Construction WP Quota in Singapore: What Is the DRC and How Do You Check Yours?

You've found the right worker. The CV checks out, the experience is solid, and you're ready to submit the Work Permit application — only to find out your company has already hit its quota limit.

It happens more often than you'd think. Many construction employers in Singapore don't check their WP quota until they're at the ceiling. By then, you've spent weeks on a placement that can't proceed.

The rule that governs how many Work Permit holders your company can employ is called the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC). Understanding it — and knowing how to check your position before you apply — can save you significant time and cost.

What Is the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC)?

The Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC) is a company-level rule set by MOM. It caps the proportion of your workforce that can be foreign workers — specifically, Work Permit holders (WPH) and S Pass holders combined.

For the construction sector, the current DRC is 1:5 — for every 1 local employee (Singapore citizen or PR), you can employ up to 5 WPH or S Pass holders. That's up to 83.3% of your total workforce.

Worked example:

• 6 local employees → maximum 30 WPH/S Pass holders

• Total workforce: 36, of which 30 (83.3%) are foreign

If you're at your limit, you must bring in an additional local or wait for an existing WP to expire before hiring another.

What Changed in January 2024?

Before 2024, construction companies also had to manage the Man-Year Entitlement (MYE) — a project-based quota for NTS and PRC workers. MYE was fully abolished on 1 January 2024. All WPHs are now hired purely against the company-level DRC, regardless of source country. The DRC also tightened at the same time, from the old 1:7 ratio (87.5%) to the current 1:5 (83.3%).

If you're still asking about MYE: it no longer applies. The DRC is your only quota constraint.

The Levy Tiers: R1 vs R2

Your quota tells you how many WPHs you can hire. Your worker's skills tier determines what you pay in levy.

Skills Tier	Definition	Levy (NTS)	Levy (Malaysia / NAS / PRC)
R1 (Higher-skilled)	Workers who have completed one of four upgrading pathways (CoreTrade, Multi-Skilling Scheme, Direct R1 Pathway, or MBF). SEC(K) alone does not confer R1 status.	$500/month	$300/month
R2 (Basic-skilled)	Workers with recognised trade certification (SEC/SEC(K))	$900/month	$700/month
Unskilled	WP approved without the required certification	$900/month	$900/month
Off-site Construction (R1)	Workers at approved DfMA/prefab facilities	$250/month	$250/month
Off-site Construction (R2)	Workers at approved DfMA/prefab facilities	$370/month	$370/month

NTS = Non-Traditional Sources: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos. NAS = North Asian Sources: Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Taiwan. Rates effective 1 January 2024. Source: MOM, last updated 10 April 2026.

NTS and PRC workers must pass the BCA SEC(K) trade test at an Overseas Testing Centre (OTC) in their home country before the WP can be processed. BCA describes it as "essential for work permit processing." Malaysia and NAS workers have alternatives: SPM or ALP end-of-course validation are also accepted.

Upgrading workers to R1 saves $400/month per NTS worker in levy. There are four pathways to R1 status (CoreTrade, Multi-Skilling Scheme, Direct R1 Pathway, MBF) — see our CSOC, SEC(K) and CoreTrade guide for a full breakdown.

The 10% R1 Rule: MOM requires at least 10% of your construction WP holders to be R1 before you can hire or renew any R2 workers. Fall below that and MOM will revoke excess R2 permits. Check your R1 percentage in WP Online before every new application.

Changes Taking Effect 1 July 2026

Two changes take effect on 1 July 2026 that will affect quota calculations.

Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) rises from $1,600 to $1,800. The LQS is the minimum salary a local must earn to count as a full worker for quota purposes:

Monthly salary of local employee	Counts towards quota (before 1 Jul)	Counts towards quota (from 1 Jul)
$1,800 and above	1.0	1.0
$1,600 – $1,799	1.0	0.5
$800 – $1,599	0.5	0.5
Below $800	0	0

If any of your locals earn $1,600–$1,799, their quota contribution halves from 1 July. Review salaries now and bring affected employees to $1,800 before July if you want to maintain your current headroom.

Worker age limits also rise. New WP applications: age limit goes from 61 to 62. Existing WP holders: maximum employment age goes from 63 to 64. Check your ageing workers' details in WP Online.

How to Check Your WP Quota Before You Apply

Don't wait for a rejection. Check in under 5 minutes:

Step 1: Log in to WP Online with your CorpPass.

Step 2: In the left menu, click Enquire → Employer Details and Quota. Enter your CPF Submission Number and click Search to see your current WP/S Pass headcount, DRC entitlement, and available quota.

Step 3: Verify your local headcount is current. MOM updates local employee counts every Saturday. Late or unpaid CPF contributions can also affect your quota and levy tiers — keep payroll records clean.

Step 4: Check again immediately before submitting each application. Quota is dynamic — another application from a co-director or the departure of a local employee can shift your available headcount between checks.

What to Do If You're Near Your Limit

Hire a local worker. Every additional citizen or PR on full-time payroll adds 5 to your WPH entitlement — the most direct lever available.

Review inactive WP holders. Workers on extended unpaid leave or whose WPs are pending cancellation still count against your quota. Clear them before applying for new permits.

How Stagencies Can Help

Quota rejections are one of the most common and preventable delays in WP applications. At Stagencies, we verify your DRC position before proceeding with any placement — so you know your available headcount before we begin sourcing.

Contact Stagencies — we check your quota before we start.

Read next: 5 Mistakes Employers Make After Work Permit Approval (And How to Avoid Them)

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Stagencies Pte. Ltd. is a licensed employment agency (EA Licence No. 19C9576) specialising in construction manpower and local/PR placements in Singapore.