Employment Pass Application
WHAT IS AN EMPLOYMENT PASS?
Employment Pass (EP) is a Singapore work visa for foreign professionals, managers, and executives who wish to work in Singapore. EP is also applicable for foreign entrepreneurs and directors who wish to relocate to Singapore to manage the company’s operations.
Application for an Employment Pass is open to all nationalities and must be sponsored by a Singapore company.
Employers are not subjected to quota and levy for EP holders. Pass holders may be required to pay income tax.
GUIDE BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE APPLICATION FOR AN EP
1. Consider all candidates fairly
All employers must first advertise the job on MyCareersFuture and consider all candidates fairly before submitting an EP application to promote fair employment practices and improve labour market transparency.
Exempted from the advertising requirement
There is no need to advertise the job if any of the following criteria are met:
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The employing company has fewer than 10 employees.
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The fixed monthly salary for the vacancy is $20,000 and above.
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The role is short-term, i.e. not more than 1 month.
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The role is to be filled by a local transferee, i.e. an existing employee from an employing company in Singapore transferring to another related branch, subsidiary, or affiliate in Singapore.
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The role is to be filled by a candidate choosing to apply as an overseas intra-corporate transferee under the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Trade in Services or an applicable Free Trade Agreement that Singapore is a party to.
Non-exempted from the advertising requirement
If any of the above criteria is not met, then the Company must advertise the job and the advertisement must be open for at least 28 consecutive days to allow job seekers to view and apply for the vacancy.
EP application that is linked to discrimination or does not represent the job accurately will be rejected by MOM.
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The advertisement must not contain discriminatory words or phrases
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The job advertised must match the occupation in the EP application.
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The employer submitting the EP application must be the same as the one in the job advertisement.
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The salary offered must be clear, specific, and consistent. Therefore the salary range advertised:
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Must be visible to all candidates and cannot be hidden.
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Cannot be too broad, i.e. the maximum salary cannot exceed two times the minimum salary.
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Must contain the salary offered to the EP candidate.
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If any advertisement details are changed (e.g. job title, salary, or the number of vacancies), the advertisement must be kept open for at least another 28 consecutive days before the EP application is submitted. This is to ensure those job seekers are aware of the updated job details and have a chance to apply for it.
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Job advertisements that have expired or have closed for more than 3 months cannot be used for EP applications. The vacancy must be advertised again to reach out to other job seekers.
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If an advertisement is used for multiple EP applications, the total number of EP applications cannot exceed the number of vacancies in the advertisement.
2. Know the eligibility and requirements
The Employment Pass is for foreign professionals who:
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Have a job offer in Singapore.
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Work in a managerial, executive, or specialized job.
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Earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $4,500. Effective 1 Sep 2022, the revised qualifying salary is $5,000 and increases progressively with age
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For the financial sector, candidates must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $5,000. Effective 1 Sep 2022, the revised qualifying salary is $5,500 and increases progressively with age.
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Have acceptable qualifications, usually a good university degree, professional qualifications, or specialized skills.
Self-Assessment Tool
The Company may use the Self-Assessment Tool (“SAT”) to check whether the applicant qualifies for EP before the submission of the EP application. MOM’s website states that the SAT is accurate and if the SAT indicates that the applicant is not eligible, the EP application should not be submitted as it will be rejected.
3. Prepare the documents before the application
The following are the basic set of documents required to apply EP. Additional documents may be requested for further assessment.
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Passport with at least 6-month validity
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Degree / diploma certificate
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For India certification, transcripts or mark sheets for all semesters stating the college attended;
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For China certification, verification proof of degree/diploma certificate
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Skills/professional certificates (if any)
Where a document is in a foreign language, the document must be translated into the English language. Documents may be required to be verified.
4. Apply for the Pass before the candidate arrives in Singapore
The employer or the appointed employment agency may apply for the pass on behalf of the candidate. The application will be done online through myMOM portal. This service is available for 24 hours. Typically online applications are processed by MOM within 3 weeks or may take longer if additional information or documents will be required by MOM.
5. Bring the candidate to Singapore and get the pass issued
Once the in-principle approval from MOM is received, the pass can be issued. Do note that the candidate must be in Singapore when this step is carried out.
After the issuance, the notification letter (valid for 1 month from the date of issue) that allows the candidate to start work and travel out of Singapore while waiting for the pass card will be received. The notification letter states if the candidate needs to have a fingerprint and photo taken for card registration.
