(FWA 2025/11/02)A coalition of migrant worker rights groups protested in Taipei on Sunday, accusing the government’s “mid-level skills” (MLS) program of failing to protect workers and demanding the abolition of the 12-year work limit for blue-collar migrants.
Launched by the Ministry of Labor (MOL) in April 2022, the “Long-term Retention of Skilled Foreign Workers Program” allows employers to apply for experienced migrants to be re-classified as “mid-level” workers, granting them a path to stay in Taiwan indefinitely.
The groups, led by the Migrant Empowerment Network in Taiwan (MENT), said the Program is a “failure for workers” that creates new forms of exploitation.
Citing MOL statistics from September 2025, advocates noted that only 42,752 workers have transferred to MLS status, just 4.7% of the 858,939 blue-collar migrant workers in Taiwan.
A key criticism is that employers hold the sole power to apply for a worker’s MLS transfer.
Another major issue, groups said, is the wage threshold for domestic caregivers, as the NT$24,000 (US$750) wage threshold is a “total salary” that includes overtime. As a result, many domestic caregivers must sacrifice their rest days to meet the threshold.
The situation for industrial workers is also difficult. MJ, a factory worker with the Taiwan Grassroot Manufactory Union (TGMU), said the program is “almost impossible” for them, as employers are unwilling to pay the required NT$33,000 regular salary, which excludes overtime.
Even for those who successfully transfer, the pay raise can be an “illusion,” said Achmad Mudzakir of the Pingtung Migrant Fishers Union (FOSPI-PMFU). He reported cases where employers began deducting “rent” from the new salary—even for fishers who live on their boats—or cut bonuses, resulting in no net gain.
Advocates warned the program “traps” workers. If an MLS worker’s contract is terminated, finding a new employer willing to hire them at the higher wage can be extremely difficult, especially for those who have already passed the 12-year work limit.
The coalition urged the MOL to address what they described as the “real issue” — the 12-year work limit — and to abolish the restriction for all blue-collar migrant workers.
