Immigration & foreign manpower — Topics

8 Nov 2022

Proportion of HDB Resale and BTO Flat Transactions by Singaporeans and PRs from 2010

From 2011 to 2021, 84–90% of BTO flats were booked by households where all applicants were Singapore Citizens, with the remainder involving at least one Permanent Resident.
For resale flats, 65–83% were bought by households where all applicants were Singapore Citizens, with the share of transactions involving at least one Permanent Resident falling from 27% in 2011 to 7% in 2021.
The decline in Permanent Resident households buying resale flats is attributed to a 2013 rule requiring them to wait three years after obtaining PR status before purchase.
BTO flats require at least one Singapore Citizen applicant and can include co-applicants who are Citizens or Permanent Residents, while resale flats allow Permanent Resident households to buy after three years but without housing grants.
Public housing in Singapore primarily serves Singaporeans, with policies ensuring subsidized BTO flats are mainly accessible to Citizen households.

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8 Nov 2022

Impact of Warnings from Law Enforcement Agencies and Acquittals in Criminal Cases on Migrant Workers' Ability to Work in Singapore

Leon Perera asked whether migrant workers who received warnings from law enforcement or were acquitted in criminal cases are automatically barred from working in Singapore.
The Ministry of Manpower emphasized that Singapore’s law and order takes precedence over the interests of foreign work pass holders.
Migrant workers are not automatically barred, but MOM assesses each case based on the circumstances and seriousness of the actions leading to a warning or acquittal.

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7 Nov 2022

Trade Associations/Chambers of Commerce's Feedback on Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass

Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower if feedback was sought from trade associations and chambers on the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass.
The Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and economic agencies regularly engage trade associations and chambers on manpower needs and work pass policies.
Feedback from these groups is consistently considered in all reviews of the work pass framework, including the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass.

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7 Nov 2022

Projected Rate of Population Growth Over Next Three Years

The Prime Minister’s office stated that Singapore’s population growth over the next three years will be influenced by resident trends like marriage, fertility, mortality, and migration, and non-resident numbers by economic and manpower needs.
The pace of total population growth in this decade is expected to be slower than the previous decade and remain below 6.9 million by 2030, with some near-term fluctuations due to the uncertain global outlook and lingering COVID-19 effects.
The government will continue monitoring population trends closely to ensure policies meet Singaporeans’ needs, with no specific numeric breakdowns provided for citizens, permanent residents, or non-residents.

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7 Nov 2022

Building a Winning Global Talent Strategy

The debate emphasized that Singapore’s global talent strategy must balance practical economic needs with addressing local concerns about fairness, integration, and national identity, as attracting talent is vital for an advanced economy with a shortage of local skilled workers.
Key measures include clearly distinguishing work pass policies from immigration pathways, ensuring a transactional initial approach to hiring foreigners, and expecting them to respect Singapore’s laws, culture, and local workforce through initiatives like orientation programs.
Enhancing local talent development is crucial, with suggestions to promote overseas exposure and a global mindset among students and workers, while also leveraging SMEs to benefit from international expertise and ensure knowledge transfer to build a stronger Singaporean core.

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7 Nov 2022

Measures to Reduce and Compensate for Attrition of Doctors in Public Sector

The Ministry has increased local medical school intakes by about 60% over the past decade and admitted extra students during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also recruiting around 200 returning Singaporean doctors annually from countries like Australia, the UK, and Ireland, and supplementing with foreign doctors from India, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and the UK.
The attrition rate of doctors leaving the public sector for private practice is considered acceptable at 3-5% from 2019 to 2021, and efforts are ongoing to retain doctors in public healthcare.
The Ministry maintains that academic and safety standards for medical school admission and full registration must not be lowered, whether for local polytechnic graduates or foreign-trained doctors, to ensure competence and patient safety.

