The key changes are as follows:
S Pass Qualifying Salary Criteria raised from $2,000 to $2,200 and higher (to be effective from 1 July 2013 for all new applications).
Older and more experienced S Pass applicants will need to qualify at higher salaries, commensurate with their work experience and the quality they bring. This will help ensure that the quality profile of S Pass applicants is raised concurrently as the demand for S Passes is moderated.
Transition Measures for Existing S Pass holders (SPHs)
Existing SPHs whose passes expire:
- Before 1 July 2013: receive a one-time renewal based on the pre-July 2013 S Pass criteria.
- Between 1 July 2013 and 31 December 2013: receive a one-time renewal of up to one year based on the pre-July 2013 S Pass criteria.
- On or after 1 January 2014: The new S Pass criteria shall apply.
Existing SPHs who change employers after 1 July 2013 will have their applications considered under the new S Pass criteria.
Ministry of Manpower said that one in two S Pass holders will be affected by the new tiered system for approving S Passes. It also said that the tougher requirements are meant to level the playing field for Singaporean workers and to encourage employers to bring in “higher calibre S Pass holders”. As at the end of last year, there were 142,400 S Pass holders in Singapore, who are mid-skilled foreign workers.
Mr Zainudin Nordin, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, said it is about making firms pay the true value of S Pass holders, and “to be fair to our locals”.
