Immigration & foreign manpower — Topics

12 Nov 2012

Revocation of Permanent Residency Status

Zainal Sapari inquired about the number, reasons, and policy on revoking permanent residency (PR) status, including cases causing social, racial, or religious discontent.
Teo Chee Hean stated that from 2007 to 2011, an average of 42 PRs were revoked yearly, primarily due to criminal convictions and false declarations in applications.
The revocation process involves careful evaluation by ICA considering factors like offence severity, public order impact, and family ties in Singapore.

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12 Nov 2012

Measures to Tighten S Pass Numbers

The government tightened Employment Pass (EP) criteria in January 2012, leading to 7,800 existing and new EP holders downgrading to S Passes in the first half of 2012, with further downgrades expected as renewals are assessed under the stricter framework.
S Pass numbers increased by 14,200 in the first half of 2012, but excluding downgrades, underlying growth was 6,400, similar to the previous year, with construction showing strong growth due to ongoing projects.
Measures to moderate S Pass numbers include reducing the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) from July 2012 and scheduled levy increases until July 2013, aimed at encouraging productivity and reducing reliance on foreign labour while allowing companies time to adjust.

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12 Nov 2012

Leasing of Toa Payoh Flats to House Foreign Workers

Mrs Lina Chiam questioned why HDB leased Blocks 32 and 33 in Toa Payoh to Resorts World Sentosa for foreign workers at below market rates and why the flats were not used for needy Singaporeans under the Interim Housing Scheme.
Khaw Boon Wan clarified that Block 31 remains for needy Singaporeans, while Blocks 32 and 33 are vacated SERS flats leased to EM Services at market rates, with RWS subleasing them as a commercial arrangement without rental concessions.
HDB's lease with EM Services ends in December 2012, after which the flats will be demolished for redevelopment.

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16 Oct 2012

Work Holiday Programme Passes

The Work Holiday Programme allows young foreign students from selected overseas universities to live and work in Singapore for six months, with a cap of 2,000 applicants at any given time.
Member of Parliament Pritam Singh requested data on the number of Work Holiday Programme passes issued to students from each eligible country since 2007.
The Acting Minister for Manpower provided the number of passes issued from 2008 to 2011 in a table.

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16 Oct 2012

Speculative Element in Prices of HDB Shophouses

Ong Teng Koon raised concerns about potential speculation, citizenship eligibility, and stricter rules for HDB shophouse purchases.
Khaw Boon Wan noted that 95% of HDB shophouses are owned by Singaporeans or Singaporean companies, with low resale activity indicating minimal speculation.
He added that HDB shophouses are sold without restrictions like private properties and that imposing stricter citizenship criteria is not tenable.

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15 Oct 2012

Singapore Permanent Residents Relinquishing Their Permanent Residency Status

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap inquired about the number of Singapore Permanent Residents who gave up their status from 2006 to 2011 and the reasons for doing so.
Teo Chee Hean, speaking for the Prime Minister, responded that an average of 3,400 PRs renounced their status annually during that period.
The annual renunciation rate was approximately 0.7% based on an average PR population of 500,000.
PRs are not required to provide reasons for their renunciations.

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15 Oct 2012

Applications for Singapore Permanent Residence under the Financial Investor Scheme

Pritam Singh asked about the number of foreigners granted Singapore Permanent Residence under the Financial Investor Scheme from 2004 to 2012, their countries of origin, and rejected applications.
Teo Chee Hean replied that 1,080 investors received PR under the scheme, with Asian applicants mainly from China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and ASEAN, and non-Asian from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US.
He added that 194 applications were rejected and the scheme ended on 15 April 2012.

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15 Oct 2012

Addressing Prospect of New Immigrants Creating a Larger Elderly Population in Singapore

Pritam Singh questioned how new immigrants might unintentionally increase the elderly population for future Singaporeans to support, citing trends in marriage, singlehood, and declining fertility among PRs.
Teo Chee Hean highlighted Singapore’s sustained low total fertility rate, which has led to an ageing citizen population and projected decline from 2025 onward.
He noted that immigration can delay the ageing and shrinking of the citizen population, as detailed in a 2012 NPTD paper.
However, the government’s priority remains supporting Singaporeans to marry and have children, with immigration serving as a calibrated measure to mitigate demographic challenges.

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15 Oct 2012

Optimum Old-age Support Ratio

Pritam Singh sought the Prime Minister’s view on the old‑age support ratio needed to keep Singapore’s economy vibrant up to 2030 and on the projected numbers of non‑residents, PRs, and Singaporeans required to achieve a sustainable ratio.
Teo Chee Hean, responding for the Prime Minister, outlined a multi‑pronged approach to address a shrinking and ageing citizen workforce, including raising productivity, encouraging more residents to stay in the workforce, and using calibrated foreign manpower.
He noted that without immigration, the ratio would be about 2.1 working‑age citizens to each citizen aged 65 and above in 2030, but supplementing the population with immigrants and foreign workers would improve the overall old‑age support ratio.
The Government highlighted that there are no international targets for the old‑age support ratio, that a declining ratio would increase fiscal burdens and reduce care capacity for the elderly, and that a White Paper on Population would be released in January 2013 after public engagement.

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11 Sep 2012

Employment of Foreign Manpower (Amendment) Bill

The Act introduces an administrative penalty regime for minor infringements, allowing fines up to $20,000 and debarment from hiring foreign workers, while serious criminal offences like illegal importation of workers and kickbacks attract heavier penalties including imprisonment and caning.
New presumption clauses and enhanced investigatory powers are added, such as presuming foreign workers have knowledge of falsified documents and allowing forced entry for inspections, to combat complex syndicate operations.
The amendments close loopholes, like requiring employers to seek re-assessment for salary reductions of S Pass and Employment Pass holders, and penalising recovery of employment costs from workers or using phantom local employees to inflate quotas.

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11 Sep 2012

Work Permits and S Passes Issued in Last Six Months

Teo Siong Seng asked for data on the number of Work Permits and S Passes not renewed and newly issued over the past six months, as well as the net increase or decrease, but the Minister deferred releasing full figures until the annual foreign workforce data is published early next year.
The Acting Minister for Manpower, Tan Chuan-Jin, highlighted that rejection rates for Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass applications increased to 30% from January to July 2012 due to policy tightening, including higher qualifying salaries, stricter educational criteria, and a reduced sub-Dependency Ratio Ceiling, with some transitional allowances given for existing workers.
Tan Chuan-Jin emphasized that while individual companies face difficulties in renewing or obtaining permits, overall foreign workforce growth continues at a calibrated rate, aiming to maintain about one-third of the workforce as foreign, and companies are being encouraged to transform rather than rely on easy access to foreign labor.
In response to a query on flexibility for EP and S Pass renewals, Tan Chuan-Jin noted that case-by-case appeals may be considered for existing workers but new applications face firm rules, and he is open to exploring a tripartite framework with unions to better match job vacancies with local workers before approving foreign passes.
The debate underscored the government's balancing act between managing foreign manpower growth, ensuring company competitiveness, and supporting Singaporeans as the core workforce, with an acknowledgment of the need to improve matching between job opportunities and local job seekers.

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11 Sep 2012

Improvements to Productivity and Workers' Salaries

The Acting Minister for Manpower outlined that Singapore's productivity growth has been inconsistent, with a notable 11.1% jump in 2010 followed by lower rates in subsequent years, prompting urgent efforts to restructure the economy, reduce reliance on foreign workers, and support businesses through schemes like iSPRINT to improve productivity and wages.
Government initiatives include sectoral productivity roadmaps, incentives for SMEs, and tightening foreign worker policies to drive higher-value job creation, though challenges remain in scheme accessibility and encouraging business feedback to refine programs.
Long-term goals aim to achieve 2-3% annual productivity growth to boost real wages and living standards, with data showing past wage growth aligned with productivity improvements, but ongoing efforts are needed to ensure Singaporeans take up better jobs and sustain competitive economic growth.

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11 Sep 2012

Return of Used Utensils at Food Centres

The Minister for the Environment and Water Resources highlighted that the cleaning industry is facing a significant restructuring due to a shortage of local cleaners and tightened foreign labor policies, with the goal of improving wages and working conditions through accreditation schemes and engaging reliable cleaning companies.
A refreshed tray-return initiative will be launched in the latter half of the year, involving partnerships with organizations like the Singapore Kindness Movement, to encourage patrons to return used utensils, which will require retrofitting existing hawker centers and designing new ones with appropriate facilities.
The Minister emphasized that both the government and the public must work together to improve cleanliness, stating that patrons should not consider it a paid service to leave messes and that future cleaning efforts will require more gracious behavior from customers.
Members of Parliament raised practical concerns, including the need to design hawker centers to accommodate mechanized cleaning equipment and ensure that low-wage cleaners are not adversely affected by customer tray-return initiatives.
The Minister assured that cleaners' jobs will not be lost due to increased customer participation, as there will still be a chronic shortage of cleaners in the future.

