Singapore appears to be shutting its doors to foreign talent just as the exodus of expatriates from Hong Kong gathers pace.

The government recently tightened visa rules for white-collar workers, adding hoops to a process that employers already complain is too onerous. Will the city-state miss its golden opportunity to scoop up Hong Kong¡¯s disgruntled elites? Hardly. It¡¯s a different slice of the labor market that will feel the pinch from these stricter measures.

Within a matter of weeks, Singapore introduced a series of dramatic changes to its work visa for highly skilled foreigners, raising the minimum salary requirements and introducing a points system not unlike what¡¯s used in the U.K. and Canada.