Ministry of Education Relaxes the Requirement of the Diploma Authentication for New Immigrants from Southeast Asia without Having to Go Back to Their Countries.


示意圖(圖/ 雲林縣政府)
New immigrants have become the 5th largest ethnic group in Taiwan. To help new immigrants integrate into the society, Ministry of Education (MoE) not only provides abundant learning resources but also continues to simplify the authentication process of diplomas obtained in the home countries of the immigrants. Graduation certificates, including elementary school diplomas held by new immigrants, can be authenticated by the local government. Not only to return to the Taiwanese Embassies or Offices in their home country for authentication purposes, but it also eliminates the need for the translation of the documents into Chinese, which greatly saves both time and costs. The simplified authentication process is designed to encourage new immigrants to continue their education or jobs in Taiwan.

According to statistics from the National Immigration Agency (NIA), in addition to Chinese immigrants, new immigrants from Southeast Asian countries account for 86% of the total number of foreign immigrants. Currently, most of the new immigrants from Southeast Asian countries are elementary or junior high school graduates. Many of these new immigrants wish to continue their education after arriving in Taiwan. However, due to the regulatory requirements, such new immigrants were required to return to the Taiwanese Embassies or Offices in their home country for authentication applications. The great amount of cost and time incurred often discourage the new immigrants to apply for the authentication.

To reserve the new immigrants’ right to education, MOE has repeatedly invited the local government, experts, scholars and representatives from relevant ministries to discuss such matter and agreed that the assessment and recognition requirement of the diplomas obtained in the Southeast Asian elementary and junior schools should be relaxed in a reasonable way. Applicants only need to submit the academic credentials and affidavit to the local government instead of the Taiwan Embassies or Offices in their home country for assessment and recognition.

In addition, K-12 Education Administration (MoE) has commissioned National Chi Nan University’s Department of Southeast Asian Studies for assisting each local government to process the authentication of diplomas, held by new immigrants from Southeast Asia. Furthermore, the Department of Southeast Asia Studies will also aid in the collection of basic information regarding the elementary and junior schools of 11 various countries in Southeast Asia. By doing so, the authentication of the diplomas process shall be simplified and alleviated.

K-12 Education Administration (MoE) stated that new immigrants have led to the change to the demographic structure and highlighted the educational challenges as a result. The easy authentication system of the diploma will effectively encourage foreign immigrants – this is an important measure that will benefit new immigrants who wish to continue their education or find a job in Taiwan.