Latest news with #SPass
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Singapore to raise salary thresholds for foreign workers seeking work visas
Advt By , Agencies Singapore will raise the minimum qualifying salary for S Pass holders from 3,150 to 3,300 Singapore dollars for new applications from 1 September 2025 and renewals from 1 September 2026, as part of efforts to align foreign talent with the top one-third of the local Associate Professionals and Technicians (APTs) wage range. The qualifying salary will continue to rise with age, reaching 4,800 dollars for candidates in their the Financial Services sector, which has higher wage norms, the S Pass salary threshold will increase from 3,650 to 3,800 dollars, rising progressively to 5,650 dollars for older Ministry of Manpower will also raise the S Pass Basic / Tier 1 levy from 550 to 650 dollars from September 2025, while the Tier 2 levy will remain at 650 dollars.S Pass permits allow employers to hire mid-skilled foreign workers, such as Associate Professionals and Technicians, who do not meet Employment Pass (EP) criteria. Employers or appointed employment agents must apply on behalf of the applicant, and a new application is required if the pass holder changes tightening of salary and levy rules aims to uplift talent quality while maintaining EP qualifying salary, revised earlier in 2025, remains unchanged: 5,600 dollars per month (or 6,200 dollars for Financial Services), with progressive increases for older has also expanded its labour sources for non-PMET roles by allowing work permit applications from Bhutan, Cambodia, and Laos from 1 June 2025, alongside existing non-traditional source countries including Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. For workers in the NTS Occupation List, the minimum monthly salary is set at 2,000 Express
New Paper
3 days ago
- Business
- New Paper
'We feel very connected to Singapore': The migrant workers who serve the country
When Mr Rayhan Md Abu first saw the blueprints for Jewel Changi Airport in 2017, he could not believe his eyes. An indoor waterfall? A large glass dome? A five-storey indoor garden? The Bangladeshi worker, who had just joined a construction firm working on the project, wondered if a building could truly look so spectacular. But over two years spent toiling 11 to 12 hours a day, six days a week, at the site, Mr Rayhan saw those plans slowly taking shape as a mammoth retail complex. When Jewel Changi Airport opened to much fanfare in 2019, he was struck by immense awe and satisfaction. Six years on, those feelings remain. Said Mr Rayhan, who had performed electrical works at the site: "I am proud that I helped to build something so beautiful. Mr Rayhan Md Abu is one of over a million migrant work permit and S Pass holders who have left their home countries to work in Singapore. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR "When I saw all the lights we installed come on for the first time, it was a very good feeling." Mr Rayhan, 29, is one of over a million migrant work permit and S Pass holders who have left their home countries to work in Singapore. These migrant workers play a crucial role in building and maintaining Singapore's infrastructure and caring for families, the elderly and those who are ill. After years here, many of them have also come to consider Singapore their second home, even as they support their families back home. The recent rescue of a woman from a sinkhole by seven workers brought the contributions of migrant workers here to the fore. It has also sparked conversations about their welfare and safety. Mr Rayhan, who is currently a supervisor for an underground substation project, said: "Every construction site needs migrant workers. We are helping to build Singapore, and helping it to develop and progress." Leaving his hometown of Dhaka at the age of 20 in 2016, Mr Rayhan has been working here ever since to earn a living for his family of six. This includes his elderly parents, who both suffered strokes in recent years and have to take medication daily for heart conditions. Nine years on, the Jewel Changi Airport project remains Mr Rayhan's most memorable, as the sheer scale of the complex still amazes him. "Sometimes on my day off, I go to Jewel. The shops are quite expensive, and as a foreign worker, I cannot afford to buy the things inside. "But I like to just go and jalan-jalan because everything looks so nice. Sometimes I will also eat at McDonald's or KFC there," said Mr Rayhan, using the Malay word for taking a walk. Attractions such as Marina Bay, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Sentosa and places near his dormitory like Punggol Waterway Park are among his other go-to places to relax on his rest days. Some of Mr Rayhan's best memories from his nine years in Singapore are of watching the National Day Parade (NDP) fireworks with his friends at Marina Bay. Mr Rayhan, who plans on doing the same on Aug 9 this year, said: "We enjoy the fireworks and National Day 'feel'. We work very hard, and our families are far away - doing things like this together makes life happier." The Straits Times spoke to three other migrant workers who have contributed to Singapore's development in their own ways. Pride in helping to build Woodlands Health Campus For some, morning commutes are often sleepy, unremarkable affairs. But for construction worker Senthil Selvarasu, the drive from his dormitory in Senoko to worksites around Singapore offers a daily reminder of the fruits of his labour. Every morning, his company's lorry travels past the new Woodlands Health Campus, where he spent six months doing concrete works in 2019 for the construction of the hospital that started receiving patients in December 2023. Mr Senthil Selvarasu spent six months doing concrete works in 2019 for the construction of Woodlands Health Campus. