EMPLOYMENT pass
Foreigners who are interested to work and has a job offer in Singapore may apply for an Employment Pass (EP).Employment Pass (EP) is a type of work visa issued to foreign professional employees, managers, and owners/directors of Singapore companies. There is no quota system limiting the number of Employment Passes that can be issued to a company.
You can apply for Employment Pass under the following scenarios:
n You are one of the owners/directors of a Singapore company and need to relocate to Singapore to run your company operations. Note however that if the company is a newly setup company and you hold more than 30% of the shares, you can also apply for Entrepreneur Pass.
n You are hiring foreign staff for your Singapore company. In this case, your company will need to file an Employment Pass application for each such employee.
Employment Pass is normally issued for 1-2 years at a time and renewable thereafter. An EP visa enables you to work and live in Singapore and travel in and out of the country freely without applying for Singapore entry visas. Possessing an Employment Pass also opens the door for Singapore permanent residence in due course.
EMPLOYMENT PASS ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
The key facts and requirements for an Employment Pass type of work visa consist of the following:
n With effect of 1 January 2012, a minimum fixed salary of S$3,000 and above a month.
n A tertiary degree from a reputable university and relevant professional experience. Your strong professional work experience history and good salary may compensate for lack of good education in some cases. Your proposed employment in Singapore must be relevant to your prior experience. Note that for Q1 pass holders, only those candidates who are educationally qualified from reputable institutions will be considered. The minimum salary requirement of S$3,000 is applicable to young graduates who have passed out from good quality educational institutions. However, candidates who are older in age will have to command higher salaries (i.e. in excess of S$3,000) in order to qualify.
n There is no quota system. Each application is reviewed by authorities based on the credentials of the employing company and the applicant.
With effect from 1 January 2012, the salary threshold for the corresponding passes will be as follows:
The above is a general guideline only and the specific type of pass issued is still at the discretion of the authorities. In practical terms, there is not much difference among the above three types of Employment Passes except for the following:
n Although all the above three types of EP work visas allow you to bring your spouse and children under 21 years old, Q1 pass holders are unable to apply for Long-Term Social Visit Pass for their significant others.
n The timing of permanent residence application filing. As a rule of thumb, P1 holders can apply for Singapore PR as early as 1 year after obtaining EP whereas P2 and Q1 pass holders should wait at least 2 years.
n For immediate family members (spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age), Employment Pass holders can apply for a family visa called Dependant Pass. The Dependent Pass (DP) applications will be approved automatically if the EP application is approved. You can file DP application(s) at the same time or anytime after your EP application is approved. The expiry date of Dependent Pass(es) will be the same as the Employment Pass.
The changes, from 1 September 2012 are as follows:
n S Pass and Employment Pass (EP) holders need to earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $4,000 to sponsor the stay of their spouses and children here.
n P1 Pass holders will no longer be able to bring in their parents-in-law. They may still bring in their parents, spouses and children.
n P2 Pass holders will no longer be able to bring in their parents or parents-in-law. They may still bring in their spouses and children.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR EMPLOYMENT PASS
The following documents are required for submission of Employment Pass visa application in Singapore:
n EP Application Form 8. The application form must be endorsed by the Singapore employing company
n A copy of resume detailing the applicant’s work experience
n Copies of educational certificates and past employment testimonial.
n A passport-size photograph taken within the past three months
n A copy of the personal particulars page of the applicant’s passport
n Copy of business profile for the Singapore company
n Detailed description of the duties to be performed by the applicant
n Detailed description of activities and/or products of the company
n Tenancy agreement of the place of business operations in Singapore
n Any documents that are not in English must be officially translated into English.
EMPLOYMENT PASS RENEWAL PROCEDURE
Generally two months before your EP is due to expire, an Employment Pass Renewal Form will be sent to your employer’s address. The renewal application should be completed and submitted to MOM at least four weeks before the pass expires. After your renewal application is approved, your employer will receive an approval letter. You will need to visit MOM office to collect your new Employment Pass.