Immigration & foreign manpower — Topics

4 Nov 2020

Prevalence of COVID-19 Infections amongst Foreign Domestic Workers

As of 28 October 2020, 139 foreign domestic workers (FDWs) tested positive for COVID-19, with 109 imported cases during Stay-Home Notice and 30 locally transmitted cases, resulting in an infection rate of 0.01% among FDWs, which is lower than the community rate of 0.04%.
Most locally transmitted FDW cases were linked to their employer's household, while a few had no established links, and none spread the infection within the employer's household except for one cluster link.
The Ministry of Manpower issued advisories and educational materials to minimize FDWs' exposure, encouraged arrangements for less crowded rest days, and promoted the use of TraceTogether and e-remittance services.
Incoming FDWs must meet the same entry requirements as other travellers, including pre-departure testing, serving a 14-day SHN at dedicated facilities, and testing negative before release to manage importation risks.

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3 Nov 2020

More Flexibility in Employment of Foreigners as Chefs for Specific and Unique Cuisines

Christopher de Souza asked for more flexibility in employing foreign chefs for specific and unique cuisines.
Mrs Josephine Teo explained there are no country source restrictions on S Pass or Employment Pass workers, allowing such chefs to be brought in.
She encouraged food service companies to seek sustainable manpower solutions, train locals, and explore job redesign.
Businesses can tap on the Lean Enterprise Development Scheme for transitional support, and MOM considers requests for manpower flexibility on a case-by-case basis.

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3 Nov 2020

Plans for Green Lanes or Special Travel Arrangements between Singapore and USA and Precautionary Measures in Place for Incoming Passengers

Miss Cheng Li Hui asked about current travel arrangements between Singapore and the USA, plans for green lanes or special travel arrangements, and COVID-19 precautionary measures for inbound passengers from the USA, given the high infection rates.
Ong Ye Kung stated that short-term visitors from the USA are not allowed entry unless they are immediate family members of Singapore Citizens or PRs, spouses-to-be, or non-residents with extenuating reasons, and all entering must serve a 14-day Stay-Home Notice with a COVID-19 test.
The government advises Singaporeans to defer non-essential travel to the USA, and no negotiations for green lanes or special arrangements with the USA have begun.

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3 Nov 2020

Clearer Indication of Surname of Passport Holder in Singapore Passports to Avoid Confusion and Ambiguity

Gerald Giam asked whether Singapore passports can clearly show the surname (or patronym/matronym) to avoid confusion at immigration or with official documents.
K Shanmugam replied that passports follow ICAO standards and display names as registered in birth certificates or NRICs, with surnames specified at birth shown in the machine-readable zone after "PASGP".
Foreign authorities scanning the MRZ will know the holder's surname, regardless of how it is sequenced in the name field.

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3 Nov 2020

Permission for Foreigners Due to Register Marriages with Singapore Citizens to Enter Singapore Despite COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

Seah Kian Peng asked whether foreigners can enter Singapore to register marriages with Singapore Citizen fiancés or fiancées, provided they follow health and quarantine rules.
K Shanmugam stated that all foreign visitors need prior approval to enter Singapore due to COVID-19 risks.
He confirmed that ICA will generally facilitate applications for foreigners to enter for marriage registration with Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents.
Approved applicants must use the ICA website to apply and will be subject to prevailing COVID-19 measures, including Stay-Home Notice and swab tests with related fees.
The response emphasizes that entry is not automatic but will be supported if health protocols are followed.

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3 Nov 2020

Data on Profile of Private Hire Car Drivers

As of August 2020, there were 97,000 taxi driver's vocational licence holders, with 32,000 registered as active taxi drivers that month, while 52,000 private hire car driver's vocational licence (PDVL) holders existed, with 43,000 completing at least one private hire car trip in the same period.
Approximately 95% of PDVL holders are Singaporeans and the rest are permanent residents, with 85% aged above 30.
A new policy effective 15 September 2020 requires new PDVL applicants to be Singapore citizens at least 30 years old, though existing PDVL holders are not affected if they continue to renew their licences.

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2 Nov 2020

Letter of Consent Applications by Unique Applicants from Long Term Visit Pass Holders in Each of Last Five Years

Ms Carrie Tan queried the Minister for Manpower about the number of unique Long Term Visit Pass holders who applied for Letters of Consent in each of the last five years.
Prior to December 2018, LTVP and LTVP+ holders needed employers to apply for Letters of Consent for them to work.
From December 2018, eligible spouses and unmarried children of Singaporeans or PRs received Pre-Approved LOCs, allowing them to work with employer notification to MOM.
The Ministry provided a yearly breakdown of unique applicants for the period in question.
The response highlighted the policy shift to simplify work authorization for certain LTVP holders.