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Mr Selvarasu said: "Seeing the hospital on the way to work every morning makes me happy and very proud that I was a part of making this place, where many lives are saved and where people get help." To the 35-year-old, who came to work in Singapore in 2016 from Tiruchirappalli in southern India to support his family, helping others is something he was inspired by Singaporeans to do. He recalled strangers patiently giving him directions when he did not know how to go back to his dormitory from places like Little India in his early days here. "This was my first lesson in Singapore - that whatever, whenever, people you see will come and help you with a smile," he told ST. There are also many groups that support and organise activities for migrant workers, like ItsRainingRaincoats, where he has taken English classes, said Mr Selvarasu. He added that such initiatives help migrant workers like him feel a greater sense of belonging to Singapore, which he considers his "second country". Said Mr Selvarasu: "Every day, when I sit in the back of the lorry, I see the big Singapore buildings, the parks, the trees, and I wonder how this extraordinary place was built. "A lot of workers come here and work very hard - a lot of sweat, some injuries, and in some places, workers have even died. People might see the beautiful buildings afterwards, but actually, there was a lot of hard work behind (them) by hundreds of workers." She picked up Mandarin and Malay to care for patients On her first-ever flight in 2008, Ms Panchavarnam Porkodi was a bundle of nervousness and excitement - and that was not just because of the thrill of being in the air. She had just turned 26 and was on her way to Singapore to work as a nurse after several years at a hospital in her home city of Chennai in India. Ms Panchavarnam Porkodi came to Singapore to work as a nurse in 2008 after several years at a hospital in her home city of Chennai in India. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY Seventeen years on, the 43-year-old is now an assistant nurse clinician at Ren Ci Community Hospital, where she manages a team of about 30 nurses who care for patients undergoing rehabilitative and recuperative care. Her confident, chatty demeanour today is a far cry from her early days as a staff nurse, when she could not understand patients who spoke mainly Mandarin or Malay. By attending conversational Mandarin and Malay classes, and learning from patients who taught her basic phrases and corrected her pronunciation, Ms Porkodi grew to connect with her patients better and adapted to life in Singapore. "Our patients stay here for about three to four weeks, so we feel quite connected to them, and I look forward to coming in to take care of them at every shift," she said. "Singapore has become a second home for me... and (Ren Ci) is like a family. The entire journey for me is really wonderful. I really don't have words to express it." Ms Porkodi's husband, an electrician and safety supervisor here, is also from Chennai, and they share a Housing Board flat in Sembawang with several flatmates. The couple have a 13-year-old son in India, whom they visit once or twice a year. In the long term, the family intends to apply for permanent residency. "We feel very connected to Singapore, and want to make this our home," said Ms Porkodi. While she is rostered to work this National Day, she plans to turn on the television in her ward's activity area for patients to follow the parade and, when the time comes, sing the National Anthem with them. NDP among the highlights in her 23 years here Despite having watched the NDP on television many times before, nothing could have prepared Ms Leizle Menez for the emotions of the live show at the Marina Bay floating platform, which she caught with her former employer about a decade ago. Ms Leizle Menez came to Singapore to work in 2002. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY "It was so amazing and everything was so colourful. When the planes flew past with the Singapore flag, and when the fireworks began, I almost cried," said the 46-year-old Filipino domestic worker, who came here to work in 2002. Hailing from Bacolod, a coastal city in central Philippines about an hour's flight south of Manila, she is the eldest of seven siblings and the family's main breadwinner. "As domestic workers, we are part of Singapore's growth too. Our work means that people can work without worrying about their kids or their elderly parents," said Ms Menez. Besides her job, she has also volunteered as a health advocate with the migrant worker non-profit organisation Home for 17 years. "Celebrating NDP makes me feel even more like I'm a part of that story, and that I belong here in Singapore." Every year, Ms Menez, who has watched the NDP live only once, celebrates Singapore's birthday with friends at a park on Aug 9. Dressed in red and white and sporting Singapore-flag face tattoos, they catch up over food. Said Ms Menez: "It's also a celebration for us, of our time here as helpers."
