Singapore NTS Work Permit List: 9 Countries Qualify but No African Nation Included

• Singapore's Ministry of Manpower has officially named the countries whose nationals can fill specific work permit roles under its NTS scheme
• Companies wishing to hire under the framework must satisfy three simultaneous conditions, including a minimum salary threshold
• The approved source countries are drawn exclusively from South and Southeast Asia, raising questions for African job seekers eyeing Singapore

Singapore has drawn a clear boundary around who can access a specific category of foreign worker jobs, and Ghanaians hoping to work in the city-state under this pathway will need to look elsewhere.

The country's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has released the official list of nations whose citizens are eligible to take up roles under the Non-Traditional Sources (NTS) Occupation List, a framework that governs a defined set of work permit positions available to foreign nationals.

Nine countries made the cut, all of them located within South or Southeast Asia. They are Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Nationals from these countries can be considered by eligible employers for the occupations specified under the NTS framework, provided the roles align precisely with what appears on each worker's permit.

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For any company wishing to participate in the scheme, three conditions must be met at the same time. The firm must keep its NTS work permit holders at or below a sub-dependency ratio ceiling of 8% of its total workforce within this category.

Each worker hired under the list must receive a fixed monthly salary of at least $2,000. Finally, workers are restricted to performing only the occupation stated on their permit, with no flexibility to take on other duties.

The sub-dependency ratio ceiling is particularly significant, as it effectively limits how many workers from this category a single employer can bring on board, ensuring that companies cannot rely disproportionately on this hiring channel.

No African country appears on the list. Citizens of Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and all other African nations are not eligible for work permit positions through this particular NTS pathway in Singapore.

Separately, Singapore has announced that from 29 November 2026, all foreign workers will need either a valid work permit or a temporary permit before they can begin employment.

Employers facing urgent staffing needs can apply for a Temporary Permit through the myMOM Portal, with eligible applications processed instantly.

Source: YEN.com.gh