EMPLOYMENT PASSES (Particulars as at 28.2.77)

Mr Ang Nam Piau asked the Minister for Home Affairs and Education (a) how many persons had applied for Employment Passes up to 28th February, 1977; (b) how many applications have been approved; and (c) how many of the applicants who were granted Passes have applied for permanent residence; how many such applications have been approved and what were the reasons for the rejections.

The Minister for Home Affairs and Education (Mr Chua Sian Chin): Mr Speaker, Sir, Employment Passes were issued as far back as 1959 and no records were kept in the earlier years. Prior to 1974 there was also no distinction between applications for new Employment Passes and applications for extension of Employment Passes. I will therefore give only the statistics from 1974 onwards.

During the last three years up to 28th February, 1977, the Immigration Department received a total of 31,351 applications for new Employment Passes. Out of this total, 29,666 were approved. A total of 13,893 applications for extensions were also received of which 13,793 were approved.

During the same period, a total of 1,919 Employment Pass holders applied for permanent residence in Singapore. 1,321 of these were approved. Those refused were mainly on grounds of:

(i) lack of qualifications;

(ii) lack of working experience; or

(iii) the type of qualifications or skills possessed by the applicants being not in short supply in Singapore.

The figures supplied do not include the Employment Passes granted to holders of work permits processed by the Ministry of Labour.

In case the Member may be wondering why the big gap between the number of people granted Employment Passes and the number of people applying for permanent residence, let me explain that the grant of permanent residence, being the first step towards the grant of citizenship, is more stringent than the grant of Employment Passes. It stands to reason, therefore, that not all Employment Pass holders are eligible to apply for permanent residence. Further, many of the Employment Pass holders are here to work only and are not interested to take up permanent residence. They, of course, do not apply for permanent residence. Those who are interested must generally have worked at least a few years in Singapore before they can apply.

The following Questions Nos. 9 and 10 stood on the Order Paper: