Online application for extension of migrant worker contracts is now available in Taiwan

TAIPEI (Taiwan News)-Online applications for the extension of migrant workers' contracts are available now, Taiwan’s Ministry of Labor (MOL) said Tuesday, praising the new system for being more efficient.

To take advantage of the service, the employer have to log onto the website, which is managed by the MOL's Workforce Development Agency, complete the application form and pay the fee, the ministry said.

The 24-hour online service reduces the processing time, removes the need to submit a paper application to the MOL during government office hours, and cuts out the part of the process that requires the approval to be mailed to the applicant, the ministry said.

The application for the extension of migrant workers' contracts is the latest MOL service to go online, after the ministry introduced electronic applications for hiring migrant workers, work permits for blue-collar foreign workers, and reports on departures, arrivals and escapes of migrant workers.

Since last July when online applications for the employment of foreign blue-collar workers took effect, 60% of the total number of applications have been made online, it said.

In Taiwan, corporate employers in the manufacturing sector and the fishing industry are allowed to hire migrant workers, while certain institutions and categories of individuals are eligible to employ foreign caregivers and home helpers.

Currently, there are 600,000 migrant workers in Taiwan, 251,103 of whom are from Indonesia, according to government data valid as of March. 

To access the online application, please visit the Direct Hiring Service Center Website.