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2 Nov 2020

Update on Access to and Use of Recreation Centres by Migrant Workers Cleared for Work

Miss Rachel Ong asked the Ministry of Manpower for an update on migrant workers' access to recreation centres, including the percentage who have used them, access schedules for those cleared but not working, and a timeline for full social access.
Mrs Josephine Teo responded that trials began in August 2020, with eight recreation centres offering services and allocated timeslots to prevent overcrowding, and eligibility requires no dormitory infections and negative COVID-19 tests or recovery.
As of late October, about 150,000 dormitory residents (50% of total) were included in trials, with 30,000 (20% of participants) visiting recreation centres, and access was expanded from 31 October to all cleared dormitory residents.
The ministry is studying how to support migrant workers' recreational needs while managing transmission risks from large gatherings and prolonged interactions.

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2 Nov 2020

Number of Migrant Workers Issued Stay Home Notices and Quarantine Orders and Cases of Transmission across Groups in Different Locations since Phase Two Re-opening

Mrs Josephine Teo stated that about 53,000 migrant workers have been issued Stay Home Notices or Quarantine Orders since dormitories were cleared in August, with the number now reduced to about 4,000.
Rostered Routine Testing every 14 days, covering 98% of workers, has led to a decline in COVID-19 incidence from 0.27% in August to 0.03% in early October.
Measures including Safe Living, Safe Working, and Safe Rest Day protocols have been implemented, with no detected cross-transmission among different dormitory or worksite groups since August.
The Migrant Worker Taskforce and related agencies are monitoring the situation closely, emphasizing that the large majority of workers are safely available to continue working.

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2 Nov 2020

Statistics on Singaporean Children Born to Long Term Visit Pass Holders versus Singaporean Women in Past 10 Years

Ms Carrie Tan asked the Minister for Social and Family Development for data over the past 10 years on the number of Singaporean children born to Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders versus Singaporean women, the number of divorces involving at least one LTVP holder and a Singaporean child, and comparable national figures.
The Ministry provided a table showing the annual count of Singapore Citizen children born in Singapore to female LTVP holders and to Singaporean Citizen women from 2010 to 2019.
Data on divorces between Singaporean Citizens and LTVP holders with at least one child under 21 years old from 2010 to 2019 is unavailable because the Family Justice Courts and Syariah Court do not track divorce by the immigration pass type of non-resident parties.

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2 Nov 2020

Ratio of Foreign Recipients of Tuition Grants, Scholarships and Full-paying Students in Autonomous Universities and Their Income and Residency Status Post-Graduation

The Minister reported that international students receiving tuition grants only, a combination of tuition grants and scholarships, and those who are full-fee paying make up about 60%, 25%, and 15% of the intake respectively.
Recipients of tuition grants and scholarships have median starting salaries comparable to the overall undergraduate average, while salaries for full-fee paying students are not specifically tracked.
About 75% of scholarship holders and 60% of tuition grant recipients from the 2012–2014 cohorts secured permanent residency, with 10–15% becoming citizens within five years, whereas no data is tracked for full-fee paying students.

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2 Nov 2020

Requests for Non-spousal Sponsorship for Long Term Visit Pass in Each of Past Five Years

In the past five years, ICA received an average of 24,255 LTVP renewal applications annually requesting non-spousal sponsorship.
The breakdown of applications per year from 2015 to 2019 was provided by the Minister for Home Affairs.
Non-spousal sponsorship requests include LTVP holders who are children and parents of Singapore citizens and permanent residents.
The question was raised by MP Carrie Tan during the parliamentary debate on LTVP sponsorship trends.
The response highlighted the scale of such applications over the specified period.

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2 Nov 2020

Breakdown of Employees' Citizenship in Civil Service and Statutory Boards

Hazel Poa asked for the current breakdown of employees in the Civil Service and statutory boards by citizenship status, specifically the numbers of Singapore citizens, permanent residents, and foreigners.
Chan Chun Sing, speaking for the Prime Minister, provided figures as of 31 December 2019: 138,126 Singapore citizens, 5,306 permanent residents, and 3,160 foreigners employed in the Civil Service and statutory boards.
The response indicates that citizens make up the vast majority of employees, with permanent residents and foreigners comprising a small minority.
The debate focused on transparency regarding the composition of the public sector workforce, highlighting the dominance of Singapore citizens in these roles.

