INDUSTRY FW
產業外籍
Application & Management
申辦及管理須知

Sources of Law

According to Article 43 of Employment Service Act, migrant workers need to get prior permission from government to work legally in Taiwan. Therefore, no migrant worker may engage in work within the Republic of China should his/her employer have not yet obtained a permit via application according to Article 46; therefore. employers can only hire supplement labor forces according to the standard of article 46 item 1 to apply for the needed foreign labor forces.  Furthermore, except the parent law, "Directions of the Employment Transfer Regulations and Employment Qualifications for Foreigners " and "Qualificatons and Criteria Standards ffor Foreigners" are also the sources of law while hiring migrant workers in Taiwan.

 

Number of migrant workers in Taiwan for the latest 5 years (the base of number shifted since Dec., 2024)

Year Number of Migrant Workers Number of Industry Migrant Workers
2022 728,081 455,197
2023 753,430 461,381
2024 820,083 508,435
2025 866,275 540,662
2026 895,115 (end of July) 564,573 (end of July)

 

Number of migrant workers in Taiwan's major cities in 2026

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
New Taipei City 96,479 95,713 96,217 97,032 97,821 98,821            
Taoyuan City 135,977 135,149 136,729 138,243 112,663 142,241            
Hsinchu County 36,877 36,931 37,833 38,417 39,054 39,697            
Hsinchu City 20,856 20,670 20,897 21,077 21,342 21,621            
Taichuan City 103,734 102,658 103,272 103,744 104,476 105,685            
Changhua County 59,479 59,121 59,683 60,138 60,722 61,116            
Tainan City 63,699 63,161 63,785 64,233 64,657 65,245            
Kaohsiung City 77,705 77,656 78,362 78,990 79,670 80,332            
Sub-Total of Month 594,806 591,059 596,778 601,874 580,405 614,758            
Migrant Workers of Above Cities 614,758

 

Number of total migrant workers from four countries and total "uncaptured missing workers" in Taiwan's in 2026

  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Indonesia 296,346 327,916 329,586 331,783 333,246 335,391            
Uncapatured 29,738 29,572 29,814 29,763 29,729 29,658            
% 10.35% 9.02% 9.05% 9.05% 8.92% 8.84%            
Philippine 171,991 175,786 178,453 181,269 183,499 185,315            
Uncaptured >2,678 2,665 2,653 2,631 2,627 2,609            
% 1.56% 1.52% 1.49% 1.45% 1.43% 1.41%            
Thailand 68,949 70,158 71,132 71,384 71,834 72,515            
Uncaptured 1,944 1,929 1,944 1,959 1,961 1,950            
% 2.82% 2.75% 2.73% 2.74% 2.73% 2.70%            
Vietnam 233,549 291,540 294,172 295,689 298,392 301,885            
Uncaptured 59,770 59,138 59,859 59,608 59,263 58,598            
% 25.59% 20.28% 20.35% 20.16% 19.86% 19.41%            
Total of uncaptured 92,816

 

Allowable Maximum Numbers by Different Industry ( 3K, 5-level system key points).

3K 5-level System Table
3K There are 35 specific processes, including abnormal temperature operation, dust operation, toxic gas operation, organic solvent operation, chemical treatment, not- automated operation and others, and are accredited by the government authorities or the free-trade port management authority.
5 level Proportion Industry
A+ level 35% Professional printing and dyeing industry, professional metal basic industrial foundry industry, professional metal forging industry, professional metal surface treatment and heat treatment industry....etc.
A level 25% Printing and dyeing industry (with upstream and downstream industries), textile manufacturing (limited to bed sheets, bedspreads, towels, bath towels, bedding), hosiery manufacturing, footwear manufacturing, synthetic resin and adhesive manufacturing, rubber manufacturing, steel Metallurgical chain industry, steel, aluminum, copper rolling and extrusion industry and wire drawing industry, unclassified other basic metal manufacturing, frozen and chilled meat manufacturing, garment and apparel manufacturing, luggage and handbag manufacturing, Slaughter industry...etc.
B level 20% Spinning, weaving, non-woven, textile manufacturing, leather, fur finishing, wood products manufacturing, machinery and equipment manufacturing, auto parts manufacturing, locomotive parts manufacturing, furniture manufacturing, resource industry, Plastic helmet manufacturing, bicycle parts manufacturing, etc.
C level 15% Meat manufacturing, aquatic product preservation and product manufacturing, fruit and vegetable processing and preservation, product manufacturing, edible oil manufacturing, dairy manufacturing, milling, milling and starch products manufacturing, power equipment manufacturing, automobile manufacturing Industry, other transportation tool manufacturing, medical equipment and supplies manufacturing, other chemical manufacturing, electronic components manufacturing, computers, electronics and optical products manufacturing.
D level 10% Data storage & media replication industry, electronic component manufacturing, computers, electronic products and optical products manufacturing, lighting equipment manufacturing, etc.

