Epica Guide Series
A Complete Guide to Singapore Employment Pass
Refer to this guide if you have any questions about Singapore Employment Pass. We have explained all relevant details here.
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Singapore Employment Pass Guide
Table of Contents
Singapore is not just a world-class destination; it is also one of the most lucrative places in the world to live, set up a business, and advance in the career. Many people from Apac countries as well as from far off destinations, aspire to work in Singapore. Also many world-class companies are planning their expansion in Singapore and at times they have lot of questions about Employment Pass and how they can bring in key staff in Singapore. This article has been developed as a comprehensive guide to explain to you everything about Singapore employment pass.
For your convenience, we have divided this guide into multiple logical sections.
What is a Singapore Employment Pass?
Singapore Employment Pass is a Singapore work visa issued by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower to the foreign employees, professionals, managers, and owners or directors of Singaporean companies. This is a work visa that allows you to live and work in Singapore, as well as travel in and out of the country without having to apply for entry visas. In a sense, Singapore Employment pass is similar to US H1B, Australia’s visa 457 or the UK tier 2 visa, which is used for skilled employees.
As of 2019, there are 184,000 people in Singapore on Employment pass. This is one of the most important skilled Visa in Singapore to bring in the talent in various disciplines that may not be available from the resident population.
As you can see, Singapore is a small nation with close to 4 million resident population. But at the same time, it is a large economy, with trade throughout Asia. So filling the shortage of people in-demand professions become quite important.
The majority of these employment pass holders work in multinationals, medium-sized enterprises and SMEs in Managerial and specialist occupations.
Who can apply for Employment Pass (EP), What are the privileges?
Employment Pass (EP) is the most commonly granted work visa by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to foreign professionals.
However, the application for the employment pass must be made by a Singapore Registered Company for a specific employee they want to bring into Singapore. For this the company must have interviewed the candidate, has given a job offer and the job offer is accepted by the candidate. Once these basic prerequisites are completed, then the company can proceed to lodge the application for employment pass with the Ministry of Manpower.
So the key thing to note here is having a confirmed job offer is important. If an individual thinks that he will apply for employment pass on his own, then that’s not going to happen. If such a person is high earner, then he can consider applying for a personalized Employment Pass.
Some other Key points to note here are :
Who is eligible for the Employment Pass?
According to the criteria given by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower, to be eligible to get an employment pass you must:
You should also be aware that meeting these requirements does not guarantee that you will receive the Employment Pass (EP), the MOM will consider the entire application when reviewing a candidate’s record.
What if you don’t meet this criteria for Employment pass (EP)
The documents required for the Employment Pass application
Your employment agent or company sponsor will be required to submit several documents along with the application for the Singapore Employment Pass. These include:
In case you and your employing company are not able to handle the requirement of additional documents, you can ask your reliable licensed immigration consultant to handle it and liaise with MOM on your behalf.
There are certain country-specific requirements of MOM as well. These are mentioned below.
Additional documents for candidates from India
Employment Pass (EP) applicants from India are required to submit a full set of transcripts or marksheets, indicating the college the candidate attended, in support of their employment pass application.
Additional documents for candidates from China
Employment Pass (EP) applicants who are from China are required to submit proof of a diploma in English from one of the following sources:
The procedure for submission of Employment Pass Application
It must be remembered that to get a Singapore Employment pass for you, only your employment agency or employer can apply on your behalf. And they have the following two options for this:
Online Application Via the EPOL System (Mostly used now)
For application through online system following is the stepwise procedure that is required to be adopted:
One of the best way is to hire a professional Employment Agency like ours to do this work for you.
Manual Submission of Employment Pass Application (Used in past, now rarely used)
In case you or your agent decides to submit the application manually over the counter at any Singapore branch following procedure is required to be followed:
The processing time for paper applications often lasts for several weeks. So generally this procedure is not much used now a days.
Requirement to advertise the job openings at the Jobs Bank
As per the law passed in August 2014, known as fair consideration framework., every company that intends to hire an Employment Pass holder for a job opening is required to first advertise the relevant position in Singapore workforce development agency’s jobs bank for two weeks at the least. Only when there is no suitable local person applying for the job, can a company hire a foreigner for the job. This is a necessity to remain in compliance with the Singaporean fair employment practices. However, certain positions are an exception to this.
