Taiwan grants 2 year work permit exemption for foreign graduates

Foreign graduates previously needed separate authorization to work while remaining in Taiwan after graduation. Amendments that took effect in January 2026 now allow eligible graduates to seek employment and work during an approved post-graduation stay without obtaining a separate work permit.

The exemption comes under the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals. Graduates may work full time, part time or as interns in any category of employment during the extended residence period, provided they follow Taiwan’s labor laws.

The stay is split into two one-year periods

International and overseas compatriot students qualify after earning at least an associate degree from a Taiwanese university or college. They must receive extended residence approval from the National Immigration Agency.

The agency grants an initial one-year job-seeking residence period, followed by a possible one-year extension. The combined stay can’t exceed two years and the work permit exemption applies only while that residence remains valid.

Hong Kong and Macao graduates have a shorter window. Their post-graduation residence is limited to six months, with one six-month extension for a maximum of one year. More detail on related permits is available in the guide to Taiwan’s residency rules.

Graduates face a 10-day filing window

University guidance directs foreign and overseas compatriot graduates to apply in person at the National Immigration Agency within 10 days of receiving their diploma or graduation certificate.

That deadline makes the residence change an immediate post-graduation task rather than something graduates can defer until finding a job. The right to work isn’t automatic upon graduation; it begins after the agency approves the extended residence application.