The Ministry of Labor (MOL) on Saturday inaugurated a "one-stop migrant worker service center" in Taoyuan aimed at simplifying the submission and processing of paperwork filed by the employers of migrant workers.

The center, located near Taoyuan International Airport, together with a second center in Kaohsiung, officially opens on Jan. 1, 2023 and will significantly shorten the time needed for migrant workers to complete entry registration, obtain work permits, residency cards and join the National Health Insurance (NHI) system, said Deputy Labor Minister Wang An-pang (???) at the inauguration ceremony.

It is also hoped that the service will reduce the cost for employers when recruiting migrant workers and improve employer-employee relationships, he said.

By filing an online application at least five days prior to a migrant worker's arrival, employers can ensure the MOL picks up their migrant workers at the airport and drives them to the center.

Once there, the foreign workers take an eight-hour orientation course over two days on health and sanitation, occupational safety, life in Taiwan, and how to protect their rights and interests, according to information released by the Ministry of Labor.

The migrant workers will receive their work permits, NHI cards and Alien Resident Certificates after completing the course, greatly reducing the time it typically takes for the procedure to be completed from 1.5 months to three days, the ministry added.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel