He Quan, a 35-year-old private driver based in Lijiang, Yunnan, spends eight hours daily transporting passengers to the province’s renowned attractions, such as snow-capped mountains, scenic lakes, and deep gorges. Although He did not disclose his earnings, it is understood that each trip ranges from 150 to 1,000 yuan (US$21 to US$140). Known as “Ah [...]
A domestic helper in Singapore has been sentenced to seven months and one week in jail after moonlighting illegally and stealing over S$23,000 (US$17,000) from a customer. Elvira Cadila Orlanes Ordonez, a 46-year-old Filipina, was convicted on June 18 for one count of theft and two counts under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, with [...]
Two retail employers in Singapore, who persistently underpaid their employees despite multiple warnings from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), are now barred from applying for or renewing work passes for foreign workers until they correct the underpayments. According to a statement by MOM on June 6, these employers have been underpaying a total of 12 [...]
Welcoming Global Talent: Hong Kong's Approach and Challenges Like many Asian cities, Hong Kong is actively courting global talent. To counteract the outflow caused by the pandemic and political factors, the city launched its Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) in late 2022. Official data indicates tens of thousands have applied under this scheme, surpassing applications [...]
Dear all, We have started to use communities to disseminate messages. This will allow us to get announcements out to clients more efficiently. We need to harness the use of WhatsApp communities as our client list has grown to a size where we are unable to keep up with sending announcements to individual chats. The [...]
Singapore and China have officially endorsed a 30-day mutual visa-free entry for their citizens, marking the formalization of a proposal announced nearly two months ago. The agreement was signed on Thursday (Jan 25) by government representatives from both nations, and it takes effect on Feb 9, coinciding with the eve of Chinese New Year, as [...]
Ker Eng Kiat, a 52-year-old Singaporean, and his brother, Ker Eng Hock, a 53-year-old Singaporean, have been convicted of illegal employment offenses under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 (EFMA). Eng Kiat, previously convicted in 2013 for similar offenses, received a sentence of one month's imprisonment and a $23,000 fine (with a default of [...]
On Thursday, December 7, Singapore and China jointly announced their intention to establish a 30-day mutual visa exemption agreement as part of an effort to enhance people-to-people exchanges, taking advantage of improved flight connectivity in the post-pandemic era. This proposal was unveiled during the 19th Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting, the highest-level annual [...]
On September 26, 2023, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) pressed charges against four foreign nationals for allegedly engaging in unauthorized employment as food delivery riders in Singapore. They were accused of working without valid work permits, and two Singaporeans and one Permanent Resident (PR) were also charged with alleged complicity in these activities. They were [...]
On the 11th of September 2023, Poh Jinxiang, a 41-year-old Singaporean, and Director of Exclaim Pte. Ltd., was found guilty of violating the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) and the Immigration Act (IA). He has been sentenced to an $8,000 fine, and imprisoned for nine months and two weeks for the EFMA and IA [...]