Overseas students stay in Taiwan after graduation

Q1. Can I stay in Taiwan after graduation?

A：YES！

There are three main ways for overseas students to stay in Taiwan after graduation:

1. Job-Seeking Residency Extension

• Overseas students can apply for a 1-year job-seeking residency, extendable once for a maximum of 2 years.
• Hong Kong & Macau students can apply for a 6-month job-seeking residency, extendable once for a maximum of 1 year. (Q2 and Q3 for details.)

2. Internship in Taiwan

• Graduating students must apply before June each year through the university’s Career Development Center(Recreation Center 106), which will submit the documents to the Ministry of Education for review.

3. Work in Taiwan

• You must obtain your diploma before applying to work in Taiwan.
• Work permits fall under the Points-Based System or the Specialized Professionals Work Permit.(Q6 for details.)

Note: The National Immigration Agency recommends that you change your residency purpose within 30 days after receiving your diploma.If you plan to change to a work residency after graduation, please prepare the required documents and follow the application process below ↓↓↓

• If you receive your diploma and return to your home country within 15 days, no need to extend your ARC.
• If you plan to stay longer than 15 days before returning home, it’s recommended to first check with the Immigration Agency if you need to extend your ARC.

Q2. After graduation, if I don’t apply for an internship in Taiwan and haven’t yet found a job in Taiwan, can I still stay in Taiwan?

A：YES！ But you must apply for a residency extension within the deadline.

You need to apply for the extension at the National Immigration Agency within 30 days after receiving your diploma. If you fail to apply within 30 days, your original “student” residency may become invalid, and you may have to leave Taiwan or reapply for a visa, which could affect your future plans to work in Taiwan.

Q3. Can I work part-time during the residency extension period?

Ａ：NO！The purpose of the residency extension is to allow you time to find a full-time job. Before you secure a full-time job and obtain a work permit, you are not allowed to work.

Note:

• According to the Ministry of Labor, if an overseas student works without a work permit, they may be fined NT$30,000 to NT$150,000 and banned from working in Taiwan for 3 years.
• Employers who hire overseas students without a valid work permit may be fined NT$150,000 to NT$750,000.

Q4.What should I do if my residence address changes?

Ａ：After graduation, you must update your residence address at the National Immigration Agency (because you’ve graduated and need to move out of the school dormitory).

Please complete the address change within 15 days from the effective date of your rental contract, and prepare:

1. Rental contract (If you are not the tenant, the tenant must write and sign a consent letter allowing you to live there.)
2. Valid ARC (Alien Resident Certificate)
3. Passport

Once you find a job and obtain a work permit, you’ll need to reapply for your ARC within 15 days, changing your purpose of stay from “Others” to “Employment.”

Note: If you don’t update your address within 15 days, you may be fined.

Q5. How is my National Health Insurance issue after graduation?

Ａ：If you joined NHI through the school, it only covers you until the month you graduate. Starting the following month, you must apply for NHI yourself at the NHI office or your local district office. The premium is NT$826/month.

• Spring Semester：coverage ends in February, and withdrawal on March 1.
• Fall Semester：coverage ends in August, and withdrawal on September 1.

Note: NHI is mandatory. If you don’t enroll before starting a job, once your employer registers you, you’ll still have to pay back the unpaid premiums. If you visit a doctor during the gap period, you must pay full price upfront and can apply for a refund after paying your back premiums, keep all receipts, as reissuing them may incur fees.

Q6.How can overseas students apply for a work permit?

A：There are two ways to apply for a work permit as an overseas/international graduate:

1.General Application (based on salary & work experience) You must meet the same criteria as other foreign professionals in Taiwan:

• Hold at least a bachelor’s degree plus 2+ years of work experience, or hold a master’s degree or higher.
• The monthly average salary offered must be at least NT$47,971.

2.New Scoring Criteria for Overseas Students

• Hold an associate degree or higher from a Taiwanese institution.
• Accumulate at least 70 points out of 200 on the points-based evaluation (which considers education, salary, Chinese ability, etc.) to qualify.