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2 Nov 2020

Employment Dispute Cases Due to Abuse of the System by Foreign Workers

From 2017 to 2019, about 5,000 foreign work pass holders per year filed salary claims with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management, with disputed cases referred to the Ministry of Manpower for investigation.
In 2019, the Ministry identified eight cases where foreign workers behaved irresponsibly during salary claim processes, such as making false claims, leading to their work passes being cancelled and permanent bans from working in Singapore.
Over the same period, the Ministry took legal action against eight foreign workers for making false work injury claims, resulting in prosecutions, warnings, and permanent bans from working in Singapore.
The Ministry emphasizes that both employers and workers must act responsibly and maintain good communication to prevent disputes, and it will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate action against false allegations by either party.

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2 Nov 2020

Affordable and Comprehensive Insurance Coverage for Foreign Workers

Leon Perera proposed mandating more comprehensive insurance for migrant workers and providing subsidies to help employers afford it.
The Ministry of Manpower requires employers to provide at least $15,000 annual medical coverage, with 95% of bills falling below this amount in recent years.
The Ministry is developing an insurance program to help manage large medical expenses while balancing coverage and cost without relying on tax-funded subsidies.

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2 Nov 2020

Reasons for Small but Persistent Number of COVID-19 Infections Amongst Foreign Workers

The persistent low-level infections among foreign workers are due to some individuals testing negative during the incubation period when viral loads are low, even with accurate PCR tests.
Singapore employs a multi-layered strategy including mandatory Rostered Routine Testing every 14 days, with risk-based 7-day testing in high-risk dormitories, and rapid quarantine of close contacts to contain spread.
The Infection Prevention and Control programme educates workers and operators on hygiene and safe distancing, supported by audits, to reduce transmission risks in dormitories.
Over 450,000 contact-tracing devices are being distributed to improve tracing and quarantine efficiency, helping maintain a safe working environment as the country moves into Phase 3.

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2 Nov 2020

Investigations into Complaints that Retrenchments Do Not Adequately Comply with Advisories to Retain Strong Singapore Core

The Ministry of Manpower investigates complaints by reviewing workforce profiles before and after retrenchment, assessing changes in citizen, permanent resident, and non-local shares, and evaluating the objectivity and application of selection criteria.
The Government can intervene by withholding financial support or suspending work pass privileges for non-compliant employers, and employees who are wrongfully dismissed due to discrimination may seek compensation or reinstatement under the Employment Act.
Permanent residents are considered part of the resident workforce but are distinct from citizens; the advisory emphasizes retaining a strong Singapore Core, which primarily refers to citizens, though both citizens and permanent residents are included in MOM's assessments.

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2 Nov 2020

Managing Demand in Construction Sector Caused by Project Delays

Liang Eng Hwa asked about the current state of construction demand, project delays, capacity recovery, and whether there is enough capacity to meet backlogged demand.
Desmond Lee responded that construction demand is projected to be lower this year, but recovery is expected in 2021 with support from public sector projects and government measures like the Jobs Support Scheme and foreign worker levy waivers.
The government is working with industry groups to help migrant workers stay employed and is selectively allowing more work pass holders to return, while also studying ways to facilitate more entry with public health safeguards.
Efforts are ongoing to support the sector through the pandemic and encourage transformation to reduce reliance on low-cost manpower.

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15 Oct 2020

Permanent Residents Granted Citizenship Status Each Year in Last Three Years

Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Home Affairs for the number of permanent residents granted citizenship each year over the last three years.
The Minister responded with annual figures: 18,269 in 2017, 18,840 in 2018, and 19,049 in 2019.
The total number of citizenship grants in those years were 22,076, 22,550, and 22,714 respectively.
The difference is attributed to non-resident minors, such as children of Singaporeans or PRs, granted citizenship as part of a family unit.

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15 Oct 2020

Overview of Government’s Strategy to Emerge Stronger from the COVID-19 Pandemic

The debate highlighted the urgent need to address long-term industry disruption and job displacement, with speakers proposing targeted measures such as fixed-term foreign work passes to attract specialized talent while training Singaporeans, enhanced career coaching with transparent KPIs, and proactive job anticipation programs inspired by international models.
MPs emphasized the importance of holistic support for families, including extending the Baby Support Grant to cover more parents, enhancing shared parental leave to promote gender equity, and reducing stress in the education system to encourage higher birth rates.
There was a strong focus on uplifting low-wage workers through the Progressive Wage Model, with the government defending its sectoral approach over a universal minimum wage, while also proposing enhanced support for small and medium enterprises, digital literacy for all ages, and better job matching to reduce unemployment.

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