Immigration & foreign manpower — Topics

14 Feb 2022

Percentages of Migrant Workers Living in Dormitories Infected with COVID-19 in 2021 and Their Respective Medical Outcomes

In 2021, 98% of migrant workers in dormitories were fully vaccinated, and the vast majority of infected cases had no or mild symptoms.
Among vaccinated workers who tested positive, only 0.05% required oxygen or ICU care, compared to 0.32% of unvaccinated or partially vaccinated workers—a rate over six times higher.
There were no COVID-19-related deaths among migrant workers living in dormitories in 2021.

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14 Feb 2022

Number of Migrant Workers Enrolled into COVID-19 Clinical Trials Since Start of Pandemic and Measures to Ensure Appropriate Informed Consent Obtained Without Duress

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, one approved COVID-19 clinical trial in Singapore recruited 4,257 migrant workers to assess treatments for reducing SARS-CoV-2 spread.
All clinical trials require regulatory approval from the Health Sciences Authority and ethical approval from an Institutional Review Board, with written informed consent obtained under strict legal requirements.
The law prohibits coercion, intimidation, deception, or misrepresentation in obtaining consent, and principal investigators must ensure participants understand the trial and can withdraw at any time without penalty.

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14 Feb 2022

Number of Fights Amongst Migrant Workers in Dormitories in Last Two Years and Measures and Protocols in Place to Maintain Law and Order

There were about 550 cases of hurt, including affray and rioting, among migrant workers in dormitories from 2020 to 2021.
Dormitory operators must implement security measures like access control, CCTV, and security officers under MOM licensing conditions, while police collaborate with them on crime prevention and resident engagement.
Police assess situations upon response and take actions like physically separating parties to prevent escalation when tensions are high.

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14 Feb 2022

Jobs Created by New Investments Brought in by EDB in Last Three Years, their Profile and Preparedness of Local Workforce for this Growth

EDB attracted investments over the last three years created about 54,000 jobs in high-value sectors like advanced manufacturing, digital, and green economy, with a focus on roles such as software engineers, data scientists, and lab technicians.
The local workforce is supported through multi-agency initiatives like Career Conversion Programmes, SkillsFuture, and partnerships with companies like Bosch and Siemens to upskill workers for Industry 4.0 and new job roles.
Approximately 80% of jobs created from 2021 investments are projected to be held by locals with salaries above $4,000, though this depends on labor market conditions and the availability of suitable local talent.
The government is calibrating foreign manpower policies to complement local talent gaps while ensuring Singaporeans benefit from new investments through training and fair recruitment practices under the Fair Consideration Framework.
Investments are increasingly focused on capital- and skills-intensive sectors to enhance productivity, with efforts to make engineering and manufacturing careers more attractive to locals as part of the Manufacturing 2030 strategy.

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12 Jan 2022

Closure of CPF Account and Discontinuation of CPF Life Policy for Singaporeans Who Renounced Citizenship and Permanent Residents Who Returned to Their Home Countries

Singaporeans who renounce citizenship and PRs who leave Singapore are encouraged to close their CPF accounts and discontinue CPF LIFE, as they no longer intend to retire in Singapore.
The CPF Board reminds these individuals to close accounts via notifications and website; failure to close promptly does not immediately terminate CPF LIFE.
While accounts remain open, the monies continue to earn the same prevailing CPF interest rates until closure is processed.

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12 Jan 2022

Inclusion of Migrant Domestic Workers and Workers for Construction and Marine Sectors in Latest Vaccinated Travel Lane Revisions

Gan Thiam Poh asked whether the latest Vaccinated Travel Lane revisions until 21 January 2022 include migrant domestic workers and construction and marine workers under association-led initiatives.
Tan See Leng explained that migrant domestic workers enter through the VTL, mainstream lanes with Stay Home Notice, and industry-led initiatives, while construction and marine workers primarily use industry-led initiatives and mainstream lanes with SHN.
Construction and marine workers undergo an onboarding program with SHN, medical screening, vaccination verification, and a settling-in program upon arrival in Singapore.
The number of construction and marine workers entering is determined in consultation with lead agencies, considering industry needs and onboarding capacity, and most stopped entering via VTL after 23 December 2021.

