Employment Information

More and more foreigners are coming over to Singapore either to get employed or start their own companies. This is highly due to the healthy financial environment in Singapore which attracts foreigners and entrepreneurs from all parts of the world.

However, before engaging to work or be employed in Singapore, there is a need to obtain a permit or visa so that your employment or business will be considered legitimate. This employment visa is more popularly called a Singapore Employment Pass (EP).

EMPLOYMENT PASS (EP) DEFINED. A Singapore Employment Pass is a work visa issued to foreign entrepreneurs, shareholders, and managing directors so that they can legally setup and personally manage their business in Singapore. However, an EP can also be issued as a work visa for supervisors and managers, key employees, professionals, and workers with a specialized skill who are employed in a Singapore incorporated company.

EP ELIGIBILITY. In order to be qualified to obtain an EP, the foreigner must have a minimum fixed monthly salary of S$2,500 and must possess any or all of the following qualifications: acceptable diploma/degrees, professional qualifications, specialist skills, and relevant work experience. Aside from the foregoing qualifications, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) also takes into consideration the foreigners age, current citizenship, and his roles and responsibilities in a company. Possessing the requisite educational attainment does not necessarily guarantee issuance of an EP. Sometimes the MOM also makes exceptions especially for applicants who have outstanding professional skills and highly relevant qualifications for the job they are performing even if they fall short of the educational requirement.

EP CATEGORIES: The EP is divided into three categories and are based primarily on an applicants monthly salary. These categories are: P1 Pass, P2 Pass, and Q1 Pass.

P1 Pass. This pass is given to foreign applicants with a fixed monthly salary of more than S$7,000.

P2 Pass. This pass is given to foreign applicants with a fixed monthly salary of more than S$3,500 to S$7,000.

Q1 Pass. This pass is given to foreign applicants with a fixed monthly salary of S$2,500 to S$3,500.

EP APPLICATION. All applications for Employment Pass must be submitted to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The application must be accompanied by all relevant documents showing competency and qualifications especially as to education, skills, and relevant work experience. It also has the discretion to deny applications especially if there is a lack of supporting documents. In case of denial of EP application, an appeal may be made to the MOM providing the agency with relevant documents which were lacking during the first application. Review of the appeal takes more than three weeks.

EP VALIDITY. An Employment Pass is valid for two or three years, depending on the type of pass and the individual holder. Two months before the EP expires, the holder will receive a notification from the MOM informing him that the pass is about to expire and there is a need to renew the same at least four weeks before expiration.

Processing Employment Pass can be a bit exhausting most especially if you are compelled to secure it at once. Fortunately, it is possible to get them at once with Rikvin Immigration Services an independent immigration advisory agency serving professionals and businesses from around the world to relocate in Singapore. Rikvin always think out of the box. They provide a very valuable service by just letting you submit your employment pass (EP) application online and possibly get the EP Visa approved within just 24 hours. Although this service can be served for those who are applying for a Employment Pass (EP) work pass category that can be manageable under the fast track premium service, any option to expedite EP processing would surely create a big difference.

Every year about few thousand foreign owned companies get registered in Singapore. At the same time, the number of foreign professionals working in the country has gone up considerably and now over one-third of the entire working population in Singapore comprises of overseas professionals. Although this year saw a number of amendments introduced on the employment pass scheme to ensure only the best minds were able to live and work in Singapore, overall it is fairly simple for a company to employ foreign nationals in the country.
Firstly companies that need to employ foreigners for whatever reason must ensure they apply for an employment pass for each of the foreign professional they want to employ. The employment pass is actually the main type of work visa meant for foreigners that want to work in Singapore. Obtaining an employment pass takes about a month and authorities would check the background of both the professional who is being employed as well as the company that is employing the foreigner. With the recent changed introduced in the eligibility criteria for an employment pass, authorities in Singapore would look at the relevant work experience of the foreign professional, their educational qualifications as well as their existing and offered salaries in Singapore. The third criterion, that of salary is an important addition to the eligibility for employment pass as Singapore wants to ensure highly skilled professionals who already have a good professional background are able to enter the country.
Foreign companies that are about to incorporate in Singapore and need to bring in staff from their head office can apply for the employment pass immediately after receiving the certificate of incorporation. Again it must be noted that an application has to be submitted for each of the overseas staff members they wish to relocate. Ministry of Manpower (MoM) in Singapore processes employment pass applications and they would ensure that the employment offered is legitimate and whether all rules and regulations are being followed.
If a company in Singapore wants to employ a foreigner who is already working in the country for another company, they must endorse a new application for the foreign professional as each employment pass is connected to one employer. Moment the foreigner stops working for the company that originally employed them, their employment pass expires immediately. Hence for change of companies, foreigners need to apply for the employment pass again endorsed by the new company employing them.