Following positions are exempted from the requirement of prior advertisement at the Jobs Bank:
Factors impacting the outcome of the Employment Pass application
The MOM’s criteria to issue employment pass focusses on many factors, particularly those which are related to the quality of Employment Pass (EP) applicant and his/her’s background and the hiring company's credentials. Some key factors determining the outcome of an application for employment pass are mentioned below:
Company sector
The application for the employment pass is more likely to be accepted if the hiring company is operating in the priority sectors. These are the sectors that contribute significantly to the growth of Singapore Economy. The Singapore government has recently introduced a program known as Tech@SG program. It is aimed at providing lenient and expedited employment pass issuance procedures. If this program turns out to be successful, there is a substantial chance of implementation of more lenient and favorable employment pass regulations for foreigners who are opting for business and employment in Singapore.
Salary
Salary is one of the decisive factors in the issuance of an employment pass. MOM requires that the salary of the applicant should be commensurate with his skills and should be competitive to meet the requirement of manpower in the country. If there is more than one applicant who meets the criteria of qualification and experience. Then the applicant with a higher salary is more likely to get the employment pass. This is an arrangement by the government to ensure that the applicant’s salary does not compete with the local talent.
Qualifications and experiences
Paid-up Capital
Employment Pass (EP) applicants who own a company are required to provide proof that their company has a minimum of S$50,000 as paid-up capital. However, as a rule of thumb, the greater the amount of paid-up capital higher are the chances of applicant’s employment pass approval. Generally, the application from a company with low paid-up capital will need more information to be provided in support of the Employment pass application.
Things to do after the approval of the Employment Pass (EP)
The processing of the application usually takes one to two weeks. In some cases it may get extended beyond this. You can check the status of your application during this time by tracking your application number.
Once the employment pass is approved following steps need to be taken.
It is important that you must exercise the visa given in IPA when you enter into Singapore. Do not use your previous visa or visa-free status to enter. In that case, issuing Employment pass becomes complicated.
Thumbprinting and the collection of Employment Pass
Technically you are not allowed to start the work unless your Employment pass (EP) is issued. Once you have arrived in Singapore you will normally visit your new employer the next day. Maybe you will meet your boss and new colleagues.
On the same day, the following process will need to be carried out for issuing Employment Pass (EP). This will be done either by your new Employer’s HR department (If they have lodged the application) or by the Employment Agency which was hired by your Employer to do this work. (In that case, you will be required to visit the Employment Agency office).
Medical test
Normally, a medical examination is not a mandatory part of the process of obtaining the employment pass. However, in some cases, authorities may ask an applicant to undergo a medical test. Your Employment Pass approval letter will indicate if there is a need to undergo a medical examination or not.
Generally, the medical test includes a physical examination, certain blood tests, and an HIV test. The medical examination can be done in Singapore or the applicant’s home country. In later cases, the applicant is required to choose a reputable hospital and bring the report along. It must be noted that the medical report must be in English.
In case your Employpent Pass approval letter mentions this, then you will need to do this test before issuance of the Employment pass. The scanned copy of the report is required to be uploaded at the time of issuance.
Documents that you need to carry to the office
Once these documents are provided a lodgement will be made in the EPOL system and your employment pass will be issued. However, at this point in time, it is only a notification letter. With this letter, you can work and travel in- out of Singapore. So if in your new job, if you need to travel immediately, then it's not an issue.
Thumbpriniting and Card processing
When above step is completed, an appointment will be booked for you, to go to the Employment pass processing department for photo, thumbprinting and other document verification. On the time and date decided for the appointment, you are required to carry the following to the Employment Pass processing office:
At the Employment pass (EP) processing department, the officer will verify all the details. Collect your photo and will finish the thumbprinting process. After this the Employment pass department will take 4-5 days to prepare the Employment pass (EP) card. The card will be sent by registered post to either your company address or to the employment agency hired for this assignment.
Once you receive the card, the process of Employment pass is completed.
Delays in approval / Rejection of your Employment Pass Application
Your application for employment pass can be delayed for two main reasons, each of which necessitates a different set of actions to be taken.
