Hawkers will be allowed to hire long-term visit pass holders as assistants from 1 Jan

Long-term visit pass holders now allowed to work at stalls only if they’re spouses of hawkers

To address manpower issues faced by hawkers, they will be allowed to hire long-term visit pass (LTVP) holders as stall assistants from 1 Jan 2025.

The move was announced in Parliament on Monday (14 Oct) by Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment.

Long-term visit pass holders need consent letter to work for hawkers

Dr Koh said LTVP or LTVP+ holders would need a Letter of Consent (LOC) or pre-approved LOC to work as a hawker stall assistant.

The relaxation of manpower policies is to address challenges faced by stallholders, he subsequently posted on Facebook, adding:

This change will allow more flexibility in hiring stall assistants, providing additional support to our hawkers.

Only long-term visit pass holders who’re spouses of hawkers can work as assistants now

Currently, only Singaporeans and permanent residents (PRs) are allowed to be stallholders or work as stall assistants at hawker centres and markets managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators.

An exception is for the spouses of stallholders who are LTVP holders — they are also allowed to work as stall assistants.

Dr Koh said NEA exercises flexibility by allowing this, as these LTVP holders have “familial ties” to the hawkers.

With the relaxation of this rule, LTVP holders who are parents or children of hawkers, or even unrelated, may also work as stall assistants.

Certain types of foreigners eligible for LTVP

According to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), foreigners may apply for an LTVP if they are:

• a spouse or parent of a Singapore citizen or PR
• an unmarried child aged below 21 born within the context of a legal marriage to a citizen or PR, or legally adopted by a citizen or PR
• a graduate of an Institute of Higher Learning seeking employment in Singapore
• a parent or grandparent of a child studying in Singapore on a Student’s Pass
• a visitor seeking permission to give birth in Singapore (a citizen or PR sponsor is required)

The LTVP+ is open to foreign spouses of citizens who have at least one child who is a citizen from their marriage.

LTVP+ holders have a longer period of residency and additional employment benefits and healthcare subsidies.

Further support measures for hawkers in the pipeline

Dr Koh said the authorities are “also exploring further support measures for hawkers”.

This is part of their commitment to safeguarding our hawker heritage, he added.

The details of these measures will be shared when ready.

Issue previously brought up on 7 Aug

The issue was previously brought up in Parliament by Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Edward Chia on 7 Aug.

He had asked Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu whether hawkers could employ LTVP+ holders as assistants to address manpower shortages.

At the time, she replied that only citizens and PRs were allowed “to safeguard and preserve the local identity of our hawker culture”.

Also read: Bukit Merah Hokkien Mee Stall To Close Down Due To Rising Costs & Labour Shortage

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Featured image from MS News.