For a non-Singaporean to work in Singapore, employment pass (EP) plays the most important role to get the work permit. It is essential to have the knowledge about the eligibility, rules and regulation issued by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower to get one. In this article, we will walk through step by step about the key information and requirements you will definitely need to know get employment pass in Singapore.
Who are eligible for Employment Pass?
It is a work permit for white collar employees, especially for the candidates who possess higher academic qualification from a prestige university or exceptional professional skills. Besides, those candidates must be hired with at least executive level in Singapore. There are 2 stage for candidates to pass.
1.EP Qualifying Salary
Toward all sectors except financial services, the minimum salary must be $5,000. This increases with age, starting from age 23, up to $10,500 for those aged 45 and above. In the part of financial services sector, the minimum salary must be $5,500. This also increases with age, starting from age 23, up to $11,500 for those aged 45 and above. Starting from next year, the eligible salary for new application will be revised to at least $5,600, and $6,200 for the financial services sector. On the condition that the candidate is not eligible for stage 1, he or she is disqualified to obtain employment pass regardless of second stage.
2.COMPASS
This stage is about earning points for 6 criteria. It includes salary, qualification, diversity, support for local employment, skills bonus and strategic economics priority bonus. Candidate can get up to 20 points for each category except strategic economics priority bonus which gives up to 10 points. As a total, candidate must earn 40 points to pass COMPASS stage. However, there are 3 types that are exempted from COMPASS. They are candidates who
- earns a fixed monthly salaryof at least $22,500 (similar to the prevailing Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) job advertising exemption from 1 September 2023)
- apply as an overseas intra-corporate transferee
- is filling the role for 1 month or less
Who Can Apply Employment Pass?
Employer or an authorized third party like Fastlane HR have to apply the employment pass on behalf of the employee or candidate. They must provide written consent of the candidate indicating his/her agreement to be employed by the employer. For example, a signed employment contract. If the employer is an overseas company without a registered office in Singapore, it must appoint a local sponsor. The sponsor, which is a Singapore-registered company, will the submit the application on behalf of the employer.
Application Steps for Employment Pass
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Steps |
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Before Applying |
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| Prior to Arrival |
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| Upon Arrival |
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Please make sure to cancel the employment pass if the candidate no longer works for the employee. For the company’s or pass holder’s information changers, notify MOM. When the pass card is lost, stolen or damaged, apply for a replacement. Moreover, it is important to renew the pass before it expires.
Possibility to Bring Family Member to Singapore
Yes, it is possible unless employment pass holder meet the eligibility criteria. Employment pass holder must earn at least $6000 per month and he or she can apply dependent’s pass for his or her legally married spouse and unmarried children who are not 12 years old yet, including legally adopted children. Employer need to prepare a separate application for each family member. The application can be submitted together with the Employment Pass application or separately.
Employment Pass Service
Whether it is employment pass (EP) application or renew or replacement or canceling, Fastlane HR can help you with our visa experts to make the process easier and smoother by aligning with the everchanging rules and policies. Fastlane HR has been helping employers and employee for their required visas since 2013 with 100% percent visa successful rate. You can also visit Fastlane HR and witness the testimonials of our clients.