From September 1, 2025, more occupations will be added to the Non-Traditional Sources (NTS) Occupation List, which allows employers to hire workers under a work permit, instead of an S Pass. This creates more distinct work permit options for non-professional, managerial, executive, and technical (PMET) roles in the manufacturing and services sectors, ultimately raising the quality bar for S Pass holders. Among the newly-added occupations are heavy vehicle drivers and a range of manufacturing operator roles, and cooks in any restaurant (as opposed to a restriction on the type of restaurant).
Further, on June 1, 2025, the Ministry of Manpower will add Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos to the list of countries from which employers can hire such employees (which already includes Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand). This will broaden the available pool of foreign workers during a time of labor shortages in the country.
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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