Singapore expands foreign workforce, to launch new pass for tech talent

Singapore, Mar 3 (PTI) Singapore on Tuesday announced an expansion of its foreign manpower policy, opening eight service-sector jobs to workers from more countries, including India, from September and introducing a new work pass from 2027 to attract global talent in emerging technologies.

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said eight occupations in social, food, and air transport services will be added to the Non-Traditional Source (NTS) Occupation List from September, allowing work permit holders from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand to be hired for these roles.

The occupations are babysitters or infant caregivers, educarers and teacher aides in social services; food preparers like butchers and fishmongers, food or drink stall assistants, kitchen assistants and waiters in food services; and cabin crew.

They will be added to the existing list of manufacturing and services jobs that can be filled by workers from NTS countries, expanding hiring options beyond Singapore's traditional labour sources such as Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan.

Tan said the move will allow businesses to hire higher-quality workers from non-traditional sources in specific non-professional, manager, executive and technician (PMET) roles, where there are not enough locals, the Channel News Asia reported.

A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokesperson said the move will help firms hold on to foreign workers, displaced by an upcoming increase in the ‘S Pass’, one of the working passes based on salary scale, qualifying salary, but who cannot be hired on a work permit due to source country restrictions.

The S Pass, which is open to foreign workers across all nationalities, will have its qualifying salary raised from SGD 3,300 (approx INR 2,37,824) to SGD 3,600 (approx INR 2,59,444) from 2027 for new applications, and 2028 for renewals.

By around 2030, the S Pass qualifying salary is expected to increase between SGD 4,000 (approx INR 2,88,270) to SGD 4,500 (approx 3,24,342), the MOM spokesperson said.

The Employment Pass (EP) qualifying salary will also increase from SGD 5,600 (approx 4,03,691) to SGD 6,000 (approx 4,32,526) INR from 2027 for new applications and 2028 for renewals.

The S Pass is held by a mix of foreign workers who do not meet the EP criteria and lower-skilled workers who do not qualify for a work permit, according to the MOM spokesperson.

Raising the S Pass qualifying salary makes it more targeted towards associate professionals and technicians, restoring it as a “targeted relief valve” for the Employment Pass.

At the same time, there are skilled workers on the S Pass that Singapore does not want to lose when it raises the qualifying salary, the MOM spokesperson said.

By widening the occupations that can be filled from non-traditional sources, employers will have a chance to retain these workers on work permits, the spokesperson said.

The Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS) welcomed the move, calling it “a meaningful win for the sector, one that provides much-needed manpower flexibility while upholding our commitment to fair wages.” However, RAS noted constraints remain under the 8 per cent non-traditional sources sub-quota and unchanged Dependency Ratio Ceiling, urging greater flexibility in balancing S Pass and NTS allocations.

Separately, minister Tan announced that a new track under the Overseas Networks and Expertise (One) Pass will be introduced in January 2027 to strengthen Singapore's ability to attract top talent in critical and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing.

Speaking during the debate on MOM's budget, he said the new One Pass (AI and Tech) will replace the existing Tech Pass launched in 2021 and will be valid for five years, renewable for another five years each time, matching the duration of the broader One Pass scheme.

The One Pass scheme, unveiled in August 2022, targets top foreign professionals earning at least SGD 30,000 (approx INR 21,62,405) a month from a single employer, as well as individuals with outstanding achievements in arts and culture, sports, science and technology, and academia and research.

To qualify for the One Pass (AI and Tech) track, applicants must be currently or previously employed in a tech company, tech division or tech venture capital firm.

The company must meet at least one of the following criteria: a valuation or market capitalisation of at least USD 500 million, annual revenue of at least USD 200 million, or assets under management of at least USD 500 million. Tech firms that have raised at least USD 30 million in funding will also qualify.

At the individual level, applicants must earn at least SGD 30,000 per month for 12 consecutive months before applying. This requirement may also be met by combining a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 22,500 with vested non-cash components such as employee stock options or share ownership, subject to assessment.

Applicants must also have at least five cumulative years of experience in a founder or C-suite role or in a technical role such as senior software engineer within the past 10 years. PTI GS SKS SCY SCY SCY