The Star
4 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Migrant worker who helped build Jewel among those who call Singapore their second home
SINGAPORE: When Rayhan Md Abu first saw the blueprints for Jewel Changi Airport in 2017, he could not believe his eyes. An indoor waterfall? A large glass dome? A five-storey indoor garden? The Bangladeshi worker, who had just joined a construction firm working on the project, wondered if a building could truly look so spectacular. But over two years spent toiling 11 to 12 hours a day, six days a week, at the site, Rayhan saw those plans slowly taking shape as a mammoth retail complex. When Jewel Changi Airport opened to much fanfare in 2019, he was struck by immense awe and satisfaction. Six years on, those feelings remain. Said Rayhan, who had performed electrical works at the site: 'I am proud that I helped to build something so beautiful. Rayhan Md Abu is one of over a million migrant work permit and S Pass holders who have left their home countries to work in Singapore. - Photo: ST 'When I saw all the lights we installed come on for the first time, it was a very good feeling.' Rayhan, 29, is one of over a million migrant work permit and S Pass holders who have left their home countries to work in Singapore. These migrant workers play a crucial role in building and maintaining Singapore's infrastructure and caring for families, the elderly and those who are ill. After years here, many of them have also come to consider Singapore their second home, even as they support their families back home. The recent rescue of a woman from a sinkhole by seven workers brought the contributions of migrant workers here to the fore. It has also sparked conversations about their welfare and safety. Rayhan, who is currently a supervisor for an underground substation project, said: 'Every construction site needs migrant workers. We are helping to build Singapore, and helping it to develop and progress.' Leaving his hometown of Dhaka at the age of 20 in 2016, Rayhan has been working here ever since to earn a living for his family of six. This includes his elderly parents, who both suffered strokes in recent years and have to take medication daily for heart conditions. Nine years on, the Jewel Changi Airport project remains Rayhan's most memorable, as the sheer scale of the complex still amazes him. 'Sometimes on my day off, I go to Jewel. The shops are quite expensive, and as a foreign worker, I cannot afford to buy the things inside. 'But I like to just go and jalan-jalan because everything looks so nice. Sometimes I will also eat at McDonald's or KFC there,' said Rayhan, using the Malay word for taking a walk. Attractions such as Marina Bay, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Sentosa and places near his dormitory like Punggol Waterway Park are among his other go-to places to relax on his rest days. Some of Rayhan's best memories from his nine years in Singapore are of watching the National Day Parade (NDP) fireworks with his friends at Marina Bay. Rayhan, who plans on doing the same on Aug 9 this year, said: 'We enjoy the fireworks and National Day 'feel'. We work very hard, and our families are far away – doing things like this together makes life happier.' The Straits Times spoke to three other migrant workers who have contributed to Singapore's development in their own ways. Pride in helping to build Woodlands Health Campus For some, morning commutes are often sleepy, unremarkable affairs. But for construction worker Senthil Selvarasu, the drive from his dormitory in Senoko to worksites around Singapore offers a daily reminder of the fruits of his labour. Every morning, his company's lorry travels past the new Woodlands Health Campus, where he spent six months doing concrete works in 2019 for the construction of the hospital that started receiving patients in December 2023. Senthil Selvarasu spent six months doing concrete works in 2019 for the construction of Woodlands Health Campus. - Photo: ST Selvarasu said: 'Seeing the hospital on the way to work every morning makes me happy and very proud that I was a part of making this place, where many lives are saved and where people get help.' To the 35-year-old, who came to work in Singapore in 2016 from Tiruchirappalli in southern India to support his family, helping others is something he was inspired by Singaporeans to do. He recalled strangers patiently giving him directions when he did not know how to go back to his dormitory from places like Little India in his early days here. 