MOM may request additional documents for verification
If so, the requirement of additional document should be fulfilled in a timely manner as under:
MOM may have rejected your employment pass application
The Ministry of Manpower can reject your employment pass (EP) application for a number of reasons. These are mentioned below so that you should be careful about them while applying for the employment pass. Common reasons for rejection are as follows:
Appeal after Employment Pass Rejection
While a rejection of the Employment Pass application can be depressing, there is no need to panic. Here is what you should do if you are facing employment pass application rejection.
It is important that you provide the right information in the right format, for the appeal to be successful. For this, you need to understand the reason for rejection clearly and then work on the documents to be submitted. Quite often we have seen companies providing some irrelevant information to the Ministry in support of the appeal. Needless to say, their appeals also get rejected.
Employment Pass (EP) Renewal
Renewal of the Employment pass (EP) is a relatively straightforward procedure. Usually, three months before the expiry of your Employment pass, your Company will get a letter from the Ministry informing the due expiry of the pass. The letter will also have a pre-printed form that needs to be signed by your employer as well as by the employee and then lodged into the EPOL system.
The key points to note in case of renewal of employment pass are as follows.
Employment Pass Cancellation
If the employment cardholder ceases employment or the employment contract expires, the sponsor company or the employment agent must cancel the pass within one week. Key points to note about cancellation are:
Lost or damaged Employment Pass (EP) Card
You may be required to get your Employment Pass replaced under following circumstances:
Notification of Missing / Damaged Card
Issuance of Replacement Card
The Ministry of Manpower can reject your employment pass (EP) application for a number of reasons. These are mentioned below so that you should be careful about them while applying for the employment pass. Common reasons for rejection are as follows:
Notifying MOM regarding any change(s) relating to your Employment Pass (EP)
Ministry of Manpower is required to be notified in case:
Can you bring in your dependants to Singapore?
Processing time of an application for Employment Pass (EP)
Employment Pass (EP) processing time usually takes around one - three weeks. However, if there is a delay due to the requirement of additional documents the processing time may extend by an additional 2 - 3 weeks. For rejected cases, the process is around three to five weeks.
Detailed Breakdown of Processing Time
The process consists of the following steps:
Action |
Time (in days) |
Remarks |
| Updating MOM regarding newly incorporated company | 2-3 days | For existing companies, this step is not required. |
| Filling up of forms for Employment Pass (EP) | Depends on Client | To be done by client & the candidate |
| Checking and Submitting Employment Pass (EP) application | 1-2 Day | Preferably should be done by a reliable authorized Employment Pass Agent |
| Employment Pass (EP) Application processing and approval | 7-21 Days (Usually 7-10 days) | In-Principle Approval (IPA) / Medical check-up (if required) |
| Employment Pass (EP) Card issuance | 1–2 days | |
| Employment Pass (EP) Card registration at the Ministry of Manpower’s office | Depends on you | for new Employment Pass (EP) applicants |
| Card collection | Within one month of approval |
Is it difficult to get the Employment Pass (EP) nowadays?
Employment pass processing is not as easy as it used to be 5-10 years back. However, we will also like to state that for genuine companies, with real need for bringing in specialized talent, this is not a problem. For a company that brings growth to the Singapore economy, approval of an employment pass is normally not an issue.
Also keep in mind, the Employment Pass application process may look straightforward. As simple as logging in to EPOL, filling the relevant application form and uploading the required documents. However, this is not the case in reality because the public information provided in the form is not the only information that is required to gain approval for the employment pass. You are also required to have good knowledge of the foreign manpower policies and also the understanding of dealing the matters with MOM if there is a complication in your case. Also, if your company is new and lacks local employees or the information that is presented on your company’s profile is not enough or misleading, then MOM may ask for additional documents detailing, such as company activities or a further explanation of why you are the best candidate for the job in question. In some cases, MOM may reject the application without even mentioning the reason to do so. Therefore, seeking professional help saves a lot of time, money and effort.
Applying for Permanent Residence (sPR) as an Employment Pass (EP) holder
If you are tired of renewing the Employment pass and want more stability with fewer restrictions, you should consider becoming Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR). Your chances of becoming the Singapore Permanent Resident are better if you are an Employment Pass (EP) holder. But needless to say, it is a long and challenging process and can take up to 12 months. However, the benefits that you get with Singapore Permanent Residence are worth giving it a try.
Benefits of SPR
These benefits include:
How to apply for SPR
Why hire a professional Consultant for Employment Pass (EP) application?
