Singapore Employment Pass How To Get Approved

The Ministry of Manpower grants Singapore Employment Pass that is usually valid for one to two years to eligible applicants. Employment Pass provides comfort to foreigners in terms of travelling in and out of the country. The work visa is renewable as long as the pass holder remains employed in a Singapore company. It also provides chance to pass holder to apply for a permanent residence status.

Employment Pass is required for any entrepreneur who has just incorporated a Singapore company and desires to move to Singapore. Moreover, the work visa is also required for corporation looking to relocate their staff such as managing directors and management staff of the company.

We have provided basic considerations on how to be qualified, eligible and how to get approved for a Singapore Employment Pass. Please read on and take note of these details:

Eligibility Requirements:
Recognized educational diploma/degree
Professional qualifications
Specialist skills

Basic Considerations Assessed by The Ministry of Manpower:
Salary
Age
Roles & responsibility
Related work experience
Companys background
Companys paid up capital
Current citizenship

Basic Documents to Furnish:

The above qualifications should be satisfied first before securing the following documents: resume or CV stating your educational and employment history, copies of educational certificates and past employment testimonials, and a copy of your passport details. However, any documents that are not in English must be translated into English by an official translation service. In addition, there are three Employment Pass groups, P! for applicants earning a salary of more than S$7,000, P2 for salary of more than S$3,500 up to S$7,000 and Q1 for salary of more than S$2,500.

Service of a Professional Firm:

For processing of your application, you need to hire the services of a professional firm who will apply in your account for your Employment Pass. They will be the one to apply online to The Ministry of Manpower, as the application method is shorter. It normally takes 1 to 15 days to issue an approval. Once approved, the Ministry of Manpower will issue an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter via email. The IPA letter must be produced upon collection of the EP at the Work Pass Division at Ministry of Manpower. An IPA letter is valid for Six months from the date of notification of approval.

Singapore Employment Pass Application The Facts And Procedure

Singapores advancing economic structure attracts a great number of individuals who wish to experience its business potential. Any foreigner who wishes to do business in Singapore, either by seeking employment or putting up his own company, must first obtain a Singapore Employment Pass before he can legally transact his business in the country. A Singapore Employment Pass is a work visa issued by the Ministry of Manpower to foreign business people who are already employed in Singapore or to any business person still seeking for employment or who either owns a Singapore company or is a shareholder or director of such company.

The Singapore Employment Pass has three types, depending on the purpose:

P1 Pass for a minimum monthly income of S$7,000 and holds a managerial, executive or specialist position
P2 Pass for a minimum monthly income of S$3,500
Q1 Pass for a minimum monthly income of S$2,500

Applications for a Singapore Employment Pass are submitted to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The MOM is the sole authority that reviews, evaluates and approves EP Applications. To be eligible for a Singapore EP, the applicant must possess specialist skills and professional qualifications. In this case, an applicants educational attainment and background are added considerations, so it is important that a hard copy of the Original Transcript of Records and other relevant certificates pertaining to education is attached to the application. Although, educational attainment is vital, its absence could still be compensated by presenting the following documents: resume or curriculum vitae indicating in details the educational and employment history, testimonials or certificates of employment from previous employers, and a copy of passport. An applicant who has not earned a college degree is not immediately denied by the Ministry of Manpower as long as his application is sufficient in form and substance and his supporting credentials are excellent.

There are three steps in applying for a Singapore EP with the Ministry of Manpower:

First Step: For newly incorporated companies, an authorization code must first be obtained from the MOM before submitting the application. The authorization code is issued within 1-2 weeks.

Second Step: Submit your EP application. An application may be submitted personally to the MOM or online. The approval of the application takes at least 2 weeks.

Third Step: Once an application is approved, the MOM sends through email, an In-Principle Approval (IPA). The IPA must then be presented personally to the Work Pass Division of the MOM upon claiming the EP. The IPA is valid for 6 months from the time of notification of approval. Aside from the IPA, the applicant must also bring a medical exam report (which may be issued by the applicants country of origin or by in Singapore), original passport with entry embarkation cards, recent passport-size photos, and other documents specified in the IPA. Documents which are not in the English language must be translated into English by any Singaporean accredited official translation service.

An EP issued for the first time is valid for 2 years and can be renewed thereafter. The renewed EP is valid for 3 years. Once an Employment Pass (EP) has been issued, the foreign holder may now apply for a Dependent Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass for his/her family members.