Three weeks from today, on 1 September 2026, Singapore’s Non-Traditional Source Occupation List expands by eight roles across food services, social services and air transportation — the largest single addition to the NTS-OL since the scheme was introduced. For F&B operators, childcare centres, social service agencies and ground-handling operators in aviation, the change opens access to a significantly broader recruitment base from NTS countries. But eligibility does not mean readiness. Employers who want to hire under the NTS Occupation List September 2026 additions need to assess quota headroom, prepare documentation, and submit applications through MOM’s Work Permit Online portal before workers can begin. This guide explains what the expansion covers, who qualifies, what the constraints are, and exactly what to do now.

What Is the NTS Occupation List?

The Non-Traditional Source (NTS) Work Permit framework allows employers to hire semi-skilled and lower-skilled workers from nine approved NTS countries — Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos — for specific roles that the mainstream Work Permit allows. Without the NTS Occupation List, NTS-country workers could only fill roles in construction, marine, manufacturing and process sectors (which have their own sector quotas). With a role listed on the NTS-OL, employers in other sectors can engage NTS workers for that specific occupation, subject to two additional controls:

  • A minimum fixed monthly salary of SGD 2,000 for all NTS-OL hires (the salary floor applies across all listed occupations and cannot be bridged with allowances or overtime).
  • An 8% NTS sub-Dependency Ratio Ceiling (sub-DRC), which caps the total number of NTS Work Permit holders — across all occupations, not just NTS-OL roles — to 8% of the employer’s total workforce headcount.

Both controls were established when the NTS-OL was introduced and remain unchanged under the September 2026 expansion. Per MOM’s Committee of Supply 2026 Foreign Workforce Policy Factsheet (3 March 2026), the new occupations are added in direct response to sustained manpower shortages in the three affected sectors.

The Eight New NTS Occupation List September 2026 Additions

The eight occupations added from 1 September 2026, by sector:

Food Services

  • Butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers
  • Food and drink stall assistants
  • Kitchen assistants
  • Waiters

Social Services

  • Babysitters and infant caregivers
  • Educarers
  • Teacher aides

Air Transportation

  • Cabin attendants

Each of these roles is defined by its Singapore Standard Occupational Classification (SSOC) code. When submitting an application through MOM’s Work Permit Online (WPOL) portal, employers must select the correct SSOC code for the intended role. Mismatches between the stated SSOC and the actual duties performed are a common compliance issue — and one that MOM’s inspectors check for actively. For a broader look at how levy rates and quotas work across sectors, see our Singapore Foreign Worker Levy 2026 Guide.

Who Is Affected and Why It Matters

F&B Operators and Hawker Stall Owners

Four of the eight new roles sit in food services — and the expansion matters most here. Singapore’s F&B sector faces persistent manpower shortages at the semi-skilled end: butchers, fishmongers and food preparers at wet markets, kitchen hands, stall assistants and waiting staff. Previously, employers in this sector could only hire from the traditional Work Permit source countries (including Malaysia and the main source list). From 1 September 2026, all nine NTS countries — including India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and the Philippines — become valid source countries for these four occupations, giving operators access to a far larger talent pool. The SGD 2,000 minimum salary and 8% sub-DRC still apply.

Childcare Centres and Social Service Organisations

The Social Services additions are particularly significant. Singapore’s regulated childcare and infant care sectors have been expanding under ECDA’s capacity-building push, but local headcount in care roles has not kept pace. Babysitters and infant caregivers, educarers and teacher aides at licensed childcare centres, infant care centres and special-needs organisations can now be sourced from NTS countries — including the Philippines, which has a deep pool of trained childcare and early childhood workers — subject to the salary floor and sub-DRC cap. ECDA licensing requirements for staff qualifications remain in force and sit alongside MOM’s pass rules.

Airlines and Ground-Handling Operators

The single Air Transportation addition — cabin attendants — is the most sector-specific. Regional airlines and ground-handling operators affiliated with carriers operating through Singapore now have access to the NTS pool for cabin crew. This is particularly relevant for carriers that rely on source countries now classified as NTS. The SGD 2,000 floor applies to cabin attendant roles as it does to all other NTS-OL occupations, and the 8% sub-DRC counts cabin attendant NTS hires alongside any other NTS workers in the company.

Pre-Application Checklist: Can Your Company Hire NTS-OL Workers?