'This was my first lesson in Singapore – that whatever, whenever, people you see will come and help you with a smile,' he told ST. There are also many groups that support and organise activities for migrant workers, like ItsRainingRaincoats, where he has taken English classes, said Selvarasu. He added that such initiatives help migrant workers like him feel a greater sense of belonging to Singapore, which he considers his 'second country'. Said Selvarasu: 'Every day, when I sit in the back of the lorry, I see the big Singapore buildings, the parks, the trees, and I wonder how this extraordinary place was built. 'A lot of workers come here and work very hard – a lot of sweat, some injuries, and in some places, workers have even died. People might see the beautiful buildings afterwards, but actually, there was a lot of hard work behind (them) by hundreds of workers.' Nurse Porkodi picked up Mandarin and Malay to care for patients On her first-ever flight in 2008, Panchavarnam Porkodi was a bundle of nervousness and excitement – and that was not just because of the thrill of being in the air. She had just turned 26 and was on her way to Singapore to work as a nurse after several years at a hospital in her home city of Chennai in India. Panchavarnam Porkodi came to Singapore to work as a nurse in 2008 after several years at a hospital in her home city of Chennai in India. - Photo: ST Seventeen years on, the 43-year-old is now an assistant nurse clinician at Ren Ci Community Hospital, where she manages a team of about 30 nurses who care for patients undergoing rehabilitative and recuperative care. Her confident, chatty demeanour today is a far cry from her early days as a staff nurse, when she could not understand patients who spoke mainly Mandarin or Malay. By attending conversational Mandarin and Malay classes, and learning from patients who taught her basic phrases and corrected her pronunciation, Porkodi grew to connect with her patients better and adapted to life in Singapore. 'Our patients stay here for about three to four weeks, so we feel quite connected to them, and I look forward to coming in to take care of them at every shift,' she said. 'Singapore has become a second home for me... and (Ren Ci) is like a family. The entire journey for me is really wonderful. I really don't have words to express it.' Porkodi's husband, an electrician and safety supervisor here, is also from Chennai, and they share a Housing Board flat in Sembawang with several flatmates. The couple have a 13-year-old son in India, whom they visit once or twice a year. In the long term, the family intends to apply for permanent residency. 'We feel very connected to Singapore, and want to make this our home,' said Porkodi. While she is rostered to work this National Day, she plans to turn on the television in her ward's activity area for patients to follow the parade and, when the time comes, sing the National Anthem with them. National Day Parade among the highlights in domestic worker Menez' 23 years here Despite having watched the NDP on television many times before, nothing could have prepared Leizle Menez for the emotions of the live show at the Marina Bay floating platform, which she caught with her former employer about a decade ago. Leizle Menez came to Singapore to work in 2002. - Photo: ST 'It was so amazing and everything was so colourful. When the planes flew past with the Singapore flag, and when the fireworks began, I almost cried,' said the 46-year-old Filipina domestic worker, who came here to work in 2002. Hailing from Bacolod, a coastal city in central Philippines about an hour's flight south of Manila, she is the eldest of seven siblings and the family's main breadwinner. 'As domestic workers, we are part of Singapore's growth too. Our work means that people can work without worrying about their kids or their elderly parents,' said Menez. Besides her job, she has also volunteered as a health advocate with the migrant worker non-profit organisation Home for 17 years. 'Celebrating NDP makes me feel even more like I'm a part of that story, and that I belong here in Singapore.' Every year, Menez, who has watched the NDP live only once, celebrates Singapore's birthday with friends at a park on Aug 9. Dressed in red and white and sporting Singapore-flag face tattoos, they catch up over food. Said Menez: 'It's also a celebration for us, of our time here as helpers.' - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Migrant worker who helped build Jewel among those who call Singapore their second home