The following information and documents are needed to get the pass issued:
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Candidate's passport details
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Candidate’s Singapore contact details
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Candidate's current Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) or immigration pass details
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Candidate's Singapore residential address, which must meet the housing requirements
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Singapore residential or office address to receive the candidate’s card
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Details of up to 3 authorised recipients to receive the card (their mobile number, email address, and NRIC number / FIN/passport number)
The PDF copies of these documents may also need to be uploaded:
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Candidate’s passport page showing the date of arrival in Singapore
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Completed medical examination form or medical declaration form
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Completed declaration form (attached to the candidate's in-principle approval letter). The employer’s declaration of the form should be signed by an authorised human resource personnel, or an employee holding at least a managerial position.
6. Register fingerprints and photo
Check the notification letter whether the candidate is required to have his/her fingerprints and photo registered. If required, an appointment must be made for the candidate to visit Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC) and make the registration within 2 weeks after the pass is issued.
The candidate should bring along these documents for the appointment:
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Original passport
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Appointment letter
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Notification letter
7. Receive the card
The card will be delivered to the given address 4 working days after the candidate registers and gets the documents verified at EPSC. The authorised recipients will get an SMS or email with the delivery details at least 1 working day before the delivery. After 2 unsuccessful deliveries, the card must be collected personally from MOM within 3 working days after the second attempted delivery.
POST-APPLICATION STEPS (if required)
1. Notify MOM of any changes in the pass holder’s particulars
The employer needs to notify MOM under these circumstances:
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Change in pass holder’s particulars
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Change in pass holder’s salary
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Transfer of pass holder to a related company
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Change in pass holder’s occupation
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If a pass holder goes missing
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Change in pass holder’s residential address or contact details
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Change in application details after the pass is approved
2. Renew an Employment Pass
Employers can apply for renewal if they want the pass holder to continue working with them.
Important notes about the renewal of employment pass
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Employment Pass can be renewed up to 6 months before the pass expires.
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The pass is normally renewed for up to 3 years. The duration of the renewed pass is not affected by the length of validity of the candidate’s passport.
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Renewals are not guaranteed. Applications will be evaluated against current eligibility criteria.
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When the renewal is missed and the pass expires, a new pass is needed to be applied.
Submit the renewal early
The employer or the appointed employment agency may submit the renewal on behalf of the candidate. The application will be done online through myMOM portal. This service is available for 24 hours. Typically online renewals are processed by MOM within 3 weeks (for more cases) or may take longer if additional information or documents will be required by MOM.
After the renewal
If the renewal was successful:
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An In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter which is valid for 3 months will be received.
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Proceed to issue the pass before the IPA or current pass expires, whichever occurs first. The duration of the renewed pass will start when the current pass expires.
After the pass is issued
Check the notification letter to see whether the pass holder will continue using the existing card or get a new card. If the pass holder needs to get a new card, the old card must be cut in half and discarded to prevent misuse after the new card has been received.
3. Replacement of an Employment Pass card
In case of a lost, stolen, or damaged pass card, the pass holder must get the employer to apply for a replacement within 1 week. The application for the replacement of the EP card will be done online through EP Online portal. If the request is approved, print the card replacement letter for the instructions on collecting the replacement card. The replacement card can be collected 4 working days after the approval. An appointment is not needed for card collection.
Important notes for replacement of an Employment Pass card
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4. Cancellation of an Employment Pass
The employment pass must be canceled if the pass holder no longer works for the employer.
Before cancellation
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Give reasonable notice of the pass holder’s repatriation.
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Seek tax clearance from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).
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Settle all outstanding employment issues that the pass holder may raise, including salary payment.
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Buy an air ticket and pay for any connecting transport costs to the international port of entry in your pass holder’s home country nearest to their hometown, unless the pass holder agrees in writing to bear the cost.
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Before booking the flight, please check whether the airline has any requirements for boarding (e.g. pre-departure COVID-19 test) and ensure the pass holders comply with them. Otherwise, they may not be allowed to board.
Important notes for cancellation of an employment pass
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Request for cancellation of a pass can be submitted up to 14 days in advance. Or 1 week after the pass holder’s last day of notice.
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A request for a short visit pass (STVP) is needed if the pass holder is still in Singapore after the cancellation. The pass holder needs to show the STVP and a valid passport to the immigration officer when leaving Singapore.
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If the pass holder has left Singapore permanently, the EP must be canceled within 1 week from the departure date, unless it has expired.
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Once the EP is canceled, all the related Dependant's Passes, Long Term Visit Passes, Letters of Consent, and Work Permits for the family will also be canceled.
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Once the pass is canceled, please cut the pass card in half and discard it to prevent misuse.
Our Employment Pass Application and Renewal Services include:
- Pre-application information and advice about Employment Pass
- Online filing of Employment Pass application
- Tracking EP application status while under processing
- Responding to MOM’s requests for additional information as necessary
- Arranging for issuance of EP card upon in-principle approval (IPA)
- Filing of appeal in case of initial rejection of EP application
Talk to our specialist now.
