Debated in Parliament on 5 Apr 2021.
Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what percentage of holders of dependant passes (DPs) working under a letter of consent are currently working part-time; and (b) what industries and company sizes are affected by working DP holders not being able to meet work pass criteria.
Ms He Ting Ru asked the Minister for Manpower (a) from 2016 to 2020, how many dependant pass holders were granted letters of consent to undertake employment; (b) what are their countries of origin, broken down by region; and (c) what is the breakdown of job types and salary ranges held.
From 2016 to 2020, dependants of foreign work pass holders holding a Dependant's Pass (DP) who have sought employment in Singapore through a Letter of Consent (LOC) have consistently constituted about 1% of all work pass holders. The vast majority of DP holders do not work during their stay in Singapore. Those who do are employed across a range of sectors, including Education, Information & Communications and Professional Services. MOM does not collect data on whether DP LOC holders are working full-time or part-time. Their salary information is also indicative at the point of application and generally aligned with those of the foreign workforce here. We do not publish the breakdown of our foreign workforce by nationality, including for DP LOC holders, as it is not in Singapore's best interest to do so.
From 1 May 2021, MOM will be aligning the requirements for DP holders who wish to work in Singapore with the requirements for all other foreigners working in Singapore. All DP holders who wish to work during their stay in Singapore will need to apply for a relevant work pass, such as an Employment Pass, S Pass or Work Permit. The impact to the overall workforce is likely to be minimal as the majority of existing DP LOC holders will be able to qualify for a mainstream work pass. As for the impact at the firm level, it will depend on LOC employers' willingness to accommodate them through adjustments to their HR arrangements. This change does not affect foreign spouses and children of Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents holding a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or LTVP-Plus (LTVP+) issued by ICA. They may continue to seek employment through an LOC or pre-approved LOC.
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