In the Marine sector it is the responsibility of the employer to submit the application on behalf of the foreigner and see that the Work Permit is obtained. Work Permits are issued only to workers who meet the specific conditions and requirements prescribed for the manufacturing sector. Employers on their part are also expected to meet a few sector-specific conditions before a Work Permit can be issued to the worker on whose behalf the employer is applying.

Approved Source Countries/Territories

Foreigners belonging to the following countries are eligible to apply for Work Pass in the construction sector: India, Malaysia, People's Republic of China, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, NTC countries (Non Traditional Countries) Philippines, North Asian Sources (NAS): Macau, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan.

Quota Restrictions in Employing Foreigners (Dependency Ceiling/Quota)

As far as the marine sector is concerned, employers need to restrict the foreign workers to a maximum of 5 for every full-time local employee working in the company. Note for Employers

• The term local full-time employee denotes Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) whose earnings are not less than 51,000 per month.
• The term local part-time employee denotes Singaporeans and Permanent Residents (PRs) whose earnings are not less than 5500 per month.
• For calculation purposes, two part-time employees count for one full-time employee

Activities covered under the Marine Sector

• Ship building
• Ship repairing

Any foreign worker hired under the Marine Sector and granted a Work Permit needs to restrict his work within the premises of the shipyard only.

Employers note:

• In order to be classified under the marine industry sector the company needs to be engaged in any of the following 4 activities and should also be one of the principal business activities that is registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
• Building of ships, tankers and other seaworthy vessels, including conversion of ships into off-shore structures - SSIC No.30111
• Repairs of ships, tankers and other seaworthy vessels - SSIC No.30112
• Manufacturing and repair of marine engine and ship spare parts - SSIC No.30113
• Designing and building pleasure crafts and their repairs, including lighters and boats - SSIC No.30114

Classifications include:

• Sponsoring shipyard
• Non-sponsoring shipyard
• Resident contractor
• Common contractor

Note: The Work Permit requirements will vary according to the classification and the employers.

Important steps to be followed while applying for Work Permit

Employers who are applying for Work Permit for workers originating from India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, The Republic of the Union of Myanmar, People's Republic of China need to make the following applications and need to get prior approval before submitting application for Work Permit:

• Man Year Entitlement (MYE) to confirm eligibility
• Prior Approval (PA) as and when required
• In-Principle Approval (IPA) for each Work Permit
• Purchase of Security Bonds

As far as MYE and PA are concerned, they won't be required unless the Work Permit is applied on behalf of foreigners from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan because an In-Principle Approval is sufficient for workers from these countries.

Note for Employers:

Employers cannot bring in non-Malaysian foreigners into the country before applying for the Work Permit.

Marine Sector Workers Training

All foreign workers desirous of seeking employment in the marine sector need to attend the Shipyard Safety Instruction Course (SSIC) and obtain an SSIC pass. The course includes:

• Common safety precaution requirements and health hazards associated with the marine sector industry
• Prevention of accidents and diseases
• Rights and responsibilities under employment law

The employer has to take the responsibility to ensure:

• That all foreign workers sign up for the course within 2 weeks of arriving in Singapore
• Marine foreign workers who have been working for a period of 6 years need to take a refresher SSIC test and pass it once in every four years.

All employers need to register their workers for the Shipyard Safety Instruction Course (SSIC). The workers who fail the course will have to retake the course at the earliest; else failure can lead to cancellation of Work Permits.