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Singapore blocks visa for Indians forcing companies to hire local professionals

  • Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar stated that this visa related issue was lingering for a while.
  • He also confirmed that the pre-existing visas will also not be renewed making it difficult for the companies to maintain their workforce.
Singapore blocks visa for Indians forcing companies to hire local professionals

 

Bad news for India’s IT professionals looking for promising jobs in Singapore as this much attractive destination for job seekers has blocked issuing visas to Indians. This move has been adopted for allowing local professionals of Singapore to get jobs there. 

 

In fact, a number of Indian companies have their offices in Singapore including TCS, Wipro, Infosys and many others. The blocking of visa will force these companies to hire local talents. However, this may also drive the companies out of this sovereign city-state.  

 

According to Nasscom president R Chandrashekhar this visa related issue was lingering for a while. Also, that the pre-existing visas will also not be renewed making it difficult for the companies to maintain their workforce. He further added that the local professionals of Singapore do not meet the level of expertise sought by the Indian companies there making it hard to follow the diktat. 

 

Also, this recent visa related restriction is against Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA), the trade agreement between India and Singapore signed in the year 2005. The authorities in Singapore are insisting on Indian professionals take the “economic needs test" (ENT) but under the CECA it was agreed that the India does not need to go through this test. 

 

According to the Economic Times report, Nasscom and the Central government is working together to review CECA with Singapore.

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