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12 Jan 2022

Proposal to Subsidise Small Sub-contractors in Built Environment Sector to Bring In Foreign Manpower

Kwek Hian Chuan Henry proposed that the government subsidise small sub-contractors and specialists in the built environment sector to lower the cost of bringing in foreign workers from non-traditional source countries.
The government has implemented temporary support measures, including extended foreign worker levy rebates and waivers, as well as contract adjustments under the COVID-19 Act, to help construction firms manage manpower shortages and cost increases.
These measures are under review as the sector recovers, with signs of improvement such as increased entry of foreign workers and near-pre-COVID progress payments.
The government encourages firms to adopt automation and digitalisation through available incentives to boost productivity and reduce reliance on labour-intensive methods.

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11 Jan 2022

Inspection on Food Provisions for Migrant Workers and Proportion of Migrant Workers with Access to Cooking Facilities before and after Onset of COVID-19 Pandemic

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) monitors migrant worker welfare through teams visiting dormitories, collaborations with NGOs, and a mobile app for reporting issues, addressing feedback on food quality and dietary needs when raised.
In the past five years, MOM received occasional feedback on food provisions and required employers to address concerns promptly, but specific annual inspection numbers were not detailed in the response.
Approximately two-thirds of migrant workers reside in dormitories with cooking facilities, and nearly all have resumed cooking with safe management measures after the COVID-19 pandemic onset.
For migrant workers without access to cooking facilities, employers are required to make alternative arrangements to ensure they have access to food.

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11 Jan 2022

Proposal for Financial Support for Families to Cover Increased Costs of Bringing in Migrant Domestic Workers in Event of Unsuccessful Employment Relationship

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim proposed financial support for families to cover increased costs if an employment relationship with a migrant domestic worker ends unsuccessfully.
The Ministry of Manpower introduced a cost-sharing initiative in September 2021 for Stay-Home Notice and COVID-19 test costs if an employer change occurs within the first year.
With eased border measures, employers can arrange for migrant domestic workers to serve quarantine at their own residence or an agent’s location, lowering hiring costs.
The ministry also improved access to migrant domestic workers' employment history to help employers assess suitability and promote successful employment relationships.

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11 Jan 2022

Gender Ratio of Long-Term Visit Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass Plus Holder and Proportion of These Passholders Employed in Singapore

Tin Pei Ling asked about the gender ratio of Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) and LTVP Plus holders and the proportion employed in Singapore.
As of November 2021, 70% of LTVP and LTVP Plus holders are female and 30% are male.
16% of all LTVP and LTVP Plus holders are employed in Singapore, but they require specific authorization like a Letter of Consent to work.

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11 Jan 2022

Rationale for Different Safe Management Measures for Vaccinated Migrant Workers Living in and Outside of Dormitories

Louis Ng Kok Kwang questioned the rationale for different safe management measures for vaccinated migrant workers in dormitories versus the general population.
Tan See Leng explained that dormitories are communal settings with rapid transmission risk, necessitating more frequent testing and stricter measures like controlled community visits to protect workers' health and minimize work disruptions.
The government has progressively eased restrictions, allowing vaccinated dormitory residents more access to recreation centres and community visits, while continuing to collaborate with community partners to organize activities.

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11 Jan 2022

Impact of Tight Labour Market on Wage Inflation

The tight labour market in Singapore, driven by economic recovery and COVID-19 border restrictions, has led to a higher job vacancy-to-unemployed ratio and wage inflation, with median income growth reversing from a decline in 2020 to a 3.2% increase in 2021.
Wage growth is beneficial for workers but requires productivity gains to be sustainable for businesses, prompting the government to support transformation through grants like the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) and Enterprise Development Grant (EDG).
The government is investing in worker upskilling via initiatives such as the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Package, Career Conversion Programmes, and sector-specific reskilling to equip Singaporeans for emerging job roles.
Access to critical manpower is being facilitated through updated foreign manpower policies and schemes like Tech.Pass and Tech@SG, alongside calibrated border reopening to balance public health and economic needs.
The government continues to monitor the labour market, wage growth, and productivity to ensure businesses can grow and provide better outcomes for Singaporeans.

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11 Jan 2022

Impact of Efforts to Strengthen Singapore Core at Workplaces on Companies' Ability to Fill Specialised Roles

Singapore’s labour market tightened due to COVID-19 entry restrictions, causing companies to report greater difficulties in filling specialised roles over the past two years.
The government has eased entry restrictions in a calibrated manner and introduced initiatives like Career Conversion Programmes and SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways to help businesses reskill locals and fill vacancies.
To remain attractive to global talent, Singapore maintains an open and consistent work pass regime, including schemes like Tech.Pass and Tech@SG for specialised tech roles, while exploring refinements to the Employment Pass framework.