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20 Oct 2022

Prices and Adequacy of Bed Space in Migrant Worker Dormitories

The average monthly rental price for migrant worker dormitory beds has risen from $272 pre-COVID-19 to $316 for new contracts in September 2022, driven by higher operating costs and inflation.
Strong demand for bed spaces has increased due to the economic recovery, with Work Permit holders in Construction, Marine, and Process sectors up 23% since January 2022 and nearly 10% above pre-pandemic levels.
Employers are urged to secure housing for workers before their arrival and consider options like temporary construction quarters, as the current number of migrant workers in Singapore is already significantly higher than pre-COVID-19 levels.

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20 Oct 2022

Malaysian Confinement Nannies Granted Work Permits and Average Duration of Employment

Malaysian confinement nannies received an average of about 600, 700, and 900 Work Permits per month in 2019, 2020, and 2021 respectively.
The average duration of employment for these nannies is approximately 40 days.
The data reflects a consistent increase in Work Permits granted over the three-year period.

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20 Oct 2022

Detection of Labour Trafficking In and Through Singapore In Last One Year

Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Manpower about any detection of labour trafficking in or through Singapore in the past year.
As of 1 October 2022, one alleged case was reported in 2022 but was not found to be trafficking-related after investigation.
The Ministry of Manpower proactively detects and investigates potential cases, prosecutes trafficking under the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act, and engages migrant workers during inspections and settlement programmes.
The Ministry encourages the public to report any suspected labour trafficking cases to them.

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20 Oct 2022

Number of Former Permanent Residents Required to Dispose of HDB Flats to Date

Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for National Development for the number of former Permanent Residents required to dispose of HDB flats after renouncing PR or staying abroad without a re-entry permit.
Desmond Lee stated that former SPRs who cease to be SPRs must relinquish their HDB flat ownership or face compulsory acquisition by HDB.
As of 30 September 2022, about 90 flat owners (less than 0.01% of all HDB flat owners) had ceased to be SPRs in 2022 and were pending disposal of their flats.

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20 Oct 2022

Breakdown of Foreign-trained Doctors Registered as New Medical Practitioners in Last Five Years

Over the past five years, a total of 2,780 foreign-trained doctors were newly registered as medical practitioners in Singapore.
Of these new registrants, 274 are currently on the Family Physicians Register.
Among those in family medicine, 116 are Singapore Citizens, 133 are Permanent Residents, and 25 are non-residents.

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20 Oct 2022

Inclusion of Monies Lost to Scams by Migrant Workers in MAS' Framework for Equitable Sharing of Losses

Miss Rachel Ong inquired about the amounts lost by migrant workers to scams over the past three years, whether MAS’s loss-sharing framework includes them, and if special compensation considerations would be made due to their vulnerability.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam reported that migrant workers lost S$4.5 million in 2019, S$10.4 million in 2020, and S$24.9 million in 2021, with phishing and job scams being the most common, and noted ongoing government efforts in education and enforcement.
The government is taking multi-faceted actions to combat scams, including public education campaigns in multiple languages and outreach through NGOs and community partners specifically targeting migrant workers.
MAS is developing a framework for shared responsibility among relevant parties to incentivize vigilance against scams, which will apply to customers of financial institutions but did not explicitly confirm inclusion of migrant workers in this framework.

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20 Oct 2022

Dependant Passes for Same-Sex Spouses or Partners of Work Pass Holders

Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower whether Dependant Passes have been issued to same-sex spouses or partners of work pass holders.
Tan See Leng stated that the Ministry of Manpower has not issued any Dependant Passes to same-sex spouses or partners of work pass holders.
The exchange confirms the current policy does not extend Dependant Passes to same-sex partners of work pass holders.

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20 Oct 2022

Reasons for Government's Venture into Private Sector Space of Construction of Migrant Worker Dormitories

Seah Kian Peng raised concerns about the government's new migrant worker dormitories potentially crowding out private operators and questioned the reasons for government involvement in a private sector space.
Tan See Leng explained that the government's purpose is to drive innovation and improve public health resilience and liveability in migrant worker housing.
He clarified that the two government-built dormitories represent a small fraction of over 50 private-operated ones, ensuring no significant crowding out of private operators.
The government will continue to tender new dormitories based on workforce needs, maintaining private sector involvement.
Further details were referenced from a MOM launch event in October 2022.

