Intelligent CXO Issue 15 | Page 57

REGIONAL ROUND-UP

AFRICA APAC EUROPE MIDDLE EAST NORTH AMERICA

TAIWAN OPENS BORDERS FOR FOREIGN PROFESSIONAL TALENT

Taiwan is preparing to rejoin the global contest for talent following the pandemic ’ s upheaval . During COVID-19 , Taiwan became increasingly isolated as strict prevention and quarantine methods were put in place . However , the recent relaxation of the rules has allowed Taiwan to start seeking out fresh , global talent , again .

The National Development Council of Taiwan ( NDC ) recently noted that the general shortfall of employment in 2021 increased to 248,000 roles , with a gap of 47,000 at the executive levels . To address this shortfall , the NDC launched a recruitment initiative to attract 100,000 foreign talents to the island by 2030 . NDC is also actively improving work and residency regulations , beginning with adjustments to the 2018 Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals , which features the Taiwan Employment Gold Card programme – a successful resident-work visa offering that has served as a beacon for interested ex-pats to Taiwan .
The Taiwan Employment Gold Card is a flexible work permit , targeting high-end talents that launched in 2018 . It is a fourin-one card , that includes a resident visa , work permit , Alien Resident Certificate ( ARC ) and re-entry permit , which allows you to leave and re-enter Taiwan multiple times over three years .
Qualifications for the Employment Gold Card have recently been relaxed – in particular the field of education , which now accepts doctoral graduates from the top 500 universities around the world ( according to QS World University Rankings or the US News & World Rankings ). Besides providing a flexible and open visa for up to three years , the Employment Gold Card also fast-tracks the applicant to permanent residency , with recent changes shortening the requirements from five years to three years . These changes have helped the Gold Card programme add 1,982 cards in 2021 alone .
A recent report , from HR service provider Randstad , predicts that by 2025 up to 70 % of workers will be working in a contract , temporary , consultant or freelance capacity – a significant move from traditional full-time employment to a gig economy .
The Gold Card supports this trend as it does not require applicants to have a job contract beforehand or throughout , but instead allows the cardholder to come to Taiwan to investigate different
IT IS A FOUR- IN-ONE CARD , THAT INCLUDES A RESIDENT VISA , WORK PERMIT , ALIEN RESIDENT CERTIFICATE ( ARC ) AND RE-ENTRY PERMIT .
opportunities , freelance or even start their own business . However , even if applicants do not qualify for the gold card , many other work visa options and opportunities are available , especially when employers are looking to attract new talent prospects from abroad . x www . intelligentcxo . com
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