When can I apply for my Employment Pass (EP)?

Your employer or employment agency would apply for your EP.

As an employer you have an obligation to apply for the employment pass of the foreign employee before he starts working for your company.

In case you have recently incorporated a company in Singapore, and wish to apply for the employment pass then, you can do so once your company is incorporated and the EPOL account has been set up.

The application for employment pass usually is lodged online. Furthermore checking status, issuing, renewing and canceling can be done online.

It takes around three weeks to get approval if the application is lodged online. In the case of a paper application, the process extends to 8 weeks.

Please also note that employers or employment agencies might have to advertise their job openings on Job Banks such as mycareersfuture.sg before applying for employment passes.

First-time applicants receive an EP that is valid for up to 2 years