MOM Adds 8 Roles to Non-Traditional Source Occupation List, Effective September 2026

From September 2026, MOM has added eight new roles to the Non-Traditional Source (NTS) Occupation List — the list of jobs employers can fill with Work Permit holders from a wider range of source countries.

What’s changing

The eight added occupations span food services, social services, and air transportation — sectors that have flagged persistent hiring gaps. Employers in these sectors gain a wider recruitment pool without changing their overall Work Permit quota.

What hasn’t changed

• The 8% NTS sub-dependency ratio ceiling stays the same — NTS workers still can’t exceed 8% of an employer’s total workforce headcount.
• The S$2,000 minimum monthly salary requirement for NTS Work Permit holders is unchanged.

In other words: more source countries to hire from, same guardrails on how many and at what pay. For the full current quota and levy framework, see our Work Passes guide.

Source: MOM — Factsheet on Foreign Workforce Policies (COS 2026)