Foreign professionals will face stiffer criteria to qualify for an employment pass, in a Government move to allay job concerns among white-collar Singaporeans and boost their employment prospects.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the change in his annual National Day Rally speech on Sunday night.
Mr Lee said the qualifying salary levels for foreigners holding Employment Passes (EP) will be raised while educational qualifications for applicants will be made more stringent.
The Ministry of Manpower will soon give more details on the new measures, he added. It will also work with its tripartite partners - employers and unions - to develop fair and responsible recruitment and employment practices.
His announcement comes a month after the Government had made it harder for employers to hire foreign professionals by raising the qualifying salaries for three types of EP: Q, P1 and P2.
Since Jul 1, the salary levels are: Q1 up from $2,500 to $2,800, P2 from $3,500 to $4,000, and P1 from $7,000 to $8,000.
From http://www.straitstimes.com/The-Big-Story/The-Big-Story-3/Story/STIStory_702077.html
The minimum salary for foreign talent to qualify for an Employment Pass will be raised to $3,000 from $2,800.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, the educational qualifications requirements will also be tightened.
The tightening measures, which will take effect from January 2012, is aimed at creating a more level playing field between foreigners and locals vying for white collar, professional jobs, said Deputy Prime Minister and Manpower Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam on Tuesday morning.
Speaking at a press conference to release details of the tightening measures, he said Singapore will continue to remain open and attractive to foreign talent.
But, at the same time, the Government wants to ensure that Singaporeans remain the core of the workforce, especially at the professional, managerial and executive level.
He added that some 30,000 EP holders are likely to be affected by the tightening measures.
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