Sponsoring Dependent Pass for spouse is stricter now for Singapore work visa holders

By September 1st  2012, S Pass and Employment Pass (EP) holders will need to earn a fixed monthly salary of at least 4,000 Singapore Dollars Per Month to sponsor the stay of their spouses and children, announced Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM). According to MOM, these changes to Dependent Privileges for Work Pass holders will help ease the pressure on Singapore’s social infrastructure:

“The Government is tightening the criteria for work pass holders to sponsor dependants as part of the overall direction to moderate the growth of Singapore’s non-resident population. This will help ease the pressure on our social infrastructure. Nonetheless, Singapore remains a global talent capital. We continue to welcome highly skilled foreign professionals who wish to bring their dependants to stay with them.”
Source : MOM Passes & Visas

There are 2 additional changes, P1 Pass holders will no longer be able to bring in their parents-in-law (they may still bring in their parents, spouses and children) and P2 Pass holders will no longer be able to bring in their parents or parents-in-law (they may still bring in their spouses and children).
These stricter rules on passes for foreign worker’s families are the last changes in a series of changes to

Singapore work visa framework in the past 1 year. In 2011, government announced an increase to the minimum salary requirements for each work pass type. The move is to further slowdown the inflow of foreign workers here. Currently, S Pass holders earning more than 2,800 SGD per month and all Employment Pass holders could sponsor their spouses’ Dependent Pass. Family members already here will not be affected as long as their sponsor stays with the same company but an employment change will be considered as new work visa and will be subject to new laws.

Immigration is the hottest topic in Singapore recently with the huge inflow of foreigners in the past few years has put great strain on the infrastructure of the country. Since married skilled foreigners will value the ability to bring in their family with them, these rules will make it harder for employers to offer lower prices to foreign workers.