Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF
24th Jan 2024

Taiwan adds expanded post-study work rights to its international recruitment strategy

Short on time? Here are the highlights:
  • Taiwan has significantly expanded its international recruitment target and now aims to attract more than 300,000 students by the end of this decade
  • The government has also moved to expand post-study residency rights, effectively doubling the period during which students can stay in the country to seek employment

Last year, Taiwan announced that it was ramping up its international recruitment target with a goal to attract 320,000 foreign students by 2030 – a notable jump from the previous target of 200,000 by the end of the decade.

The government has put aside a budget of NT$5.2 billion (US$166 million) for the effort, which is meant to focus on recruitment for critical skill areas in technology sectors such as semiconductors. Taiwan further hopes that roughly two-thirds of foreign graduates (210,000) will stay on in the country to work after graduation.

That additional budget will be used to fund 10 regional student recruitment centres in key Asian student markets including Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. It will also support expanded scholarship programmes and improved student services.

And now Taiwan has taken steps to expand post-study work rights for visiting students. As of 1 January 2024, the Minister of Interior is offering foreign graduates of a Taiwanese university a streamlined process for obtaining a one-year residency extension for purposes of seeking employment after their studies. Graduates will have an option to stay on for a second year as well.

This effectively doubles the previous job-seeking period allowed for foreign graduates. At the same time, Taiwan has also eased its visa process for new students, extending the period for the Alien Registration Certificate (ARC) from the previous one year to a new maximum of three years. This means that foreign students no longer need to renew their ARCs annually.

Taiwan's Ministry of Education pegged the country's foreign enrolment at nearly 130,000 students prior to the pandemic.

For additional background, please see:

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