Singapore, also known as the Lion City, is the center of finance, shipping, and air transportation in Asia. It is also one of the famous Four Asian Tigers, and it is also known as “Oriental Switzerland”. The local environment is beautiful and clean, like an Asian garden. With a population of about 5.5 million, the political situation is stable, the public security is good, the economy is developed, the country is clean, and the tax rate is low; the population ratio is 75% Chinese, and they have Chinese social culture. It is an ideal place for overseas Chinese immigrants.
▪ Bachelor degree or above, professional certificate or special skills;?
▪ The salary usually requires more than 3,600 SGD per month;?
▪ Young people have lower salary requirements, while older ones have higher salary requirements.
▪ The company or designated employment agency needs to apply on behalf of the EP applicant.
▪ Applicants must receive a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,600 per month, the more experienced the applicant, the higher the salary. For example, for a management position, a monthly salary of at least S$6,000 is recommended.
▪ If approved for the first time, the applicant can obtain an EP valid for 2 years.
▪ Renewals are valid for a maximum of 3 years.
▪ Eligible EP holders can bring family members to Singapore through a Dependent Pass or Long Term Visit Pass.
For newly incorporated companies, Singaporean authorities will usually reject your Employment Pass application if you are listed as a shareholder. This is because they see you as an entrepreneur and want you to apply for an Entrepreneur Pass. For companies that have been established for more than six months, the above shareholding issues do not apply. After six months of incorporation, you are free to become a shareholder of the company.
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has tightened requirements for Employment Pass applicants. To be approved by MOM, applicants must meet the following qualifications:
▪ All nationalities can apply for EP
▪ Foreign professionals must find employment in Singapore
▪ The position must be a managerial, administrative or specialist position
▪ Applicants must receive a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,600 per month. This also applies to new graduates from prestigious universities. The more experienced the applicant, the higher the salary accordingly.
▪ Applicants must have acceptable qualifications, usually a good university degree, professional qualification or specialized skills.
The Ministry of Manpower provides a self-assessment tool to check applicants’ Employment Pass eligibility.
standard eligibility
▪ MOM evaluates each case based on the applicant’s previous work experience and the particular skills he brings to the Singapore economy.
▪ Eligible applicants are not automatically eligible.
company conditions
▪ In addition to the qualifications of applicants, MOM will also evaluate companies applying for EP. When assessing a company’s contribution to Singapore’s economy and workforce, MOM will consider the following:
How Companies Affect Applications
▪ What is the percentage of Singaporeans in the company compared to the industry average?
▪ Has the company demonstrated commitment to hiring and developing Singaporean talent?
▪ To what extent does the company contribute to the Singapore economy and society?
▪ To apply for an EP, MOM needs to provide a legible copy of each of the following documents:
▪ Personal data page of applicant’s passport
▪ Company?s latest business profile or instant information registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
▪ The applicant’s educational credentials, such as degree certificates
▪ Written consent from the applicant to allow the company or employment agency to apply on his or her behalf
▪ Other documents MOM may require
All documents must be in English or translated into English.
Additional documents for applicants from China:
EP applicants from China must also provide proof of diplomas in English from the following sources:
▪ China Higher Education Student Information Career Center or
▪ China degree and postgraduate education information
▪ Dataflow Group: Dataflow is a third-party service that provides background checks and verifies EP applicants’ academic qualifications (i.e. proof of diplomas in English).
Requirements for posting jobs
As part of Singapore’s fair consideration framework, companies must first advertise their vacancies on Jobs Bank, at least 14 days in advance, before applying for an EP.?
A Singapore company is not required to serve on a works council if:
▪ The company has 25 or fewer employees.
▪ The fixed monthly salary for this position is S$12,000 or above.
▪ The job is filled by intra-company transfers (i.e. those who hold a senior position in the company or have advanced expertise).
▪ The work takes no more than a month.
Employment Pass Application Process
In order to apply for an EP, a company or a registered employment agency must complete the following steps:
1. Submit the application.
In almost all cases, companies can submit applications online. Foreign companies without a registered office in Singapore must apply manually offline by mail by a local sponsor. For online and offline applications, the company or employment agency must pay a $105 application fee.
▪ Online applications are submitted through EP Online and take 3 weeks or more to process.
