Epica Guide Series
A Guide to Singapore Letter of Consent (LOC)
Refer to this guide if you have any questions about Singapore Letter of Consent (LOC). LOC enables DP and LTVP holders to work in Singapore. We have explained all relevant details here.
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A complete guide to letter of consent (LOC) in Singapore
Table of Contents
Singapore has become a top destination and a thriving hub for businessmen, professionals and employment seekers from over the world. And with them come their families. As per the statistics given by Singapore Ministry of Manpower (Ministry of Manpower (MOM), there are as many as 1,87,000 professional work pass holders working in Singapore as of Jun 2019. At the same time 285,000 people reside in Singapore who are on either dependant pass or Long Term Social Visit Pass (LTVP).
These passes entitle their holders to various rights including living, getting an education, medical services and travel freely in / out of Singapore. However, these passes do not extend the right to work in Singapore to their holders.
Many of these dependant pass holders (primarily spouses) come from a decent work and education background. So in a way, this is a talent lying idle. So to enable them to work in Singapore the Letter of Consent (LOC) is introduced.
This help both the ways. The dependant pass holder, need to compromise their career, and at the same time Singapore businesses get additional qualified people to work in their companies.
What is a Letter of Consent (LOC)?
The Letter of Consent (LOC) is a document issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to the Dependant Pass (DP) and LTVP holders that entitles them to the right to work in Singapore under a Singapore registered company.
Who can apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC)?
You will need to first get a job offer in a Singapore based company. On acceptance of it, the company will file an application for a letter of Consent (LOC) to employ you. Following conditions must be satisfied for this application:
Or
Or
And
In addition to the above, you must:
Note:
Some Good News.
There is no restriction of quota on the number of Letter of Consent (LOC) holder employees that a Singapore Company can hire. This makes the Letter of Consent (LOC) holders an attractive employment prospect for the Singapore employers.
What is a Pre-approved letter of consent (PLOC)?
Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has introduced a new scheme by offering the facility to get a Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC). The Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC) is a document that is the same as that of Letter of Consent (LOC). It entitles its holder with the legal right to work in Singapore. But the difference between the two is that Letter of Consent (LOC) requires you to obtain a confirmed job offer before you can apply for it, but Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC) does not require you have a job offer before applying for it. It is a kind of personalized LOC.
If you get a pre approved Letter of Consent (LOC) then, it is quite attractive to the employer as they don’t need to apply for any work pass or LOC for you.
Who is eligible for Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC)?
Following are entitled to get a Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC):
Note: During the application or renewal of your LTVP/LTVP+ with the ICA, you are given an option to apply for a Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC). The duration for which the Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC) remains valid is the same as the validity period of LTVP / LTVP +. This means that as soon as your LTVP / LTVP + expires or gets canceled, your Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC) also gets invalid.
What are the benefits of the Pre Approved Letter of Consent (PLOC)?
Who can apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) on behalf of the candidate?
The application for Letter of Consent (LOC) is submitted on behalf of Dependant Pass (DP) or LTVP holder by either the prospective employer who has offered him/her the job in Singapore Company or a licensed employment agent from a corporate services firm. You are required to give written consent to your employer or the employment agent to apply for Letter of Consent (LOC) on your behalf at EPOL.What documents are required to be submitted with the application for Letter of Consent (LOC)?
What is the procedure involved in the filing Application for the Letter of Consent (LOC)?
Application Submission
It must be remembered that to get a Letter of Consent (LOC) for the Singapore Dependant Pass (DP) or LTVP holder, only a licensed employment agent or the future employer of the Dependant Pass (DP) / LTVP holder can apply on your behalf of the applicant online or manually.
Note: There is no application processing fee for the Letter of Consent (LOC) applications.
Approval of Application
How do authorities decide the approval of the Letter of Consent (LOC) / Factors impacting a successful application?
It should be noted that all Letter of Consent (LOC) applications are not approved by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on their first submission. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has a policy to evaluate every application on case to case basis. The outcome of the application is the sole prerogative of the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) as it can reject any application without mentioning a reason for it.
Factors affecting the outcome of an application
Following factors may play in a pivotal role in the outcome of Letter of Consent (LOC) application:
Appeal if the Letter of Consent (LOC) application is rejected
Usually, the letter of consent (LOC) applications are not rejected unless there is a gross disparity of education/background of the person and the job duties. In case an application is rejected, the appeal can be lodged with additional documents.
How a Letter of Consent (LOC) is renewed?
The Letter of Consent (LOC) remains valid as long as its linked visa pass, i.e., Dependant Pass (DP) or LTVP / LTVP+, remains valid. Following should be kept in mind while renewing Letter of Consent (LOC):
Note: There is no application processing fee for the Letter of Consent (LOC) applications.
What is the Processing time and validity of the Letter of Consent (LOC)?
The processing time is as under:
The validity of the Letter of Consent (LOC) is based on the following:
Is the Letter of Consent (LOC) difficult to get?
If all the requirements and processes are followed correctly then Letter of Consent (LOC) is not difficult to get.
Of course Ministry of Manpower will look at each application carefully before approving it.
Why engage a professional Consultant to get the Dependant Pass (DP)?
Not long ago, it was much easier to get the Letter of Consent (LOC) in Singapore. All you had to do was to meet the basic criteria. But things have changed now. And this is no longer the case.
It is beeter to have the help of professionals to walk you through the intricacies of getting a Letter of Consent (LOC). Also, the document like Letter of Consent (LOC) requires several actions to be taken by the holder’s employer or a licensed consultant on the applicant’s behalf. But the sponsor company or employer may be new and may not have the experience to navigate through the whole system. Therefore, it is always better to hire professional consultants who specialize in immigration to Singapore along with allied requirements like Letter of Consent (LOC) and other work permits.
FAQs
Can a Letter of Consent (LOC) holder be appointed as a Company Director?
Yes. As per the Singaporean Law, a Letter of Consent (LOC) holder can be appointed as director and / or shareholder of the company provided he/she gets the approval from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Do I need to contribute to social security and government fund as a Letter of Consent (LOC) holder?
Dependant Pass (DP) holder with valid Letter of Consent (LOC) is not required to make any social security contribution to the Central Provident Fund (CPF), as CPF is applicable only to the Singaporean Citizens or Singaporean Permanent residents. But the employer company needs to submit a fee to the skills development fund (SDF). SDF contribution or the Skill development Levy (SDL) is required to be paid by the employers of all employees up to the first S$4,500 of the gross monthly salary of the individual at a rate of 0.25% or S$2 whichever is higher.
Since I am a Dependant Pass (DP) holder, why should I apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC)?
Dependant Pass (DP) doesn’t entitle its holder to work in Singapore. Therefore, if you wish to work in Singapore being a Dependant Pass (DP) holder, you are required to get a Letter of Consent (LOC) from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Singapore.
Should I go for online submission of application or manual submission?
When applying for a Letter of Consent (LOC) from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), it is important to remember that online submission of application is a faster and easier method. However, applicants can opt for manual submission of application. Application submitted manually are at par with those submitted online. The only problem is manual submission (Paper submission) has longer processing time.
What are the processing charges of the Letter of Consent (LOC)?
Letter of Consent (LOC) application is absolutely free. There are no charges for acquiring, renewal, replacement and cancelation of Letter of Consent (LOC).
How do I cancel the Letter of Consent (LOC)?
When to cancel the Letter of Consent (LOC) |
Within 1 week after the Letter of Consent (LOC) holder's last day of notice |
Who can cancel |
Employer or appointed employment agent (EA) |
How long it takes |
Cancellation is immediate |