Singapore: Work permits of domestic workers no longer limited by passport expiry dates

MANILA – Singapore no longer limits the duration of the work permits of household service workers by the expiry dates of their passports, Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz announced Thursday.

This will allow domestic workers to “fulfil their employment contracts with minimal disruption,” said Baldoz.

She thus lauded the move of the Ministry of Manpower of Singapore for allowing flexibility in its renewal requirements of work permits of household service workers.

Citing a report from Labor Attache Ramon Tionloc Jr., Baldoz said that Singapore’s MOM has advised the Philippine embassy regarding a new procedure in relation to the renewal of HSW work permits.

“Foreign household service workers in Singapore will now be given the full work permit duration of two years, provided that their passports are valid at the point of issuance or renewal. Singapore will allow this even if the remaining validity of the HSWs passports are shorter than two years,” said Baldoz, citing Tionloc’s report.

The MOM advisory to the Philippine embassy also said that the MOM will remind employers during the renewal of application to have their HSWs’ passports extended for passports expiring within six months.

For its part, the POLO in a report to Baldoz said the Consular section and the POLO will continue to remind HSWs of the need to renew their passports within the six months from its expiration to avoid unnecessary delays in the renewal of work permits and passports.

Baldoz also directed the Labor Communications Office (LCO) to disseminate the information as widely as possible.

An estimated 200,000 Filipinos work and live in Singapore, many as HSWs. –InterAksyon.com