The Workforce Development Agency in New Taipei City. Photo: Google Maps
The Workforce Development Agency in New Taipei City. Photo: Google Maps

About 80,000 migrant workers in Taiwan whose contracts are up for renewal have been granted permission to stay, the Ministry of Labor reported on Thursday.

In bid of create greater convenience for employers and boost workers’ rights, the national government has scrapped a requirement that migrant workers must depart temporarily once they reached the end of the period they are permitted to stay, Taiwan Times reported.

Between November 5, 2016 and the end of August 2017, some 78,917 migrant workers – about a third of the total number who applied – have been benefited from a change to Article 52 of the Employment Services Act, which says that they do not have to leave Taiwan and can continue working.

However, 22.5% of applications to continue working in the country without having to depart were rejected by the Workforce Development Agency due to the lack of a signed employment agreement – which has to be drafted two to four months prior to the end of the present contract.

Nearly half of all applications (49.95%) for migrant workers to be rehired were denied because they lacked documents such as letters of recruitment or an entry visa for the workers, The Commons Daily reported, citing data from the agency.

Chiu Yueh-yun, head of the Workforce Development Agency, stressed that employers have to prepare a new letter of recruitment and a signed employment agreement between both parties so that workers can gain permission to stay on.

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