Data on Training Employment Passes and Training Work Permits Issued in Last 10 Years
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the data and criteria for Training Employment Passes (TEPs) and Training Work Permits (TWPs), as raised by Mr Leong Mun Wai. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng explained that TEPs are for trainees earning at least $3,000 or specific students and usually last three months. In contrast, TWPs for semi-skilled trainees are subject to levies and the Dependency Ratio Ceiling, with an average duration of six months. Both passes are non-renewable and provide no automatic conversion, requiring holders to meet prevailing criteria independently for any subsequent work pass applications. Finally, the Minister provided historical annual averages for issued passes, extensions, and salaries for both categories from 2013 to 2021.
Transcript
33 Mr Leong Mun Wai asked the Minister for Manpower in each of the last 10 years (a) how many Training Employment Passes (TEPs) and Training Work Permits (TWPs) have been issued; (b) what is the average duration of TEPs and TWPs respectively; (c) how many extensions have been granted; (d) how many TEPs and TWPs have been converted to other work passes upon their expiry; and (e) what are the average and median salaries of TEP and TWP holders.
Dr Tan See Leng: The Training Employment Pass (TEP) and Training Work Permit (TWP) are short-term passes to allow employers to take on foreign trainees or students for training.
The TEP is for eligible foreign students or foreign trainees undergoing training in Singapore. As specified on the MOM website, TEP candidates must either earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $3,000 or be foreign students from a defined list of institutions. In addition, for foreign students, the training attachment in Singapore must be part of the student's course of study. The TEP is valid for up to three months. MOM also works with sector agencies to grant flexibilities in certain cases, for instance, for clinical fellowship training programmes where durations are typically longer. Such flexibilities are provided judiciously, and the majority of the TEPs are issued for a validity of three months.
The TWP is for eligible unskilled or semi-skilled foreign trainees or students on practical training in Singapore. While there is no minimum qualifying salary, TWPs are subject to the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) and levies, similar to Work Permit holders. The TWP is valid for up to six months and the average duration is therefore six months.
Both the TEP and TWP are non-renewable. There is no automatic conversion of TEP and TWP to other work passes upon their expiry. Employers have to apply for a work pass should they wish to take on the TEP or TWP holder as an employee, and the TEP or TWP holder must satisfy the prevailing work pass criteria on their own merit.
Table 1 shows the historical annual average of the statistics requested for TEPs and TWPs over the period of 2013 to 20211.
