulations on the Permission and Administration of the Employment of Foreign Workers will allow the group of students to expand their employment opportunities in mid-level jobs that were traditionally less accessible, the ministry said.

It is hoped that this rule will help retain more of those who typically have internships or part-time jobs while studying in Taiwan, or who seek an employment post-graduation under a points system.

Under the new policy, foreign graduates with associate degrees or higher will be allowed to take up jobs in housekeeping, cleaning, room booking, and catering athotels across Taiwan, the ministry said in a press release.

The entry-level monthly salary is NT$30,000 (US$917), rising to NT$33,000 if a contract is renewed, added Su Yu-kuo (蘇裕國), head of the ministry's Cross-Border Workforce Management Division.

Currently in the hotel sector, these students are restricted to managerial roles, the ministry said, explaining that the new system could help address Taiwan's projected workforce shortfall of 400,000 by 2030.