There used to be a time when it was much easier to get Employment Pass (EP) in Singapore. All you had to do was to meet the basic criteria of salary, education and experience. But things have changed now. With complex manpower policies applying for an Employment pass can be quite challenging now.
With Singapore surfacing at the international podium as one of the most lucrative cities for foreigner’s businesses and employment, Government has placed several restrictions on the number and quality of the foreign professionals to protect the interests of the native Singaporeans at the PMET (Professionals, Managers, Executives and Technicians) level. In doing so, Singapore Government also wants to increase the quality of incoming foreign workers so as to create a more productive workforce. As a result of this, securing an Employment Pass (EP) and other visas has become much more complex and harder.
Aforesaid in view, you need the help of professionals to walk you through the intricacies of getting employment pass. Also, many visas like Employment Pass (EP) requires several actions to be taken by your employer or a licensed consultant on your behalf. On the other hand, Your 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 Employment Pass (EP) and work permits etc.
FAQs
Is an employment pass and work pass the same thing?
No. They are not the same thing. The term Work Pass is used as a general term for a variety of visas and permits that enable a person to work in Singapore. Whereas, Employment Pass is a very specific term that is used for managerial, professional and specialist jobs. It is suitable for people at the level of executives, managers, specialists, and other skilled professionals.
The foreigners who are interested in working in Singapore have to get a suitable type of work pass (aka work visa) as per their requirements to be able to work in Singapore. The range of work passes include Employment Pass, Personalized Employment Pass, S Pass (For Semi-skilled), EntrePass (For Entrepreneurs), and Work Permit (For workers in construction and similar industry).
In how much time should I expect to get an employment pass in Singapore?
The processing time usually depends on whether the application was filed online or manually. For online applications, the process takes approximately 1-3 weeks. Whereas, in the case of manual submission of application, the processing of Employment Pass (EP) may take up to 8 weeks. However, if there is a delay due to the requirement of additional documents, you may expect an additional time period of 2-3 weeks.
What is the minimum salary requirement for obtaining an employment pass in Singapore?
Young graduates from approved institutions need to earn at least S$3,600 to be eligible to get an employment pass. Those applicants who are in managerial positions should earn at least S$6,000+. The minimum limit of salary varies with qualification and experience.
How difficult is it to get an employment pass in Singapore?
With the right credentials of the applicant and employer, the process is not very difficult. However, it has certain intricacies. MOM evaluates each application basing on a wide range of criteria in which both the individual and hiring company are assessed. Following factors play a vital role in influencing the approval of employment pass:
Can an Employment Pass (EP) holder be registered as a director in another company apart from the one from which his Employment Pass (EP) has been approved?
No its not allowed unless the other company belongs to the same Corporate group.
If I am a listed shareholder, can I apply for Employment Pass (EP) for myself through my company?
Yes. You can apply employment pass for yourself under the company that you have incorporated in Singapore. In this case, the key evaluating factor entirely becomes your educational and work background.
Keep in mind that in all cases, it is necessary to demonstrate that the company can generate sufficient revenue to cover the salaries and expenses. If a company does not have existing clients, it should be able to show sound projections based on its experience in other countries, the track record of the senior management, or the ability of the shareholders to sustain the company through the initial startup phase.
Can I change jobs while I am on Employment Pass (EP)?
Yes, you can. If you want to change your job, you should ask your new employer to apply for a new employment pass for you as per your new job specifications. You may not cancel your existing Employment Pass (EP) before applying for the new one. Your application will be evaluated according to the relevant eligibility requirements.
Is there any quota for employment pass?
No. Employment passes in Singapore are not granted on any kind of quota. The quota system and foreign worker levy apply only to the S Pass and Work Permit (WP). As for the Employment Pass, Singapore-based companies can hire an unlimited number of foreign professionals. Nevertheless, employers should be mindful of the ratio of foreign workers to local employees.
What happens if I lose my job while being an Employment Pass (EP) holder?
If you lose your job, you will have 30 days to stay in Singapore and make arrangements for your departure. However, if you want to continue living and working in Singapore, you can apply for a new job during this period. If you do not secure a new Employment Pass during this period, you must leave Singapore after 30 days and arrive again upon approval of the new Employment Pass (EP). If you have overstayed for more than 30 days, you will be subjected to penalties, and also, you can face problems in getting any work pass in the future.