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SINGAPORE – When Mr Rayhan Md Abu first saw the blueprints for Jewel Changi Airport in 2017, he could not believe his eyes. An indoor waterfall? A large glass dome? A five-storey indoor garden? The Bangladeshi worker, who had just joined a construction firm working on the project, wondered if a building could truly look so spectacular. But over two years spent toiling 11 to 12 hours a day, six days a week, at the site, Mr Rayhan saw those plans slowly taking shape as a mammoth retail complex. When Jewel Changi Airport opened to much fanfare in 2019 , he was struck by immense awe and satisfaction. Six years on, those feelings remain. Said Mr Rayhan, who had performed electrical works at the site: 'I am proud that I helped to build something so beautiful. Mr Rayhan Md Abu is one of over a million migrant work permit and S Pass holders who have left their home countries to work in Singapore. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR 'When I saw all the lights we installed come on for the first time, it was a very good feeling.' Mr Rayhan, 29, is one of over a million migrant work permit and S Pass holders who have left their home countries to work in Singapore. These migrant workers play a crucial role in building and maintaining Singapore's infrastructure and caring for families, the elderly and those who are ill. After years here, many of them have also come to consider Singapore their second home, even as they support their families back home. The recent rescue of a woman from a sinkhole by seven workers brought the contributions of migrant workers here to the fore. It has also sparked conversations about their welfare and safety. Mr Rayhan, who is currently a supervisor for an underground substation project, said: 'Every construction site needs migrant workers. We are helping to build Singapore, and helping it to develop and progress.' Leaving his hometown of Dhaka at the age of 20 in 2016, Mr Rayhan has been working here ever since to earn a living for his family of six. This includes his elderly parents, who both suffered strokes in recent years and have to take medication daily for heart conditions. Nine years on, the Jewel Changi Airport project remains Mr Rayhan's most memorable, as the sheer scale of the complex still amazes him. 'Sometimes on my day off, I go to Jewel. The shops are quite expensive, and as a foreign worker, I cannot afford to buy the things inside. 'But I like to just go and jalan-jalan because everything looks so nice. Sometimes I will also eat at McDonald's or KFC there,' said Mr Rayhan, using the Malay word for taking a walk. Attractions such as Marina Bay, the Singapore Botanic Gardens, Sentosa and places near his dormitory like Punggol Waterway Park are among his other go-to places to relax on his rest days. Some of Mr Rayhan's best memories from his nine years in Singapore are of watching the National Day Parade (NDP) fireworks with his friends at Marina Bay. Mr Rayhan, who plans on doing the same on Aug 9 this year, said: 'We enjoy the fireworks and National Day 'feel'. We work very hard, and our families are far away – doing things like this together makes life happier.' The Straits Times spoke to three other migrant workers who have contributed to Singapore's development in their own ways. Pride in helping to build Woodlands Health Campus For some, morning commutes are often sleepy, unremarkable affairs. But for construction worker Senthil Selvarasu, the drive from his dormitory in Senoko to worksites around Singapore offers a daily reminder of the fruits of his labour. Every morning, his company's lorry travels past the new Woodlands Health Campus, where he spent six months doing concrete works in 2019 for the construction of the hospital that started receiving patients in December 2023 . Mr Senthil Selvarasu spent six months doing concrete works in 2019 for the construction of Woodlands Health Campus. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG Mr Selvarasu said: 'Seeing the hospital on the way to work every morning makes me happy and very proud that I was a part of making this place, where many lives are saved and where people get help.' To the 35-year-old, who came to work in Singapore in 2016 from Tiruchirappalli in southern India to support his family, helping others is something he was inspired by Singaporeans to do. He recalled strangers patiently giving him directions when he did not know how to go back to his dormitory from places like Little India in his early days here. 