Countries with Mutual Agreements with Singapore Allowing Residents to Work in Each Other's Country

Debated in Parliament on 6 Jan 2020.

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Minister Chan Chun Sing explained that there is no exact count of Singaporeans working abroad due to the absence of reporting requirements, but they can work overseas under WTO agreements, FTAs, and MRAs/MOUs.
Singaporeans work abroad through three main channels: as intra-corporate transferees under WTO commitments, via specific visa arrangements like the H1B1 under the US-Singapore FTA, and through mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Examples include the US-Singapore FTA allowing Singaporean professionals to work in the US, and an MRA enabling Singaporean chartered engineers to practice in the Netherlands.

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Gan Thiam Poh

Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many countries have mutual agreements with Singapore to allow residents to work in each other's country; (b) which are the countries that allow Singaporeans to work in their countries; (c) what is the number of Singaporeans who have worked in each of these countries; and (d) in these countries, what are the professions/positions they are in.

Chan Chun Sing

As there are no reporting requirements, we do not have the exact number of Singaporeans who are working in specific professions abroad. However, Singaporeans can work overseas under three broad categories of commitments.

Firstly, under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), Singaporeans working in companies with overseas presence may work in other WTO members as intra-corporate transferees (ICTs) for a specified number of years, depending on the commitments made by the host member.

Secondly, Singaporeans may work in other countries with which we have Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). For example, Singaporean professionals can work in the United States via the H1B1 visa, which was made available to Singapore under the United States-Singapore FTA. Our FTA partners may also make more favourable commitments on Singaporean ICTs, such as by extending the number of years in which Singaporean ICTs may work in their country, going beyond their commitments made in the WTO GATS.

Thirdly, mutual recognition agreements (MRAs) and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) signed by our professional bodies allow Singaporean qualifications and licences to be recognised overseas, and vice versa, enhancing the mobility of our professionals. For instance, through the MRA between Singapore's Institution of Engineers and the Royal Netherlands Society of Engineers signed in July 2018, Singaporean Chartered Engineers whose qualifications are recognised may practice in The Netherlands and vice versa.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Minister Chan Chun Sing explained that there is no exact count of Singaporeans working abroad due to the absence of reporting requirements, but they can work overseas under WTO agreements, FTAs, and MRAs/MOUs.
Singaporeans work abroad through three main channels: as intra-corporate transferees under WTO commitments, via specific visa arrangements like the H1B1 under the US-Singapore FTA, and through mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Examples include the US-Singapore FTA allowing Singaporean professionals to work in the US, and an MRA enabling Singaporean chartered engineers to practice in the Netherlands.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Countries with Mutual Agreements with Singapore Allowing Residents to Work in Each Other's Country

Debated in Parliament on 6 Jan 2020.

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Minister Chan Chun Sing explained that there is no exact count of Singaporeans working abroad due to the absence of reporting requirements, but they can work overseas under WTO agreements, FTAs, and MRAs/MOUs.
Singaporeans work abroad through three main channels: as intra-corporate transferees under WTO commitments, via specific visa arrangements like the H1B1 under the US-Singapore FTA, and through mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Examples include the US-Singapore FTA allowing Singaporean professionals to work in the US, and an MRA enabling Singaporean chartered engineers to practice in the Netherlands.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Full Transcript

Gan Thiam Poh

Chan Chun Sing

Summary written by AI (learn more)

Minister Chan Chun Sing explained that there is no exact count of Singaporeans working abroad due to the absence of reporting requirements, but they can work overseas under WTO agreements, FTAs, and MRAs/MOUs.
Singaporeans work abroad through three main channels: as intra-corporate transferees under WTO commitments, via specific visa arrangements like the H1B1 under the US-Singapore FTA, and through mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
Examples include the US-Singapore FTA allowing Singaporean professionals to work in the US, and an MRA enabling Singaporean chartered engineers to practice in the Netherlands.

Questions identified by AI (learn more)

Countries with Mutual Agreements with Singapore Allowing Residents to Work in Each Other's Country | PAPERCUTS

Countries with Mutual Agreements with Singapore Allowing Residents to Work in Each Other's Country

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Gan Thiam Poh

Chan Chun Sing

Summary

Questions Identified

Countries with Mutual Agreements with Singapore Allowing Residents to Work in Each Other's Country

Summary

Questions Identified

Full Transcript

Gan Thiam Poh

Chan Chun Sing

Summary

Questions Identified