▪ Offline applications via mail must be submitted over the counter at SingPost and take 8 weeks or more to process. In addition to the required documents, the application must include the following:
▪ A completed Employment Pass application form and
▪ Any applicable documents mentioned in the form
2. If approved, MOM will send an In-Principle Approval (IPA). Applicants will receive an IPA through EP Online. After receiving the IPA, the applicant has 6 months to enter Singapore and request the issuance of an EP.?
3. The application requires the issuance of an EP.
Applicants must be in Singapore to request the issuance of an EP. Companies and employment agencies must submit the following information through EP Online:
In some cases, the following additional documents may be required:
The EP will be issued immediately upon submission of the documents.
4. After the EP is issued, the applicant will receive a notification
letter which is valid for 1 month, enabling the applicant to work and travel in Singapore. Additionally, the notification letter will state whether the applicant is required to have his/her fingerprints registered and photographed.?
5. Register fingerprints and take photos (if necessary)
New applicants and applicants who have recently registered for more than 5 years must have their fingerprints registered and have their photo taken two weeks after the EP is issued. Applicants must make an appointment with the Employment Pass Service Centre. At the time of the interview, applicants must prepare the following documents:
6. Receiving EP Card The applicant will receive the card within 4 working days.
Appealing a refused visa application
If the EP application is rejected, the company or employment agency can appeal within 3 weeks. Note that companies should only file an appeal if they can provide new information to resolve the denial.
Appeals can be submitted online and take at least 3 weeks to be processed by MOM.
Renew work permit
EPs can be renewed for a maximum of 3 years. All renewal requests must be submitted by the company or employment agency through EP Online. Renewal requests can be submitted up to 6 months before the pass expires.
In addition, the MOM must receive the renewal application at least 2 weeks before the EP expires. If the pass is not renewed before it expires, the applicant must apply for a new pass.
Not all renewals will be approved, each renewal application is assessed against the new criteria, similar to the new EP application, applicants for renewal must earn at least S$3,600 per month, and the more experienced the applicant, the more labor must be many.
Once approved, applicants will receive an In-Principle Approval Letter. The applicant must then follow the same procedure to apply for the issuance of an EP, register fingerprints and take a photo if necessary, before receiving a new EP card.
Finally, once the new EP card is received, the applicant must return the old EP card to the following address: Work Pass Division, Ministry of Manpower, 18 Havelock Road, Singapore 059764
If the EP holder stops being employed or the EP expires, the company or employment agency must cancel the pass within 1 week.
Before canceling the EP, the company must first obtain a tax payment certificate from IRAS to ensure that all taxes have been paid by the EP holder. In addition, the company must purchase a return ticket for the EP holder.
EP Passes can be canceled through EP Online. Once canceled, the EP holder will be issued a cancellation confirmation letter and a short-term visit pass (if he or she is still in Singapore). In addition, all dependent passes, long-term visit passes, consent letters and work permits granted under the EP will be cancelled.
After leaving Singapore, EP holders must surrender their Short-Term Visit Pass to the immigration authorities.
Once the pass is cancelled, the company must return the EP card to MOM within 1 week at the address below. Work Pass Division, Ministry of Manpower, 18 Havelock Road, Singapore 059764
Companies must notify MOM if any of the following changes occur:
▪ Salary reduction for e-Certificate holders
▪ Company name change
▪ The company has a new address
▪ EP holder transfers to an affiliated subsidiary or parent company
▪ EP holders have a new career position in the company
▪ EP holder changes address
▪ EP holder has changed his profile
▪ EP holder is missing
Applicants can bring their family members to Singapore if their monthly income is not less than S$6,000.
Family members can enter Singapore with a Dependent Pass or a Long Term Visit Pass. The following family members can
Entry as a dependent:
▪ Legally married spouse
▪ Unmarried children under the age of 21, including legally adopted children
With a Dependent Pass, family members can work in Singapore as long as they obtain a consent form.
The following family members can enter Singapore with a Long Term Visit Pass:
▪ Common-law spouse
▪ Unmarried children with disabilities over the age of 21
▪ Unmarried stepchildren under the age of 21
▪ Parents (only applicable to EP holders earning more than S$10,000 per month)
Long-term visitor pass holders can work in Singapore as long as they obtain a work permit.
If the EP holder decides to switch jobs, the new employer must apply for a new EP. If an EP holder transfers from a subsidiary to the parent company, a new EP must also be applied for, and vice versa.
As with any new application, MOM will assess the applicant’s qualifications and capabilities before approving or rejecting a new EP. If approved, EP holders will need to issue a new pass before receiving a new EP card.
EP holders do not need to cancel their existing EP before applying for a new EP.