Before submitting any application from 1 September 2026, work through this checklist:

  1. Confirm the SSOC code for the intended role. Log in to MOM’s Work Permit Online (WPOL) portal and confirm the SSOC code. Food services stall assistants fall under SSOC 9412; kitchen assistants under 9413; waiters under 5131; butchers and fishmongers under 7511. Educarers are classified under SSOC 5311; teacher aides under 5312; babysitters under 5312/5319. Cabin attendants are SSOC 5111.
  2. Calculate your NTS sub-DRC headroom. Count all staff on your payroll (all employment types, at 1.0 FTE per MOM’s method). Multiply by 8% — this is your NTS sub-DRC ceiling. Subtract your current NTS Work Permit holders. The remainder is your headroom for new NTS-OL hires.
  3. Verify your sector DRC is not at the ceiling. Adding NTS-OL workers counts toward the sector Dependency Ratio Ceiling. Confirm your overall foreign-to-local ratio has room before applying.
  4. Confirm the role and workplace match your SSIC sector. The worker must be employed in the occupation and sector in which the NTS-OL role is listed. Cross-sector deployment is not permitted.
  5. Ensure the offered salary is at least SGD 2,000 fixed per month. This is a firm floor set by MOM. Variable pay components do not count toward the SGD 2,000 threshold.

For employers new to the NTS Work Permit scheme, our guide to NTS Work Permits including Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos explains the broader framework and source-country eligibility in detail.

Hiring Steps: From Application to First Day

The Work Permit application process for NTS-OL hires follows the standard WPOL flow:

  1. Register on WPOL. If your company is not yet registered on the Work Permit Online portal, do this first. You will need your ACRA-registered UEN. Assign a company account to the HR manager handling applications.
  2. Source and identify candidates. Recruit from your preferred NTS country — directly or through a MOM-licensed employment agency. Collect full name (as in passport), passport number, date of birth, country of birth and educational background.
  3. Submit the Work Permit application on WPOL from 1 September 2026. Select the NTS-OL SSOC code for the role. Upload the candidate’s passport and, for NTS-OL roles, documentation of the intended role (job description or offer letter showing the fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 2,000).
  4. Pay the SGD 35 application fee. Payable by credit card or GIRO at point of submission.
  5. Receive In-Principle Approval (IPA). MOM typically processes online Work Permit applications within one week. The IPA allows the worker to enter Singapore.
  6. Complete the pre-employment medical examination. Before the Work Permit card is issued, the worker must complete a medical examination at a Singapore-registered clinic. Food services workers should also schedule a food hygiene certification course promptly upon arrival.
  7. Issue the Work Permit card. Once medical clearance is received, MOM issues the Work Permit card and the worker may commence employment.

For workers already in Singapore on an existing pass, the change of pass type process applies — which has its own timeline. Refer to our Work Permit renewal and change guide for the specific steps involved.

Levy Rates for NTS-OL Hires

NTS-OL hires are subject to standard Work Permit levy rates for their sector. The levy is payable from the day the Work Permit is issued and must be paid monthly by GIRO. As a guide:

  • Food services: SGD 450 per month (Basic Tier) or SGD 300 per month (Higher Skills Tier, for workers with relevant qualifications such as WSQ food hygiene certificates or relevant trade qualifications).
  • Social services (childcare/eldercare): SGD 265 per month for workers with recognised early childhood or caregiving qualifications (Higher Skills Tier). Standard rate of SGD 450 applies otherwise.
  • Air transportation (cabin attendants): Services sector levy rates apply — SGD 450 (Basic Tier) or SGD 300 (Higher Skills Tier).

Levy rates are reviewed periodically. For the current full breakdown by sector and tier, including the key compliance dates for HR teams managing work pass portfolios, refer to MOM’s published levy schedule.

Employer Action Timeline: 10 August to 30 September 2026

Date Action
From 10 August 2026 Conduct quota headroom check. Confirm SSOC codes. Identify candidates through MOM-licensed employment agencies or direct recruitment.
Late August 2026 Prepare job descriptions and offer letters showing SGD 2,000+ fixed monthly salary. Register on WPOL if not already registered.
From 1 September 2026 Submit Work Permit applications via WPOL.
By mid-September 2026 Receive IPA (approximately one week processing time). Arrange travel and pre-employment medical.
By end-September 2026 Workers commence employment after medical clearance and Work Permit card issuance.

Conclusion

The NTS Occupation List September 2026 expansion is the most significant broadening of NTS-country hiring eligibility in Singapore’s recent manpower history. For F&B operators, childcare and social service organisations, and airlines, it opens access to a substantially larger recruitment base at a time when local hiring for these roles remains structurally challenged. The conditions — a SGD 2,000 minimum salary and an 8% NTS sub-DRC — are unchanged, which means employers already using the NTS-OL framework can scale up from Day 1 of September without needing to learn new compliance rules.

If your company needs assistance navigating Work Permit applications, managing quota calculations, or sourcing and onboarding NTS workers through a licensed channel, Singapore Employment Agency — the consumer brand of Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd (MOM Licence 19C9790) — provides licensed employment agency services for work pass applications and foreign worker placement. For companies also setting up or expanding their Singapore operations, Raffles Corporate Services offers incorporation, HR and corporate secretarial support.

— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency

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