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10 Sep 2012

Assistance to SMEs on Hiring of Locals

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked about the percentage of work pass renewals rejected in the past year and how many companies have used the ADVANTAGE! Scheme since its introduction.
Acting Minister Tan Chuan-Jin stated that 30% of Employment Pass and S Pass applications were rejected from January to July 2012, with 29% of rejected applications being renewals, due to stricter salary, educational, and dependency ratio criteria.
The minister clarified that tightening measures affect all companies, with those employing more foreigners or fewer locals being more impacted, but grace periods were given for compliance.
Over 3,000 companies have used the ADVANTAGE! Scheme since 2005, helping to recruit, retain, or re-employ more than 26,000 mature local workers.
The government will continue working with tripartite partners to help employers tap the pool of older residents for manpower needs.

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10 Sep 2012

Impact of Reduction of Foreign Workers on SMEs

The Ministry of Manpower engages SMEs through various channels like industry associations and company meetings to understand their concerns about foreign worker reductions and has taken actions such as extending the Period of Employment for work permit holders to address these issues.
The Government has implemented policies like extending the maximum employment period for workers to 10 years and granting companies up to two years to adjust to new Dependency Ratio Ceiling changes, providing flexibility and time for SMEs to transition.
Schemes such as online Innovation and Capability vouchers are being simplified and intensified to assist SMEs in innovation, branding, and overseas expansion, with a review to enhance current programmes and develop new support measures.

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10 Sep 2012

Provision of Proper Accommodation for Foreign Workers

Zainal Sapari asked the Acting Minister for Manpower for the number of employers warned or fined each year from 2005 to 2012 for failing to provide proper accommodation for foreign workers.
Tan Chuan-Jin stated that MOM enforces penalties including warnings, fines up to $2,000 per charge, and prosecution with fines up to $5,000 or six months imprisonment per offence.
From 2005 to June of the current year, MOM took action against 7,660 employers, resulting in over 50,000 foreign workers being relocated to acceptable accommodation.
Unacceptable accommodation includes makeshift shelters, bin centres, and illegally converted factories, with dormitory operators also facing similar penalties if responsible.

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10 Sep 2012

Factors in Determining Foreign Worker Dependency Ratios for Industries

The Government determines Dependency Ratio Ceilings (DRCs) based on quantitative and qualitative factors such as the sector’s skill needs, local worker availability, and the willingness of Singaporeans to take certain jobs, with varying DRCs across industries like construction and services.
To protect Singaporean employment and career advancement, the DRC is complemented by other measures, including increasing Foreign Worker Levies and imposing salary and qualification criteria on S Pass holders, to level the playing field and encourage productivity over labour reliance.
The Government balances business needs for foreign talent with safeguarding local interests, noting that over 90% of polytechnic and university graduates found jobs within six months and overall unemployment remains low, indicating that a thriving business environment is key to good opportunities for Singaporeans.

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10 Sep 2012

Number of Foreign Spouses with Long-Term Visit Passes and Take-up Rate for Long-Term Visit Pass Plus

Gan Thiam Poh asked for the current number of foreign spouses of Singaporeans holding Long-Term Visit Passes and the number of Long-Term Visit Pass Plus passes issued since its launch.
Teo Chee Hean replied that as of 31 July 2012, there were 9,154 foreign spouses of Singaporeans on Long-Term Visit Passes.
He also stated that the Long-Term Visit Pass Plus was implemented on 1 April 2012, and as of 31 July 2012, 2,334 LTVP+ passes had been issued to foreign spouses of Singaporeans.

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10 Sep 2012

Trend in Number of Permanent Residences and Singapore Citizenships Granted

The number of new permanent residents has fallen sharply from an average of 58,000 per year before 2008 to 28,500 per year since 2010, while new Singapore citizenships have remained relatively stable at about 18,500 annually.
The government assesses applications based on factors such as economic contributions, age, family profile, and commitment to integrating and sinking roots in Singapore.
The immigration framework will continue to be calibrated to address population challenges, with the number of immigrants taken in being reviewed as part of ongoing public engagement.

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