The EFMA governs the employment of foreign staff in Singapore. The great majority of non-Singaporean employees are low-salaried migrant workers.Out of over one million non-Singaporeans employed in the country in 2011, 870,000 are low paid workers considered to be semi-skilled who are present on work permits. Perhaps another 100,000 are S-Pass holders. Currently, work permits are issued for workers employed on salaries of less than S$2000 a month; S-Passes are issued to workers earning more than that and considered to have a higher skills level. The recommendations that follow concern the regulations covering work permits and S-Passes, but not the employment passes issued to foreign professionals on high salaries.

TWC2 brought together a legal team to work on proposals for the amendment of EFMA and the regulations issued under it – specifically, the different types of work pass. TWC2 is grateful to those who contributed time and thought to putting together the proposals.

In this document, the proposals are interspersed within the pre-existing text of the recommendations and highlighted in colour, with the text of each proposed amendment followed by an explanatory note. The text of the recommendations on EFMA is contained in a separate document in the same format.

Download proposals.

See also: Proposals for the revision of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (i.e. the main legislation itself).