 

 

 

The Number of Applicants

The 3K 5-level of Construction Workers:

The level approval by Industrial Bureau or add (extra quotas) x Labor insurance number (Average number of employees hired within a year prior to the 2 months before application) = Total amount of application for foreigner workers.

 

Transfer and Replacement:

Labor insurance number (Average number of employees hired within a year, 2 months prior to the application) x 30% = Total amount of application for foreigner workers.

 

 

 

Mechanism for applying extra allowable quota for foreign workers

Fee for applying extra quota

Basic Employment Security Fees (Manufacturing Industry) Increase Foreigner Workers Extra Quota Paying Employment Security Fees Monthly fee for each worker after paying Employment Security Fees
3K Manufacturing Industry High Tech Industry
NT2,000 5% NT3,000 NT5,000 NT5,400
NT2,000 5% to 10% NT5,000 NT7,000 NT7,400
NT2,000 10% to 15% NT7,000 NT9,000 NT9,400

Note:

  1. Three months after getting the extra quota, the company will be audited periodically (Feb, May, Aug, Nov every year), and the audit frequency will become higher later.
  2. Once the extra quota is approved, the employer can not apply for case change and alter the fee need to pay.
    (ex: If the extra quota approved is within the category of 10%-15% and the fee needs to be paid per person is NT$5,000, the company cannot change it to 5% which only requests for NT$3,000 per person.
  3. The total percentage of allowed quota for 3K 5-level along with the incensement quota of employment security fees cannot go over 40% of the total head counts.

 

 

 

Management Service Project:

Services Before Deployment
  • 01

    Manpower needs and labor cost analysis.

  • 02

    Provide the contract of appointment and foreign worker management information for employer.

  • 03

    Assist employers to get the case approval from Industrial Development Bureau, MOEA.

  • 04

    Assist employers to apply recruiting procedures and put out advertisements with local employment service agency.

  • 05

    Assist employers to conduct local recruiting processes.

  • 06

    Assist employers to apply certificate of no violation of labor law from local Bureau of Labor Affairs.

  • 07

    Assist employers to apply talent search certificate.

  • 08

    Assist employers to apply letter of first-time recruitment and letter of visa permit from Ministry of Labor.

  • 09

    Assist employers to do accredited employment contract and sent it to foreigner countries for deployment processing.

  • 10

    Assist domestic web-interview or foreign countries interview arrangement.

  • 11

    Assist foreigner workers process deployment procedures such as medical check-up, passport applying, and orientation.

  • 12

    Assist foreigner workers apply Taiwan visa, airfare and notification at Airport.

Services After Deploying to Taiwan
  • 01

    Assist foreigner workers airport pick-up service, medical examination, and application of ARC.

  • 02

    Assist foreigner workers’ job orientation or local law lesson.

  • 03

    Provide foreigner workers’ labor insurance and health insurance information.

  • 04

    Assist foreigner workers’ job orientation and training.

  • 05

    Inform Bureau of Labor Affairs the incoming foreign workers within 3 days after deployment.

  • 06

    Apply Employment Permit within 15 days after deployment to Ministry of Labor.

  • 07

    Arrange foreigner workers’ regular medical examinations.

  • 08

    Apply reentry workers’ permit for those who went back to home country and pick-up from air port service.

  • 09

    Assist medical assistance or urgent injuries and sickness.

  • 10

    Assist employers to work out the documents for missing foreign workers.

  • 11

    Assist employers to communicate with low performance foreigner workers.

  • 12

    Apply and process transfer certificate or re-contract workers (including ARC extended).

  • 13

    Assist workers or terminate contract, air fare booking, pick-up service and notification documents application.

  • 14

    Assist employers to apply Letter of Recruitment Renewal to Ministry of Labor.

Others:
  • 01

    Assist employers set up life manage agreement or translation for foreign workers.

  • 02

    Assist foreigner workers mental consulting.

  • 03

    Provide employers consulting of Employment Service Act.

  • 04

    Assist on time translation service for employers and workers.

  • 05

    Assist foreigner workers declare tax or file for tax refund.

  • 06

    Assist employers and workers to join government event (such as nomination of Excellent Foreign Workers)