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10 Jan 2022

Data on Migrant Workers Infected with COVID-19 in 2021

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health for the 2021 percentages of migrant workers infected with COVID-19 who had no or mild symptoms, required oxygen, were in ICU, or died.
Ong Ye Kung reported that 99.9% of infected migrant workers had no or mild symptoms, 0.11% required oxygen, 0.021% were in ICU, and 0.0042% died.
The data covers Employment Pass, S Pass, and Work Permit holders from January 1 to December 27, 2021.
The figures are based on each case's worst condition during their infection.
The response highlights the low severe outcomes among migrant workers during the pandemic period.

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10 Jan 2022

Number of Singaporeans Who Renounced Their Citizenship over Past Three Years

Over the past three years, an average of 1,480 Singapore citizens renounced their citizenship each year.
Approximately 21% of those who renounced were naturalised citizens.
The annual renunciation rate remains low at under 0.1% of the citizen population and did not increase during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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10 Jan 2022

Resolving COVID-19-related Disruptions to Entry and Hiring of Migrant Domestic Workers

Tin Pei Ling asked whether the backlog of migrant domestic workers' entry into Singapore has been cleared and if hiring costs have stabilised or reduced in the past two months.
Manpower Minister Tan See Leng confirmed the entry backlog has been cleared and that average monthly salaries have remained stable.
He noted that total upfront hiring costs for new MDWs have slightly decreased due to eased border controls and revised SHN requirements, allowing potential savings on SHN costs.
The Ministry of Manpower will continue to monitor MDW inflow and hiring costs.

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10 Jan 2022

Curbs on Migrant Worker Flows into Singapore and Impact on Business Growth, Costs and Inflation

Mr Chong Kee Hiong inquired about current entry quotas and daily averages for migrant workers in key sectors, along with pre-COVID comparisons, while also seeking measures to address expected worker shortages and rising manpower costs due to inflation and potential border tightening.
Minister Tan See Leng stated that entry approvals resumed in late 2021, with monthly averages rising to 10,000 for services and 18,000 for construction, marine, and process sectors, compared to much lower numbers earlier in the year, and noted no pre-pandemic monitoring due to no restrictions.
The government introduced retention schemes, extended Foreign Worker Levy rebates and waivers to alleviate cost pressures, and emphasized long-term strategies like productivity gains, automation, and local workforce development to reduce reliance on foreign labor.

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3 Nov 2021

Available Data on Employer Type and Market Salaries for Existing Pool of Migrant Domestic Workers in Light of Restrictions on Entry of New Migrant Domestic Workers

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked whether the Ministry of Manpower is tracking employer types and market salaries for the existing pool of migrant domestic workers, given restrictions on new entries.
The Minister for Manpower, Tan See Leng, stated that 86% of existing MDWs in Singapore are hired by households with caregiving needs.
The average monthly salary for new MDWs hired from overseas was $590 as of end-2020 and increased to $620 by September 2021.
Transfer MDWs are paid, on average, about $40 more than new MDWs.
The response highlights data on employer types and salaries but does not indicate whether this information is being systematically tracked.

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3 Nov 2021

Cases of Wrongful Dismissal Lodged by Work Permit Holders in Past Five Years

There were 42 wrongful dismissal claims lodged by Work Permit Holders in 2020, which was part of 1,319 total claims from all employees.
Sixteen of the Work Permit Holder claims were referred to the Employment Claims Tribunals, with 11 dismissed or withdrawn and one case not lodged.
Three cases referred to the ECT resulted in money orders in favour of the employees, while 26 claims were resolved through the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management.

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3 Nov 2021

Statistics on Number of Days Worker is Repatriated Following Cancellation of Worker's Work Permit

Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower for statistics on the number of workers repatriated on the same day, within a week, and the median number of days after work permit cancellation over the past five years.
The Minister for Manpower, Tan See Leng, replied that MOM does not compile the statistics requested, as employers are typically given up to 14 days to repatriate work permit holders after permit cancellation.
MOM briefs new migrant workers during the Settling-In-Programme to inform immigration checkpoint officers if they have pending employment-related claims, allowing them to stay in Singapore to resolve claims and potentially transfer to a new employer.
MOM proactively reaches out to construction workers whose permits are cancelled for the retention scheme with the Singapore Contractors Association Limited, and the scheme is expanding to include Marine Shipyard and Process sectors with industry partners.

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