From 1 June 2026, Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos joined Singapore’s Non-Traditional Sources (NTS) list, expanding the pool of countries from which employers in the construction, marine shipyard, process, manufacturing and services sectors can hire Work Permit holders. The Singapore NTS work permit 2026 expansion is the most significant addition to the NTS country list since its original implementation, and comes alongside a further occupational expansion scheduled for 1 September 2026. For employers struggling with skilled worker shortages in manual and semi-skilled roles, this is a practical widening of the recruitment funnel — but it comes with specific eligibility rules, quota ceilings and levy obligations that require careful management.
This guide explains what the NTS framework is, what the country and occupational expansions mean in practice, which sectors and roles qualify, and what employers need to do to comply.
What Is the Non-Traditional Sources (NTS) Work Permit Framework?
Singapore’s Work Permit framework divides source countries into Traditional Sources (TS) — Malaysia — and Non-Traditional Sources (NTS). The NTS category includes countries from which employers can hire Work Permit holders for specific, approved roles in designated sectors, subject to controls on salary, quota and levy.
The NTS list was created to address labour shortages in sectors that cannot easily attract Singaporean workers, while maintaining control over the size and composition of the foreign workforce. The key controls are:
- NTS Occupation List (NTS-OL): Employers in Manufacturing and Services may only hire NTS Work Permit holders for jobs that appear on the approved NTS-OL. Jobs not on the list cannot be filled by NTS workers in those sectors (construction, marine and process sectors operate under separate sector-specific rules).
- NTS sub-dependency ratio ceiling: NTS Work Permit holders in Manufacturing and Services are subject to an 8% sub-dependency ratio ceiling — meaning NTS workers may not exceed 8% of the employer’s total workforce.
- Minimum salary: All NTS Occupation List roles in Manufacturing and Services require a minimum fixed monthly salary of SGD 2,000.
- Overall Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC): The NTS sub-ceiling applies within the sector’s overall DRC, not on top of it.
For a comprehensive overview of how levy and quota mechanics interact across all Work Permit categories, see our guide to the Singapore Foreign Worker Levy 2026 by sector.
What Changed on 1 June 2026: Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos Added to NTS List
Effective 1 June 2026, three new source countries were added to the non-traditional sources work permit Bhutan Cambodia Laos NTS list:
- Bhutan
- Cambodia
- Laos
The full NTS country list as at June 2026 is therefore: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Thailand, per the MOM Work Permit for Foreign Workers guidance. Per the MOM Non-Traditional Sources Occupation List page, the same NTS-OL and quota rules apply to workers from the three new countries as to existing NTS countries.
The addition is primarily targeted at the construction, marine shipyard and process sectors, where significant shortfalls in manual and semi-skilled workers have persisted, and at manufacturing roles approved under the NTS-OL. The new countries — particularly Cambodia and Thailand’s neighbouring Laos — bring geographically proximate workforces with established migration experience and existing Singapore recruitment infrastructure.
The NTS Occupation List: Which Roles Are Eligible?
For the Manufacturing and Services sectors, employers may only hire NTS Work Permit holders for roles that appear on the approved NTS occupation list expansion 2026. As at June 2026, the list includes roles such as:
Manufacturing Sector (NTS-OL Roles)
- Sheet metal workers, welders and flame cutters
- Metal moulders, coremakers and related casting workers
- Riggers and structural metal preparers
- Heavy vehicle drivers (added September 2025)
- Manufacturing operators across various production roles (added September 2025)
- Cooks in any restaurant (added September 2025)
Services Sector (NTS-OL Roles — September 2026 Expansion)
Effective 1 September 2026, eight additional occupations will be added to the NTS-OL across Food Services, Social Services and Air Transportation:
- Food Services: Butchers, fishmongers and related food preparers; food and drink stall assistants; kitchen assistants; waiters
- Social Services: Babysitters or infant caregivers; educarers; teacher aides
- Air Transportation: Ramp attendants
The September 2026 expansion is particularly significant for F&B operators, social service organisations and childcare centres, which have faced persistent foreign worker shortages under the existing framework. This expansion does not apply to workers already on the ground — employers who wish to hire NTS workers in these new roles from September 2026 will need to apply afresh under the relevant sector’s quota and levy rules.
Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process Sectors
The construction marine work permit Singapore sectors operate under different rules from Manufacturing and Services. In these sectors, the NTS framework applies to the full sector workforce without a separate NTS-OL restriction — employers may hire NTS Work Permit holders for a broader range of semi-skilled and manual roles, subject to overall sector-specific DRCs and levy tiers.
For the construction sector, the addition of Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos is immediately actionable: employers who are already at or near their quota for Traditional Source (TS) workers from Malaysia, or for existing NTS countries, can now recruit from the three new countries via the same application process through the Work Permit Online (WPOL) system.
Marine shipyard and process sector employers face similar dynamics. Labour shortages in hull cleaning, marine fabrication and petrochemical plant maintenance are well-documented, and the additional source countries provide a broader recruitment pool.
Practical Steps for Employers Wishing to Hire from Bhutan, Cambodia or Laos
Employers who wish to recruit Work Permit holders from the three new NTS countries should follow the standard Work Permit application process with the following points in mind:
1. Confirm the role is eligible under the NTS framework for your sector. For Manufacturing and Services, verify the role is on the approved NTS-OL. For Construction, Marine Shipyard and Process, verify the role falls within the sector’s approved occupation categories.
2. Check your remaining quota and NTS sub-dependency ratio. For Manufacturing and Services employers, confirm you have headroom under both the overall DRC and the 8% NTS sub-ceiling. Going over quota triggers automatic rejection of the Work Permit application.
3. Verify the minimum salary of SGD 2,000 per month. For NTS-OL roles in Manufacturing and Services, the minimum fixed monthly salary is SGD 2,000. This threshold applies to workers from Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos in the same way as existing NTS countries.
4. Engage a licensed employment agency or registered foreign worker recruiter. Recruitment from new NTS countries — particularly Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos, which have less established Singapore recruitment pipelines — typically requires working with a licensed employment agency on the ground in the source country. Employers should verify the agency’s MOM-licence status before engaging.
5. Apply via Work Permit Online (WPOL). The application process for NTS Work Permits from the three new countries is the same as for existing NTS countries — submit via the Work Permit Online portal once in-principle approval (IPA) requirements are confirmed. For a step-by-step guide to the application and renewal process, see our Singapore Work Permit Renewal 2026 guide.
Levy Implications
Work Permit holders from NTS countries are subject to the standard sector-specific levy tiers applicable to their sector and quota tier. The levy rates are not altered by the country-of-origin expansion — adding Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos to the NTS list does not change the levy payable per worker. What it changes is the available labour pool from which employers may recruit.
Employers in the construction sector should note that the higher levy tier applies for NTS workers in excess of the “basic tier” quota, and that levy rates are reviewed periodically. See our Foreign Worker Levy 2026 by Sector guide for current levy rates across all sectors and quota tiers.
Broader Work Pass Context
The NTS expansion is one strand of Singapore’s ongoing effort to balance foreign workforce controls with the operational needs of sectors facing genuine labour shortages. For employers in roles above the Work Permit salary range who are seeking to hire foreign professionals under the S Pass or Employment Pass framework, the rules are different — the Complete Work Permit Guide and S Pass Guide 2026 provide complementary detail on those pass types. For businesses planning to establish or expand their Singapore entity to support workforce growth, Raffles Corporate Services provides incorporation and corporate secretarial services.
How Singapore Employment Agency Can Help
LBEA is a MOM-licensed employment agency (Licence 19C9790) with experience in work permit applications across the construction, marine, manufacturing and services sectors. We can advise on eligibility, quota management and the application process for NTS Work Permits from the newly expanded country list — including Bhutan, Cambodia and Laos.
To discuss your workforce requirements or to begin the Work Permit application process, contact the team at Singapore Employment Agency for a consultation.
— The Editorial Team, Little Big Employment Agency