Spotlight on misuse of training pass for foreigners

Unlike a work permit or S Pass, Training Employment Pass does not impose levy or worker quota

- Tay Hong Yi

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.

These 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 had 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, being asked to work before receiving their passes, as well as being 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.