Worker source countries
Singapore does not allow employers to recruit from anywhere they like. The Ministry of Manpower defines approved source groups, and which group applies depends on the sector and the pass type. We recruit across all of them.
Why source country matters. A welder for a shipyard, a helper for a household and a mid-skilled technician for a factory are not drawn from the same approved list. Getting the source wrong is one of the most common reasons a hiring plan stalls before it reaches an application.
Non-Traditional Sources NTS
The main pool for Work Permit holders in construction, marine shipyard and process. In manufacturing and services these countries are open only for the occupations on MOM's NTS Occupation List, which carries its own sub-quota and minimum-salary conditions.
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- India
- Laos
- Myanmar
- Philippines
- Sri Lanka
- Thailand
People's Republic of China PRC
A source group in its own right — not part of Non-Traditional Sources. Manufacturing and services firms may hire PRC Work Permit holders alongside Malaysia and the North Asian Sources, and PRC workers are also a long-standing source for construction, marine shipyard and process.
- People's Republic of China
North Asian Sources NAS
Recruited alongside Malaysia for a range of roles, including many in the services sector.
- Hong Kong SAR
- Macau SAR
- South Korea
- Taiwan
Malaysia
Eligible across the widest range of sectors, and often the fastest route where the skill set is available.
- Malaysia
Migrant domestic workers MDW
Households may employ helpers from a broader list than most business sectors, including countries not open to Work Permit holders in industry.
- Philippines
- Indonesia
- Myanmar
- Sri Lanka
- India
- Cambodia
- Thailand
- Malaysia
- Bangladesh
- Hong Kong SAR
- Macau SAR
- South Korea
- Taiwan
Eligibility is set by MOM and changes. The lists above describe the approved source groups in general terms. Which of them applies to a specific role depends on your sector, the pass type and the prevailing rules, and MOM revises these periodically. Always confirm against the current MOM requirements — or ask us and we will check for your case.
How we source
Partners on the ground, not a single supplier
We work with vetted recruitment partners in each source country rather than routing everything through one agent. It costs more effort to maintain, but it means that when a trade is scarce in one market we are not stuck waiting for it.
- Candidate documentation verified before you interview, not after
- Trade tests and skills certification arranged where the sector requires them
- Pre-departure briefing so workers arrive knowing the job and the terms
- Ethical recruitment — workers are told the real role, salary and any fee up front
Not sure which source applies to your role?
Tell us the sector and the job and we will tell you which countries you can actually recruit from — before you spend time on candidates who are not eligible.