Q1: What regulations govern the retirement of foreign teachers and foreign research personnel working in public educational institutions, and research personnel working in a government agency or a government academic research institution?
A1: To enhance the recruitment of outstanding academics to teach and undertake research in Taiwan, Article 26 of the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals states that the retirement of foreign professionals, foreign specialist professionals, and senior foreign professionals who are employed as a qualified, paid, full-time teacher or researcher within the current staffing complement of a public educational institution, or as a qualified, paid, full-time researcher within the current staffing complement of a government agency or of an academic research institute subordinate to a government agency is governed, mutatis mutandis, by the Act Governing Retirement, Severance, and Bereavement Compensation for the Teaching and Other Staff Members of Public Schools. If such a professional has permanent residency, when they retire, they may choose to be paid a lump-sum retirement payment, a monthly pension. If such a professional does not have permanent residency, when they retire the Act Governing Retirement, Severance, and Bereavement Compensation Under the Individual Account System for the Teaching and Other Staff of Public Educational Institutions applies, mutatis mutandis, and they may choose to be paid a lump-sum retirement payment or a monthly pension.