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20 Oct 2022

Yardstick to Measure Success of ONE Pass Scheme

Mr Yip Hon Weng asked whether the Ministry will measure the success of the ONE Pass by looking at the profitability of firms hiring such talent, the ratio of Singaporean to foreign talent in top roles, and the increase in Singaporean employees.
Minister Tan See Leng acknowledged these indicators are relevant but noted the difficulty of isolating the impact of ONE Pass holders on individual company performance due to many other influencing factors.
The Minister emphasized that Singapore benefits more broadly from the networks and opportunities created by ONE Pass holders, and that monitoring should focus on macro-level economic competitiveness and local employment outcomes.
The government will continue to assess the scheme through both micro and macro indicators to ensure it benefits Singaporeans and the economy.
The approach balances company-level observations with a broader view of national economic growth and leadership opportunities for Singaporeans.

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20 Oct 2022

Reasons for Record High Permanent Resident Status Granted in 2021

In 2021, about 33,400 individuals were granted Permanent Resident status, a figure similar to pre-COVID levels and influenced by in-person process delays due to travel restrictions in 2020.
The number of PRs granted annually depends on application volume and quality, with selection based on integration, contribution, and commitment to Singapore, while maintaining a measured immigration pace.
Changes to the Employment Pass framework do not affect PR assessments, which are independent and evaluate factors like family ties and residency, with no work pass guaranteeing fast-track to PR.
Singapore citizenship applications typically take about 12 months to process, and the government encourages conversion by ensuring Singaporeans benefit from a well-managed society.
Benefits for PRs have been differentiated from those for citizens in areas like parenthood, housing, healthcare, and education, reflecting the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

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20 Oct 2022

Data on Registered Local and Foreign Doctors

Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Health for the total number of registered foreign doctors, their average annual increase since 2000, and a breakdown by nationality.
He also requested data on how many Singaporean and non-Singaporean doctors, graduated from local or foreign universities, were granted registration to practice in Singapore since 2000.
Ong Ye Kung responded that as of 31 December 2021, 15,423 doctors held active practising certificates, with 93.2% being Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents and 63.4% locally trained.
Of the non-resident doctors, 6.9% were locally trained and 93.1% were foreign trained, with the majority coming from India, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, and the United Kingdom.

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5 Oct 2022

Materiality of Letter of Consent for Spouses of Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass Holders

Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower about which agencies provided feedback on the materiality of the letter of consent for spouses of Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass holders and when the feedback was given.
The Ministry of Manpower and economic agencies received feedback from trade associations and chambers, including the Singapore International Chamber of Commerce and several national chambers, stating the letter of consent assured foreign professionals their spouses could work in Singapore and was critical to relocation decisions.
The feedback was provided after the March 2021 announcement during the MOM Committee of Supply debate on regularising work arrangements for Dependant’s Pass holders.

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5 Oct 2022

Academic and Non-academic Staff Employed by Institutes of Higher Learning on Employment and S Passes

Leong Mun Wai asked for the numbers of academic and non-academic staff in Institutes of Higher Learning on Employment Passes and S Passes, the count of S Pass holders with PhDs, and their roles.
Chan Chun Sing responded that in 2021, Employment Pass and S Pass holders made up about 11% and 4% respectively of all academic and non-academic staff in Autonomous Universities, Polytechnics, and the Institute of Technical Education.
Around 2% of IHL staff were S Pass holders with PhD qualifications, mainly in junior research-related roles and classified as non-academic staff.

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4 Oct 2022

Complaints from Singaporeans About Being Replaced by Foreign Labour in Last Five Years

Leong Mun Wai asked for the number and percentage of complaints from Singaporeans about being replaced by foreign labour over the last five years.
Tan See Leng stated that TAFEP received about 180 complaints annually related to nationality discrimination from 2017 to 2021, but does not specifically track cases of Singaporeans being replaced by foreign workers.
Overall, complaints about nationality discrimination make up less than 5% of all employment-related complaints from local employees.

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