Work Permit - Before you apply
Work Pass Conditions & Requirements for Manufacturing sector
Types of business activities
Companies in the manufacturing sector manufacture or produce goods from raw materials on a large scale in an industrial setting. Examples are:
- Manufacturing of electronics components
- Manufacturing of pharmaceuticals and biological products
- Manufacturing of basic industrial acids and alkalis
- Mechanical engineering works
- Manufacturing of oil/gas field machinery
- Manufacturing of waxes, polishes and deodorants
- Electroplating, hot-tip galvanising, die-casting and heat treatment
- Semiconductor wafer fabrication plants
- Food processing (must have an AVA licence)
The following illustrates a company that is not in a manufacturing sector:
| Operates in an industrial setting/premises |
Produces goods from raw materials |
Examples |
| Yes |
No |
Laundry, packing or dishwashing services in a factory |
| No |
Yes |
Bakeries operating in housing estates or shopping centres |
Manufacturing companies should not deploy their Work Permit holders and S Pass holders to work in retail or food and beverage setting/outlets. They should be employed under a separate services account. Companies can write to the Work Pass Division using the iSubmit to apply for a services account.
Approved source countries/territories
Companies in the manufacturing sector can recruit workers from the following countries/territories:
- Malaysia
- People's Republic of China (PRC)
- North Asian Sources (NAS): Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea and Taiwan.
Dependency ceiling/quota
Refer to the 
Guidelines on Computation of Company's Quota Balance for the Dependency Ceiling and quota applicable to the manufacturing sector.
Foreign Worker levy
The levy rate for Foreign Workers varies across different sectors. Find out more about the levy rates for Foreign Workers in the manufacturing sector.
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