Immigration update: Singapore | More announcements on Coronavirus
More announcements from MOM on Coronavirus in Singapore
Following MOH’s announcement on 31 January 2020, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has also announced on 5 February 2020, measures that will be taken for employers with employees who have travel history to Mainland China before their return to Singapore.
Who will be affected?
For PRC-issued passports, Work Pass approved In-Principle (holding IPA) but not yet issued
- Employees with IPAs but who have not yet been issued with work passes will be allowed to enter Singapore.
- These employees are required to take a 14-day Leave of Absence (LOA) upon arrival in Singapore with guidelines to remain in their residences and avoid social contact.
- Processing of work passes for these employees will only start after their the 14-day LOA period has been completed.
Employees who return to Singapore on/after 31 Jan 2020, 6pm
- Regardless of nationality, employees are required to take a 14-day LOA, with guidelines to remain in their residences and avoid social contact.
Hubei-issued passport holders (including those with IPA) and employees who return to Singapore
- These employees will be immediately placed on quarantine order upon arrival in Singapore.
- MOM strongly recommends that employers look into getting employees to defer their travel back to Singapore until further announcements are made.
Impact
In addition to the measures implemented by MOH and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), MOM has also imposed new requirements for employers to observe.
For employees who are issued LOA, employers are required to contact and inform MOM of the affected foreign employees and submit a written acknowledgement of the LOA on/by 10 February 2020.
For employees who have Hubei-issued passports, employers are required to inform MOM that return travel to Singapore has been deferred, and in cases where employees have returned to Singapore, provide written reasons on their return on/by 10 February 2020.
Affected employees will be placed on LOA for a 14-day period, and for those who are from Hubei, will be placed on immediate quarantine order from time of arrival to Singapore.
Implementation
These measures have already been implemented and will remain in effect until further notices are received from the authorities.
Santa Fe Analysis
As authorities have not stipulated any timeline for the additional measures implemented on travellers, affected travellers should refrain from making travel plans to Singapore as much as possible until further advice is received from the relevant government bodies.
For employers, it is advised to keep assignment start dates flexible for affected travellers and to keep business travels to Mainland China to a minimum.
For latest information about the coronavirus, kindly visit the following:
Should you have any questions, please contact the following:
Ai Leng Chew
Immigration Manager – Singapore
Santa Fe Relocation
Singapore
D: +65 6398 3004
M: +65 8921 8803
E: Aileng.Chew@santaferelo.com
Robert Day
Group Head of Immigration Operations
Santa Fe Relocation
London, UK
D: +44 7990 021125
E: Robert.Day@santaferelo.com
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