1. What are the eligibility criteria for foreign doctoral talents?

(I) Education: Applicants must have obtained a doctoral degree from a Taiwanese university or independent college, whether public or private, recognized by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of China and have a field of study relevant to the industry that applicants wish to engage in.

(II)Participation limit: Each doctorate holder can only enroll in the program once.

 

  1. Can foreign citizen doctoral candidates enroll in the program?

Yes. The program is equivalent to a postdoctoral fellowship and each accepted applicant will receive NT$60,000 in training remuneration each month regardless of seniority. However, doctoral candidates must complete their dissertation (graduation) in order to receive the remuneration.

 

  1. Can foreign citizen postdoctoral research fellows enroll in the program?

Yes. The program is equivalent to a postdoctoral fellowship and each accepted applicant will receive NT$60,000 in training remuneration each month regardless of seniority. However, accepted applicants who are already engaged in a job have to complete the relevant resignation procedure in order to receive the remuneration.

 

  1. Is there any age limit for foreign doctoral talents?

There is no age limit. However, the training units and partner companies are ultimately entitled to choose the applicants they deem most adequate based on a case-by-case consideration.

 

  1. Is there any citizenship restriction for foreign doctoral talents?

Those who do not have R.O.C. citizenship but have obtained a doctoral degree from an educational institution in Taiwan may apply for the program, except for citizens of the People's Republic of China.

 

  1. Do foreign doctoral talents need to remain in Taiwan as long as they are enrolled in the program? Is it possible for them to return to their home countries for a short-term visit?

Foreign doctoral talents can actively contact training units during the selection stage to learn about the job location(s). During the training period, those who are required to leave the country for work reasons shall be governed by the training unit's corporate travel policy and the foreign travel expenses shall be covered by the partner company. Those who decide to leave the country for personal reasons shall follow the training unit's leave policy.

 

  1. How long is the internship for foreign doctoral talents at the partner company?

Internships last for at least 6 months but the training cannot consist only of an internship at the partner company. Applicants should actively contact training units to learn about the contents of on-the-job training and industry internship duration. The requirement for a 6-month internship can be waived if the trainee starts the job at the partner company early.

 

  1. Is the training remuneration for foreign citizen trainees equal to that of R.O.C. citizen trainees?

The program is equivalent to a postdoctoral fellowship and each accepted applicant will receive NT$60,000 in training remuneration each month regardless of their citizenship.

 

  1. Do foreign doctoral talents need to apply for an Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) or work permit in order to enroll in the program?

This is necessary. Training units will apply with the Ministry of Labor (MOL) for a work permit on foreign citizen trainees' behalf. Foreign citizen trainees must then submit the MOL's work permit approval letter and other relevant documents to the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior to apply for an ARC.

 

  1. Will foreign doctoral talents who are enrolled in the program enjoy labor insurance and health insurance coverage?

Foreign citizen trainees will be covered under the labor insurance and national health insurance.

(I)Labor insurance: foreign doctoral talent employed by a training unit shall be covered under the labor insurance without exception, as per Article 6 of the Labor Insurance Act.

(II) National health insurance (NHI): Once the foreign citizen trainee has obtained the work permit approval letter from the Ministry of Labor and the Alien Resident Certificate from the National Immigration Agency, Ministry of the Interior, the training unit will apply for NHI enrollment with the National Health Insurance Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare on behalf of the foreign citizen trainee.

 

  1. Will the foreign citizen trainee be considered an employee of the training unit or of the partner company?

Trainees shall be regarded as employees of the training unit and must comply with relevant managerial regulations, e.g., its attendance policy, corporate travel policy, confidentiality policy, employee code of conduct, occupational safety policy, employee welfare measures, etc. However, when doing the internship, trainees must comply with managerial regulations and performance assessments of the partner company, e.g., its attendance policy, employee code of conduct, etc.

 

  1. Which location will serve as training site, the premises of the training unit or that of the partner company? Can one get reimbursement for commuting expenses?

This will depend on the circumstances. The training unit will organize, implement and oversee the business internship arrangements. Trainees can contact the training unit and partner company to discuss and reach an agreement. Trainees can apply for reimbursement of commuting or travel expenses based on the training unit's corporate travel policy if business travel is required by the training unit.

 

  1. Can foreign doctoral talents do an internship at more than one partner company?

This will depend on the circumstances. The training unit will organize, implement and oversee the business internship arrangements. Trainees can contact the training unit and partner company to discuss and reach an agreement.

 

  1. Who will own intellectual property created during the internship?

Any intellectual property, such as patents, created by trainees during their internship at the partner company shall belong to the training unit, unless otherwise agreed. The partner company can sign an intellectual property rights agreement with the training unit on an individual basis, where necessary. The trainee will be the creator of the intellectual property in principle.