HK, Macao Students Choosing to Stay in Taiwan After Graduating

Up to 30% of Hong Kong and Macao students coming to Taiwan are choosing to stay on after graduation.

Transcript

00:00I want to tell you that I've found a job.

00:02Feng Suk-man visits a former professor with good news.

00:06She's found a job in Taiwan, and she's part of a trend.

00:09This Hong Kong native is one of a growing number of people from the city coming to study

00:12in Taiwan and staying after graduation.

00:16Labour ministry data shows up to 30% of students who come to Taiwan from the Chinese territories

00:20of Hong Kong and Macau choose Taiwan as the launch point for their careers.

00:24It's a pity to go back to my home country, so I decided to stay here and see what the

00:31future holds.

00:35The universities bringing in these students say that while Taiwan isn't perfect, it has

00:39its attractions.

00:40Compared to Hong Kong and Macau, Taiwan's salary is relatively low, but the work environment

00:46and living environment are more friendly, so they might be able to take a break.

00:51There are a range of sectors that are especially popular with these students, from the service,

00:55retail and hospitality sectors to ICT and medicine.

01:00And school job fairs make it possible to have a job lined up before graduation.

01:04But there's one more big reason why Hong Kong and Macau students are staying, changes to

01:08the points system that determines who can stay in Taiwan.

01:12Crackdowns on freedom have sparked a mass exodus of Hong Kongers in recent years, but

01:17nearby Taiwan hasn't been especially welcoming, with no refugee law and suspicions of Chinese

01:22spies.

01:24For students, though, the path to residency is clearer, and reforms have made it easier

01:28than ever to stay, with more ways to earn points.

01:31The government is especially keen to get students training as social workers and financial

01:47service providers to stay, and fill much-needed positions, as Taiwan's population ages and

01:53shrinks.

01:54Andy Hsueh and John Van Triest for Taiwan Plus.