Q1：What is a Foreign Specialist Professional?
A1：”Foreign specialist professional” means a foreign professional as referred to the work specified in Article 46.1.1 to 46.1.6 of the Employment Service Act who possesses special expertise needed by the State in science & technology, digital economy, the economy, education, culture & the arts, sports, finance, law, architectural design, national defense, environmental protection, biotechnology, and other fields, as announced by the central competent authorities, or who have been recognized by the competent authority in consultation with the relevant competent authority as possessing specific expertise.
Q2：What is the application channel for Foreign Specialist Professionals to work in Taiwan?
A2：There are two kinds of application channel. The first one is that foreigners can apply for an employment gold card from the Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Labor will review their qualifications. After the central competent authority approves the application, foreigners can engage in professional work by themselves. The other channel has the employer applying for an employment permit from the Ministry of Labor, with an effective period of five years.
Q3：If the foreign specialist professional is engaged in other specialized work in Taiwan, is the new employer responsible for his/her work permit application?
A3：The Employment Gold Card and the employment permit are governed by different regulations and qualifications. If the foreign specialist professional’s application for the Employment Gold Card is approved by the Ministry of the Interior, the Employment Gold Card is regarded as the work permit for the foreign specialist professional when he or she engages in professional work, without the new employer needing to submit a new application. If the application was made by the employer at the Ministry of Labor, it is necessary for the foreigner to request the new employer to apply for the work permit according to the regulations of the “Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals” and the “Employment Service Act”. After permission is granted, the foreign specialist professional may start to work.