The situation
Labour authorities have published new statutory minimum wage levels for 2018 for several economic sectors, effective April 1, 2018.
A closer look
The new national monthly minimum wages are as follows:
Impact
Since government fees are calculated based on the minimum salaries for each sector, foreign nationals will see an increase in the government fees for work permit applications.
Although this rule applies retroactively to salary payments made as of April 1, since foreign nationals typically earn more than the national minimum wage, there is a low level of impact to employers employing foreign workers.
Looking ahead
The government has approved the new minimum wage amounts, but until the wages are published in the government gazette, the amounts are not final. Any change in amounts, however, would have a minimal impact, and likely would only minimally affect government fees.
This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].
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