Work permit holders can stay employed in S'pore for longer

There will be no hard cap on how long a migrant worker can work here from July 1, in a move that is set to reshape Singapore's foreign workforce for years to come.

- Tay Hong Yi

Currently, work permit holders can be employed here for a limit of 14 to 26 years. This limit will be removed, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng in Parliament on March 6. The change does not apply to migrant domestic workers, who come under a slightly different regime.

This is among several changes made to the work permit framework to enable local firms to draw and retain seasoned rank-and-file workers that complement other efforts to help businesses transform, in hopes of creating more and better jobs for Singaporeans.

Speaking during the debate on the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) budget, Dr Tan said the capped employment period for work permit holders meant firms had to let go of experienced people who could be at prime working age.

The maximum employment age for these workers will also be raised from 60 to 63 to align with the local retirement age. This means that firms can employ work permit holders until they turn 63.

In tandem, the age limit for new work permit applications will now be pegged to two years below the new maximum age, or 61 years old.

Currently, non-Malaysian work permit applicants must be aged below 50, and Malaysian applicants, below 58.

"With these changes, employers can retain experienced workers who are still able to contribute," Dr Tan added.

He noted that the number of work permit holders is at an all-time high, 17 per cent above pre-Covid-19 levels.