'This was my first lesson in Singapore – that whatever, whenever, people you see will come and help you with a smile,' he told ST. There are also many groups that support and organise activities for migrant workers, like ItsRainingRaincoats, where he has taken English classes, said Mr Selvarasu. He added that such initiatives help migrant workers like him feel a greater sense of belonging to Singapore, which he considers his 'second country'. Said Mr Selvarasu: 'Every day, when I sit in the back of the lorry, I see the big Singapore buildings, the parks, the trees, and I wonder how this extraordinary place was built. 'A lot of workers come here and work very hard – a lot of sweat, some injuries, and in some places, workers have even died. People might see the beautiful buildings afterwards, but actually, there was a lot of hard work behind (them) by hundreds of workers.' She picked up Mandarin and Malay to care for patients On her first-ever flight in 2008, Ms Panchavarnam Porkodi was a bundle of nervousness and excitement – and that was not just because of the thrill of being in the air. She had just turned 26 and was on her way to Singapore to work as a nurse after several years at a hospital in her home city of Chennai in India. Ms Panchavarnam Porkodi came to Singapore to work as a nurse in 2008 after several years at a hospital in her home city of Chennai in India. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY Seventeen years on, the 43-year-old is now an assistant nurse clinician at Ren Ci Community Hospital, where she manages a team of about 30 nurses who care for patients undergoing rehabilitative and recuperative care. Her confident, chatty demeanour today is a far cry from her early days as a staff nurse, when she could not understand patients who spoke mainly Mandarin or Malay. By attending conversational Mandarin and Malay classes, and learning from patients who taught her basic phrases and corrected her pronunciation, Ms Porkodi grew to connect with her patients better and adapted to life in Singapore. 'Our patients stay here for about three to four weeks, so we feel quite connected to them, and I look forward to coming in to take care of them at every shift,' she said. 'Singapore has become a second home for me... and (Ren Ci) is like a family. The entire journey for me is really wonderful. I really don't have words to express it.' Ms Porkodi's husband, an electrician and safety supervisor here, is also from Chennai, and they share a Housing Board flat in Sembawang with several flatmates. The couple have a 13-year-old son in India, whom they visit once or twice a year. In the long term, the family intends to apply for permanent residency. 'We feel very connected to Singapore, and want to make this our home,' said Ms Porkodi. While she is rostered to work this National Day, she plans to turn on the television in her ward's activity area for patients to follow the parade and, when the time comes, sing the National Anthem with them. NDP among the highlights in her 23 years here Despite having watched the NDP on television many times before, nothing could have prepared Ms Leizle Menez for the emotions of the live show at the Marina Bay floating platform, which she caught with her former employer about a decade ago. Ms Leizle Menez came to Singapore to work in 2002. ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY 'It was so amazing and everything was so colourful. When the planes flew past with the Singapore flag, and when the fireworks began, I almost cried,' said the 46-year-old Filipino domestic worker, who came here to work in 2002. Hailing from Bacolod, a coastal city in central Philippines about an hour's flight south of Manila, she is the eldest of seven siblings and the family's main breadwinner. 'As domestic workers, we are part of Singapore's growth too. Our work means that people can work without worrying about their kids or their elderly parents,' said Ms Menez. Besides her job, she has also volunteered as a health advocate with the migrant worker non-profit organisation Home for 17 years. 'Celebrating NDP makes me feel even more like I'm a part of that story, and that I belong here in Singapore.' Every year, Ms Menez, who has watched the NDP live only once, celebrates Singapore's birthday with friends at a park on Aug 9. Dressed in red and white and sporting Singapore-flag face tattoos, they catch up over food. Said Ms Menez: 'It's also a celebration for us, of our time here as helpers.'
