Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals

Q1: Who is eligible to apply for these long-term care services?
A1: Eligible applicants include foreign professionals, foreign specialist professionals, and foreign senior professionals, as well as their spouses, minor children, and children having reached the age of majority or above who lack self-care ability due to physical or mental disability.
 
Q2: What residency requirements must an applicant meet?
A2: Applicants must have obtained permanent residency from the National Immigration Agency (NIA) and have legally and cumulatively resided in the State for ten years, residing for 183 days or more each year.
 
Q3: In addition to the residency requirements, are there any restrictions on the applicant's age or degree of disability?
A3: The applicant must be physical or mental disability and meet one of the following conditions:

1. Aged 65 or over.
2. Having been evaluated and assessed in accordance with Articles 6 and 7 of the People with Disabilities Rights Protection Act by a professional team set forth in Article 5 of that Act, and the results comply with the Act.

 
Q4: Which competent authority and window accept the applications?
A4: Applicants may apply with the long-term care management center or the local competent authority of their place of residence.
 
Q5: What documents are required for the application?
A5:

1. Where the applicant is the professional themselves: Alien Permanent Resident Certificate (APRC).
2. Where the applicant is the spouse, minor child, or children having reached the age of majority or above who lack self-care ability due to physical or mental disability of a foreign professional:

1. The APRC of both the applicant and the foreign professional.
2. Proof of dependency/relationship (e.g., marriage certificate or birth certificate).
   3. Disability documentation:If the applicant qualifies as a person with disabilities, proof of disability status must be attached.

Note: The residency records, including the number of days of stay, will be verified online directly with the NIA by the receiving authority; applicants do not need to provide proof of residency records themselves.
 
Q6: What is the process for long-term care assessment and approval after submitting an application?
A6:

1. Eligibility Review & Assessment: Upon verifying that the applicant meets the qualifications, the receiving authority will assign a long-term care assessor to conduct an on-site assessment.
2. Approval of long-term care service level: Based on the assessment results, the applicant's long-term care needs level (Levels 2 to 8) and the authorized amount of long-term care service benefits will be approved.
3. Mutatis Mutandis Provisions: Relevant assessment, benefit amounts, and approval procedures shall be handled, mutatis mutandis, in accordance with the Regulations Governing Application and Benefit of Long-Term Care Services.

 
Q7: After approval, how is the care plan formulated and how are the services provided?
A7:

1. Case Assignment & Plan Formulation: Following approval by the long-term care management center, a case manager from a Community Integrated Service Center (Tier A Unit) will be assigned to formulate a care plan based on the individual's actual needs.
2. Connecting Services: Once the care plan is approved by the long-term care management center, the Tier A Unit will coordinate with contracted long-term care providers (Tier B Units) to deliver services in accordance with the plan.

 
Q8: What service items are included in long-term care?
A8: Foreign professionals and their dependents enjoy the same long-term care benefit items as citizens of the State, which are primarily divided into four categories:

1. Care and Professional Services: Including home care, day care, family foster care, and professional services.
2. Transportation Services: Assisting with medical visits, rehabilitation, or dialysis treatments.
3. Assistive Devices & Home Barrier-Free Environment Improvement Services: Subsidies for purchasing or renting assistive devices and improving home accessibility.
4. Respite Care Services: Relieving the pressure on family caregivers.

 
Q9: How are long-term care service fees calculated? Do users need to bear part of the cost?
A9:

1. Long-term care service fees are covered based on the long-term care needs level and the limit of service benefits authorized by the competent authority.
2. Users shall bear a specific proportion or amount of copayment independently based on their welfare status and identity, in accordance with the care combinations and payment prices stipulated in Schedule 4 and Schedule 4-1 of Article 9 of the Regulations Governing Application and Benefit of Long-Term Care Services; any amount exceeding the authorized service benefits must be borne fully by the user.

 
Q10: When will this new regulation take effect?
A10: It is scheduled to officially come into force on June 30, 2026 (the 115th year of the Republic of China).