3. Retention of Foreign Intermediate Skilled Workforce Program

• Applicable to：

①Overseascompatriot students and foreign students whohave graduated in Taiwan with an associate degree orhigher

②Migrantworkers who have worked continuously inTaiwan for 6 years or more and possess certain skills(senior migrant workers)

Please refer to the EZ Work Taiwan, Foreign National Labor Rights Portal , 勞動部僑外生在臺就業說明for detailed regulations.

Q8. Do I need to get my diploma before applying to work in Taiwan?

Ａ：YES！ You must obtain your graduation diploma before applying to work in Taiwan. Even if you find a job while finishing your remaining credits (extended study period), you still need to complete your credits and receive your diploma first before applying to stay and work.

Q9. Must the work permit be applied for by the employer?

Ａ：YES！You must first find a company willing to hire you, and the employer will submit the work permit application on your behalf.

Note: Even if you meet the 70 points in the points-based system, you can not apply for the work permit yourself and then look for a job later. The work permit must be applied for under the company’s name. (If the company asks you to deliver the application in person after preparing the documents, that is acceptable.)

• To provide internship opportunities in Taiwan for overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao, and international students after graduation, please refer to the regulations of Operation Directions Governing Applications from Overseas Compatriot Students
• Graduating students who meet the qualifications in Article 2 and obtain an internship approval letter from the intended host organization (per Article 3) may apply through the Achievement Student Center, which will submit applications to the Ministry of Education for review.

Achievement Student Center

Office：Recreation Center 106

Office hours：Monday to Friday 8:30-17:30

Tel：04-24517250 ext.2271

• Foreigners with a bachelor’s degree or above in Taiwan, or an associate degree in fields like manufacturing, construction, agriculture, long-term care, or e-commerce, who earn at least 70 points after review by the Ministry, are eligible.
• There are 8 evaluation criteria: (1) Education (2) Average monthly salary (3) Work or internship experience (4) Qualification to serve in relevant capacity (5) Chinese language proficiency (6) Foreign language proficiency or overseas background (7) Compliance with government policy (8) Scholarships or Academic performance
  
• Apply by New Scoring Criteria for Foreign and Overseas Chinese Students to Work in Taiwan
• Please refer to 勞動部僑外生在臺就業說明 for more details.

• Foreigners employed for specialized or technical works should meet the requirements of wage,education, and working qualifications And the salary shall be no less than NTD $47,971
• For foreign students graduating from universities in Taiwan, work experience requirements may be waived, but salary threshold criteria must still be met.
• Apply by Wages and Work Experience
• Please refer to 勞動部僑外生在臺就業說明 for more details.

• 適用對象：

1. Migrant workers who have worked continuously in Taiwan for 6 years or more and possess certain skills(senior migrant workers)
2. Overseas compatriot students and foreign students whohave graduated in Taiwan with an associate degree or higher.

• The following categories of intermediate skilled work are open：

• Qualifications：

1. Employer qualifications：Same as the conditions for employing migrant workers For those who meet the qualifications, the employer applies for employment Each permission period is 3 years.
2. Foreign individual qualifications: Must meet certain salary threshold and technicalrequirements

• Please refer to Foreign National Labor Rights Portal for more details.
• Please refer to 勞動部僑外生在臺就業說明 for more details.

• Employers who operate a tourist hotel, hotel or B&B registered with the government can, with the permission of the authorities,apply to hire foreign and overseas compatriot students who graduated from a school in Taiwan with an associate degree or higher.
• If Overseas Compatriots or international students who are not majoring in tourism related programs wish to work in the Hotel Related Work,they must complete an 80 hour practical training Curriculum. For training inquiries, please contact the Overseas Compatriot Cultureand Education Foundation at (02)2314-5080.
• Foreign and overseas compatriot students can be employed to engage in room booking, receiving guests, housekeeping,cleaning and non kitchen related work in a hotel restaurant
• For first time employment, the minimum monthly salary forforeign and overseas compatriot students is NT$30,000.
• Please refer to Foreign National Labor Rights Portal for more details.
• Please refer to 勞動部僑外生在臺就業說明 for more details.

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• 應備文件：依內政部移民署公告外國人申請就業金卡應備文件規定。
• 其他詳細要求請參閱「外國專業人才申辦窗口平臺」

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• 外國專業人才延攬及雇用法資訊專頁
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• 外國人從事就業服務法第四十六條第一項第一款至第六款工作資格及審查標準
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