Chairperson Liu Jingqing of the National Development Council pointed out that Taiwan is projected to face a labor shortage of around 480,000 people by 2030, with a deficit of 120,000 white-collar workers and 180,000 blue-collar and gray-collar workers each, illustrating a growing issue of talent scarcity.

During a joint meeting at the Legislative Yuan, Liu noted that due to fierce international competition for talent and demographic trends of declining birth rates and an aging population, Taiwan needs to actively promote five key trusted industries, artificial intelligence, and net-zero transition policies to address the urgent demand for talent.

As of the end of April this year, 55,677 foreign professionals have received valid permits in Taiwan, with 18,403 of them being specialized professionals. Regarding the Employment Gold Card, 13,487 permits had been issued by the end of May, but only 57% are actively used, and only 48% of holders remain in Taiwan.

Additionally, the newly introduced digital nomad visa, effective from January 1st, has attracted nearly 3,000 registrants in Taiwan. However, a legislative survey indicated that 70% of overseas graduates wish to stay, yet due to several restrictions, only about half may remain, citing requirements for companies to have a capital of NT$5 million and sales of NT$10 million to hire overseas graduates being particularly challenging for startups and service industries. Liu expressed hopes to relax regulations through amendments to facilitate the retention of these foreign graduates in Taiwan.

Liu outlined four main objectives for accelerating the recruitment of international talent: 1. Expand the types of eligible work, enhancing companies' willingness to hire; 2. Extend the digital nomad visa duration from the current six months to two years; 3. Relax the conditions for applying for permanent residency to encourage long-term stay; and 4. Enhance labor and social rights protections to improve the talent retention environment.

The Ministry of Education is also pushing to expand the admission of international students, reporting that in the academic year 113, there are 123,188 overseas students, with 78,801 in degree programs, representing about 64% of the total. The Ministry aims to attract more international students through relaxed admission criteria, various international enrollment initiatives, and support for employment guidance for these students to bolster local industries' talent requirements.