Employers looking to bring in foreign workers will have to shelve their plans until further notice after the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour announced no new permits would be approved until further notice. 

In a statement late on Tuesday, the Ministry advised that Foreign Employment Permits will be temporarily closed due to the state of emergency orders relating to containing the threat of the coronavirus. 

Applications are to be closed from Monday 23 March until further notice. 

The public is advised to contact the Ministry’s Employment Permit team for any further information or queries.

The notice was signed by Pulotu Lydon Chu Ling, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour.

Since 2016, the number of foreign workers in Samoa have been increasing.

The latest available figures show that 583 Foreign Employee Employment Permits have been approved by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour; 38 per cent of permits were issued to female workers and 62 per cent to males.