Employment Pass (EP) Application
From the business point of view, the Employment Pass (EP) is considered to be the best option for a work pass. Why is that so? Firstly, the foreign levy is not applicable for an Employment Pass. Secondly, there is no requirement for the company/employer to have a minimum local headcount to apply for the work pass. However, compared to the other work pass, the Employment Pass has higher criteria to meet.
Let’s take a look at the key facts about the Employment Pass:
Who is Eligible?
The pass is eligible for any foreign professionals who have a job offer for a managerial, executive, or specialised job in Singapore. Generally, a foreign director who wants to work in the Singapore company will have to apply for the Employment Pass.
To get approval from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the candidate has to meet the eligibility criteria.
Basically, the candidate must have acceptable academic qualifications, such as a good university degree, professional qualifications, or specialised skills.
The minimum salary has to be of at least S$3,900 and it must commensurate to the candidate’s work experience. (Senior role, more experienced candidates need a higher salary)
Young graduates who have a good university degree will be eligible to apply for the Employment Pass if they can earn at least S$3,900.
Documents Required for Employment Pass
We will need the following documents to apply for an Employment Pass:
- Candidate’s Passport Copy showing the personal particulars
- Candidate’s Fin/Work Pass Number, if any
- Candidate’s contact details such as email and mobile number
- Candidate’s education certificate (Degree etc.)
- Candidate’s CV & offer letter copy
- Candidate’s Job position and Salary
- Company latest Bizfile
For non-English documents, you are required to submit the original document with an English translation. The translation can be done by a translation service provider.
Missing certificates or Institutions not listed in in the application form can obtain a verification proof from any of these sources:
Global verification agency, e.g. Dataflow and Risk Management Intelligence (RMI)
The candidate who will be working in a specialised industry is required to provide additional documents.
Fair Consideration Framework (FCF)
To promote fair employment practices, employers are required to advertise the job position on MyCareersFuture.sg before submitting the EP applications. The FCF sets out the requirement for all employers in Singapore to consider all candidates fairly for job opportunities.
MOM will reject any EP applications linked to the advertisements that have discriminatory contents or it does not represent the job accurately. The advertisement has to be open for at least 14 days to allow job seekers to view and apply.
Any changes to the advertisement details will be required to keep it open for another 14 days before submitting the EP application.
Exemption from advertising is applicable to the company: that has fewer than 10 employees, the fixed monthly salary is S$20,000 and above, the vacancy is to be filled by an intra-corporate transferee or it is for a short term basis which is not more than 1 month.
Application of an Employment Pass
Generally, the submission of the application can be done through the employer or the appointed employment agent (EA).
The application fee is S$105 for each submission of the pass.
Typically, the process will take about 3 weeks in most cases. It may take longer if additional documents are required.
Once the application of the pass is approved, the Employer or the Employment Agent will receive the notification to print out the In-principle Approval (IPA). The IPA is valid for 6 months and the candidate has to be in Singapore and have the pass issued. The Candidate may also be requested to undergo a medical screening, which can be done after arrival in Singapore.
Pass insurance and receiving the Card
The candidate must be in Singapore when submitting the request to get the pass to be issued.
Nominate up to 3 authorised recipients to receive the card, and provide their NRIC, FIN or passport number, mobile numbers and email address.
Payment of $225 for each pass issuance and S$30 is applicable for each Multiple Journey Visa.
After the pass issuance request is done, do refer to the notification letter for whether the candidate needs to register fingerprints and photo. An appointment has to be registered for the candidate to visit the Employment Pass Services Centre (EPSC) and the registration must be done within 2 weeks after the pass is issued.
The candidate should bring along these documents for the appointment:
- Original passport
- Appointment letter
- Notification letter
- Documents listed in the IPA letter and notification letter
MOM will deliver the card to the given address 4 working days after the candidate registers and gets documents verified at EPSC.
If the candidate does not need to register, the card will be delivered in 4 working days after checking the documents.
The authorised recipients will get an SMS or email with the delivery details at least 1 working day before the delivery.
Employment Pass Application Service
Singapore Company Pte Ltd is a licensed Employment Agent under the purview of the Ministry of Manpower. With our extensive year of experience in the employment industry, you can expect the entire process to be streamlined and managed efficiently. Our value-added services include: pre-eligibility assessment of the application, appeal to the rejected application, human resources advisory, and HR planning. Do contact us for a non- obligatory enquiry.
