Taipei: The Ministry of Labor (MOL) in Taiwan is set to introduce a new measure aimed at increasing the supply of foreign caregivers by allowing families of critically ill individuals to hire migrant workers from different employment categories. This initiative comes as a response to recent policy changes that waive health evaluations for Taiwanese nationals aged 80 and older seeking live-in foreign caregivers.
According to Focus Taiwan, the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment to the Employment Service Act in 2024, which permits individuals aged 80 and above to hire foreign caregivers without the need for Barthel Index evaluations. The Barthel Index is a clinical tool used to assess daily living activities. This exemption also extends to households with members aged 70 to 79 diagnosed with stage II cancer or above, potentially benefiting an additional 100,000 households.
However, concerns have arisen that caregivers might prefer to work with seniors who are not facing critical illnesses, leaving families of critically ill individuals at a disadvantage. To address this issue, the MOL is drafting accompanying measures, which are expected to be implemented by the end of July, according to Su Yu-kuo, division chief at the ministry's Workforce Development Agency.
To expand the caregiver pool, the MOL will permit families of critically ill members to hire migrant workers from various job categories, rather than being restricted to transfers within the same employment sector. Su explained that workers wishing to transition from sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, or construction into caregiving must complete 20 hours of supplementary training, which can be done either in-person or online.
Su also noted that once the training is completed and both parties consent, the job transfer can proceed. Furthermore, under the MOL's proposed regulation, patients with mild diseases will no longer need to apply for caregivers through the Ministry of Health and Welfare's long-term care service platform. Instead, employers can post a 7-day job advertisement on the TaiwanJobs website to move forward. These related measures are anticipated to be launched by late July or August.