Singapore Employment Pass

Foreign company owners, directors, professionals, managers, executives, specialist or middle-level skilled workers planning to work in Singapore can apply for Employment pass (EP). The minimum salary requirement for employment pass is S$2500/month.

Foreigners are permitted to apply for an Employment Pass after incorporation of their Singapore Company.

The Singapore Employment Pass comes with a valid stay visa for up to two years. The application can be submitted on-line and due to this the outcome of the application from the Ministry of Manpower is obtained within a shorter period of time and the probability for approval is higher than an EntrePass application, which is decided based on multiple factors that include business plan and past entrepreneurial background of the applicant.

Employment pass applicants are assessed based on their education level, age, declared income and company position. Employment pass types comprise P passes and Q passes.

P Pass/Q Pass

There are three categories of Employment Pass: P1, P2 and Q Pass. The P Pass is for foreigners seeking professional, managerial or executive and specialist jobs.

• P1 Pass - for applicants earning a fixed monthly salary of more than $7,000.
• P2 Pass - for applicants earning a fixed monthly salary of more than $3,500 and up to $7,000 and he/she possesses recognized qualifications.
• Q Pass - for applicants earning a fixed monthly salary of more than $2,500 and possessing recognized qualifications, degrees, experience or specialist skills.

Compensatory factors such as skills and years of experience may be taken into consideration for Q1 applications.

Holders of P and Q employment passes may work in any sector of the economy, are not subject to levies, and may bring family members with them on dependent pass.

The Incorporating Company will need a local Nominee Director until the Employment Pass of the applicant is approved. Our local associates can provide such a local Nominee Director.

If your basic monthly salary is below $2,500 but you have an acceptable university degree or diploma from a recognized educational institution in Singapore, you may also apply for the Employment Pass. All Employment Pass holders may apply for Dependant's Passes for a spouse and unmarried children under 21 years old.

If you hold an Employment Pass, your spouse is eligible to apply for a Dependant Pass and thereafter to obtain consent from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to work in Singapore.

Approval of an EP application should normally take around 15-30 working days, provided all information required is given upon submission of your employment pass application

Depending upon the salary, professional, and academic qualifications, you will be issued one of the types of employment passes.

A local sponsor, your employer in most cases, is required to apply for the Employment Pass. The application can be made by Singapore Company incorporated by foreign based entity, of which the applicant is the business owner or with whom it is employed as a senior executive or professional.

The processing time for Singapore Employment Pass application or renewal is about 3-4 weeks from the date of receipt of the application. The approval letter for an Employment Pass is valid for six months from the date of the letter. A first-time applicant may be issued Employment Pass of up to two years. The Employment Pass may be renewed each time for a period of 2-5 years.

Employment Pass holders can apply for Singapore Permanent Residence status in due course.

An Employment Pass (EP) is tied to a specific employer. Any change of employer requires a fresh application. An exception to this regulation is however now available is the EP holder is eligible to apply and applies for Personalized Employment Pass (PEP)

Documents required while applying for Employment Pass in Singapore:

• Application Form, duly completed and signed.
• Copies of applicant's educational documents and past employment testimonials and in case of entrepreneurs, evidence related to their business and management experience.
• A recent passport-sized photograph of the applicant taken within the last three months
• A copy of the Travel Document page showing the applicant's personal particulars
• A copy of the applicant's Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Past employment reference letters and/or business registration documents, where the applicant is a foreign owner or senior director.
• For non-English certificates / documents, a copy each of the certificates / documents and the official English translation (certified by the respective Embassy) must be submitted.

In case of change of employer in Singapore, the Employment Pass holder is required to submit a new application. Each application made will be considered based on the merits of the case. Submission of new Singapore Employment Pass application under a different employer can be made without the cancellation of existing Employment Pass. However, once the new EP application is approved, the existing application has to be cancelled. The continuation of status under Entrepass is dependent on the continued viability of the business.

The Employment Pass must be cancelled upon cessation or termination of employment or attaining Singapore Permanent Residence. An Employment Pass holder must surrender the Pass for cancellation within seven days from the date of cessation or termination of his / her employment. A two-week social visit pass is normally issued upon cancellation.

Personalized Employment Pass (PEP)

For existing EP holders that meet certain criteria, Singapore has introduced a new type of employment pass named Personalized Employment Pass (PEP) that is not tied to any employer. The PEP allows the holder to remain in Singapore for up to six months in between jobs to evaluate new employment opportunities.

Currently an Employment Pass (EP) is tied to a specific employer. Any change of employer requires a fresh application. If an EP holder leaves the company, his EP is cancelled and he must leave Singapore unless he finds employment with a new company. In contrast, the new PEP is not tied to any employer and will be granted on the strength of an EP holder's individual merits. The PEP allows the holder to remain in Singapore for up to six months in between jobs to evaluate new employment opportunities.

Introduced from 1st of January, 2007, the PEP will facilitate selected Employment Pass holders to continue working in Singapore. The PEP will be granted to qualified EP holders that have worked in Singapore for a period of time.

The following groups of EP holders will be eligible for PEP, if they had earned a basic salary of at least S$30,000 in the preceding year:

• "P" Pass holders that have at least two years' working experience on a P Pass.
• "Q1" pass holders with at least five years' working experience on a Q1 pass.

The PEP will be issued only once with a validity of 5 years. It will be non-renewable. A PEP holder will retain the dependant privileges of his original EP type and the minimum annual basic salary requirement of S$30,000 will continue to apply throughout the 5-year duration.

Personalized employment pass (PEP) should be applied by the EP holder and not the employer since it's tied to an individual and not a company.

Once approved, the applicant will be given 3 months to collect the PEP. The applicant will be required to produce a cancellation letter for the existing employment pass from the current employer.

Singapore companies will be able to hire personalized employment pass holders the same way they hire Singapore citizens and Permanent residents. However, they will need to notify MOM (Ministry of Manpower) whenever they hire or terminate the services of a PEP holder.

No sponsor or bank guarantee is required for personalized employment pass.

The average processing time for personalized employment pass is about 3-6 weeks.

For those not having jobs in Singapore but would like to come to Singapore and look for a job, an alternative exists in the form of applying an Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate (EPEC). The EPEC facilitates job search by granting the holder up to one-year Social Visit Pass (SVP). The EPEC is issued on a one-time basis and is strictly non-renewable. One should apply only when you are ready to come to Singapore and look for a job here.

Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate (EPEC)

Normal process requires a foreigner to have a job offer from a Singapore employer and then apply for an Employment pass. The situation is that Singapore companies are often reluctant to make job offers because they don't know if the employment pass will be approved or not.

Employment pass eligibility certificate (EPEC) addressed this situation. Under the process, the applicant will be issued a 6-12 months visa to stay in Singapore and permitted to look for a job. If the applicant succeeds in getting a job, then Employment pass will be issued to him. The processing time for EPEC application is about 3-4 weeks from the date of submission.