Work Pass Applications Must Comply with Housing Requirements

The situation

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has announced that starting September 14, 2018, it will only issue work passes to applicants whose residential address in Singapore meets the MOM's housing requirements for foreign workers.

A closer look

Key relevant requirements include:

• Condominiums cannot house more than six people;
• Public housing flats managed by the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in Singapore:
  • Whole flat. 1-room and 2-room flats cannot house more than four people and HDB 3-room flats and above cannot house more than six people.
  • HDB bedrooms. Not permitted to rent bedrooms for 1-room and 2-room flats; only permitted to rent out one room for a 3-room flat and a maximum of two rooms for 4-room flats and above.
  • Subletting. Flats rented from HDB cannot be sublet.

 

Impact

Foreign nationals and their employers should take note of the deadline and work with their immigration professionals to ensure compliance with this new requirement to avoid delays in work pass issuance.

Failure to comply with this requirement can result in a violation of work pass conditions under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and can result in a fine of up to SGD 10,000 and/or imprisonment of employer representatives of up to 12 months for each offence.

Background

The announcement is pursuant to the MOM’s stated policy for employers to ensure that their foreign employees live in proper housing and to prevent cases of work pass holders staying in overcrowded premises or commercial buildings that are not allowed for residential use.

The MOM has conducted more than 3,000 housing inspections in the past two years and imposed penalties on employers who were found to have housed their foreign workers in accommodations that were in poor condition.

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].