New Paper
18-07-2025
- Business
- New Paper
Attempted misuse of work pass for foreign students or trainees ongoing for years: Industry insiders
Errant employers and agents have for years attempted to illegally bring in foreign workers for rank-and-file roles such as dishwashers under a pass intended for foreigners to undergo short-term professional training here, said industry insiders. They told The Straits Times that the Training Employment Pass (TEP) attracts misuse in this manner because it does not impose a levy or quota on workers, unlike the work permit or S Pass, which are meant for lower-skilled or semi-skilled roles. The TEP has come under scrutiny of late, following allegations of such misuse. This included a blog post by advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) in May flagging the issue, citing accounts from a rising number of low-wage workers holding the TEP who have approached it for help since December 2024. The affected TEP holders had come forward with claims of being paid below the stated salary for their pass, asked to work before receiving their passes, as well as registered as "management executives" despite actually working in menial roles. Responding to queries from ST, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) revealed on June 19 that it has received 120 reports related to TEP abuse in 2025, but did not provide for comparison the number of reports received in past years. An MOM spokesperson also said an average of around 6,800 TEPs were approved each year over the last 10 years, with the majority of approvals for jobs in the services sector. The ministry has stepped up enforcement efforts against employers who misuse the TEP scheme to circumvent the work pass framework, said the spokesperson. The TEP allows foreign students or trainees from a company's overseas office or subsidiary to undergo practical training for professional, managerial, executive or specialist jobs here for up to three months. Trainees must earn a minimum fixed salary of $3,000 a month. The work attachment for student applicants must be tied to their studies. They must either be studying in an "acceptable institution" or earning at least $3,000 a month. Trainee lawyers who are not permanent residents or Singaporeans are one group who have been approved to work here under TEPs, ST understands. Another group, mentioned in a written parliamentary answer by Manpower Minister Tan See Leng in 2023, are those in clinical fellowship training programmes. But Dr David Leong, managing director of human resources firm PeopleWorldwide Consulting, said some agents use the TEP to supply a steady stream of labour to employers grappling with acute manpower shortages, particularly in industries struggling to fill low-wage or undesirable roles. "Some employers, unaware of the full extent of the agents' misconduct, are unwittingly drawn into these schemes, believing they are addressing legitimate staffing needs. "Others, however, knowingly collaborate with agents, taking advantage of the lax oversight to exploit workers for cheap labour, often in grueling or irrelevant roles." Dr Leong added he has consistently warned his clients against taking on workers brought in under a TEP, particularly for rank-and-file roles. He added that private education institutions may also sometimes act as fronts for channelling workers into low-wage, temporary jobs under the pretext of training. Speaking in his personal capacity, former MOM prosecutor Jason Chua noted that the non-renewable nature and short duration of the TEP makes it a relatively niche pass intended for skilled roles, compared to Employment Passes, work permits and S Passes. "Also, the TEP is meant for foreign trainees to learn skills and apply it back to their home country." In contrast, the fundamental purpose of more mainstream work passes lies more in allowing the foreign worker to contribute economically, rather than learn, here, he said. Reinforcing the intended scope of the TEP as being for skilled roles, Mr Chua said the TEP often gets confused with the Training Work Permit, which is reserved for eligible unskilled or semi-skilled foreign trainees or students to undergo practical training in Singapore. However, these are subject to a levy, and still count towards an employer's quota for work permit holders. The short duration of a TEP limits the type of roles that errant employers can practicably assign TEP holders. These are typically labour-intensive roles where high staff turnover does not matter as much. Mr Ethan Guo, TWC2's executive director, told ST the TEP holders who approached it for help often were forced by employers to sign pay slips indicating they received their full pay, but actually paid them less. "We even saw one instance where the pay slips were not even issued to or signed by the workers, but instead doctored digitally. "There are also those who were not given work and therefore didn't get any pay at all." Still, attempts to bring in low-wage workers under this pass have continued. A TikTok video first uploaded earlier in 2025 and subsequently deleted soon after media reports surfaced on the TEP, re-emerged in June. In a voiceover, a male can be heard touting the "advantages" of the TEP, including savings from not needing a levy, as well as "more obedient" workers. "The third (advantage) is that you don't need to keep on your payroll 'phantom workers', so you wouldn't need to live in fear of being caught, fined and have your finances frozen," he said, adding that agents are able to help employers handle flights and accommodation as well. Even though he acknowledged the short duration of the pass can be disruptive, the man added: "A lot of workers will be willing to come here."
