Employment Status of Foreign Spouses of Singaporeans and Support Available for Lower-income Households

Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current employment status of foreign spouses of Singaporeans; and (b) what is the support given to these foreign spouses to find employment especially for those from lower-income households.

Employers can apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) for foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens on a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or LTVP+ to work in Singapore. In addition, since December 2018, foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens on an LTVP/LTVP+ who wish to work are granted Pre-Approved LOCs (PLOC). With the PLOC, their employers are only required to notify MOM before the start and end of their employment. As at June 2021, about 13,500 foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens on an LTVP/LTVP+ (or slightly over half) are working on an LOC or PLOC.

The LOC and PLOC facilities enable foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens on an LTVP/LTVP+ to seek employment so as to support their families and integrate better into Singapore. Such foreign spouses on an LOC or PLOC are not subject to foreign worker quotas, levies or qualifying salaries. Those who need employment assistance can approach Workforce Singapore’s Careers Connect, NTUC-e2i’s career centres or any of the 24 SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres to receive basic career advisory and job search assistance.

Foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens who are from lower-income households that face financial difficulty can approach our Social Service Offices (SSOs), who will look into ways to support the family. Depending on the family’s needs, our SSOs may refer them to other Government agencies and community partners for support, including employment assistance.