Foreigners face the brunt of tighter hiring laws in Singapore

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Last Monday, MOM, which approves or denies work passes, announced that it would soon require employers to show that they have tried to employ Singaporeans before hiring foreigners, which could make it even tougher for hopefuls.

The ultimate aim is to give Singaporeans a fair shot at professional, managerial and executive (PME) jobs.

From next August, all companies with more than 25 employees must advertise all PME posts that pay less than S$12,000 a month at a government-run jobs bank for at least 14 days before they can apply for an EP for a foreigner. And from next January, the starting pay of EP holders will rise from S$3,000 to S$3,300 to keep it in line with rising salaries.

Patrick Tay, director of labour movement National Trades Union Congress' PME Unit, said in a Straits Times column earlier this month that this is because "locals are not given their full due".

While that rule has been cheered by unions and employer groups in Singapore, it has dampened the mood of a dozen or so Chinese, Filipino and Indian job seekers and recruitment firms whom The Straits Times spoke to.

Even so, foreigners interviewed said Singapore jobs are still better-paying and have brighter prospects than jobs back home.

Despite the new rules, Filipino software consultant Kathrina Morfe, 30, hopes to remain in Singapore after working here for five years.

"I like Singapore. It's safe, stable, you are paid fairly at work, and it's close to my home in the Philippines," she said. "That's the best part."