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.

Ways To Secure A Singapore Employment Pass

The Ministry of Manpower is authorized to grant Singapore Employment Pass to qualified applicants which will allow foreigners to work legally for a period of 1 to 2 years. Employment Pass is renewable as long as the pass holder remains employed in a Singapore company. This work visa allows foreigners to travel in and out of Singapore with minimum hassle in the immigration and apply for a permanent residency in Singapore.

For entrepreneurs who have just incorporated a Singapore company and planned to relocate to the country it is required to secure an Employment Pass, a work visa which will allow them to relocate easily. It is also a must for corporation wanting to transfer their staff such as managing directors and management staff of the company.

Here are the fundamental steps to note in securing a Singapore Employment Pass:

First, you need to be aware of the eligibility requirements. The following basic requirements should be met first:

Employment Pass Eligibility Requirements
Recognised educational diploma/degree
Professional qualifications
Specialist skills

Second, note that the the subsequent considerations is also examined by the Ministry of Manpower and may affect your application.

Salary
Age
Roles & responsibility
Related work experience
Companys background
Companys paid up capital
Current citizenship

Third, prepare your resume or CV stating your educational and employment history, copies of educational certificates and past employment testimonials, and a copy of your passport details after you assessed that you are qualified for the eligibility requirements. Remember that all non-English documents should pass through a professional translation firm for a quality translation. In addition, there are three Employment Pass categories, P! for applicants generating a wage 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.

Fourth, you need to hire the services of a professional firm who will apply in your behalf your Employment Pass. They will be the one to apply online to Ministry of Manpower as the application process is shorter. The normal timeframe of application approval is usually within 1 to 15 days before issuance. Once approved,an In-Principle Approval (IPA) will be issued by the Ministry of Manpower. The IPA letter will have to be produced upon collection of the EP at the Work Pass Division at Ministry of Manpower. An IPA letter is good for Six months from the date of notification of approval.

Fifth, Once accepted, you need to carry the following in order for you to get the Employment Pass:

Recently taken passport size photograph
Original passport with the entry embarkation cards
Medical exam report* (if the In-Principle Approval states that you require one)
Any other documents that are requested in the approval letter
A copy of the IPA letter

Singapore Employment Pass Explained In Detail

Acquiring Singapore Employment Pass is what non-Singaporean citizens, or even residents desired in an effort of seeking Singapore’s business capabilities. The Singapore Employment Pass is considered as the main working visa to any entrepreneurs, managers, skilled workers, professionals, and business owners may he/she be a director or shareholder of a registered company in Singapore. The said Employment Pass is issued by Minister of Manpower in Singapore.

Being the world’s favorite investment hub, the Minister of Manpower finds it necessary to grant eligibility among foreigners to live and work in Singapore, thereby, eradicating all legal hindrances commonly associated in doing business offshore.

Traveling in and out of Singapore has never been easy and minimal hassle with a Singapore Employment Pass. Being able to acquire a Permanent Residence in Singapore is one step closer to be able to actually acquire a Permanent Residence in Singapore.Of course, this is subject to a few requirements and considerations. At any rate, an EP in Singapore is issued to the following individuals:

– All foreign individuals whose desire is to relocate to Singapore for matters related to business.
– All entrepreneurs who have already established business in Singapore and who wish to employ foreign individuals.
– All foreign individuals who receive an employment offer in Singapore.To make this work, the individual needs the employing company to process the application for EP on his or her behalf.

For first-timers, the Singapore Employment Pass is considered valid for 2 years but for the next renewal the validity would be for 3 years. In applying for an EP, the Minister of Memorandum provides a 3-step procedure described as follow:

Step 1
Before the application is submitted online, a newly incorporated company must obtain an authorization code from Minister of Manpower. Usually, the authorization code is released within a span one week or 2.
Step 2
After obtaining the authorization code, the EP application will then be submitted online and which will take 2 weeks for its approval.
Step 3
Upon approval, a letter known as In-Principle Approval or IPA is sent via e-mail from the Minister of Manpower.In claiming the EP, IPA will then be given to the Work Pass Division of Ministry of Manpower.The validity of IPA will hold 6 months, from the date when it is notified as approved.

Other requirements that applicants should prepare besides the IPA are medical exam which can also be done from ones country, a copy of present passport size photo, original passport with the entry embarkation cards, and other requirements given by IPA.

It is the sole decision of the Ministry of Manpower to evaluate applications for EP. The ministry takes into consideration pertinent aspects in evaluation such as present status of citizenship, salary of the applicant, age, pertinent work and experience, the company’s paid-up capital and background, and expected roles and responsibility.

The following are qualifications that a foreigner or applicant must possess to be eligible:

– An educational Diploma and or degree from a reputable college or university:
– Expert’s skills
– Professional qualifications
– Nonetheless, though an education is among the primary factors, it may be compensated by other factors in its absence.The Ministry of Manpower does not immediately discard applications by foreign individuals who have not completed a college degree or earned a diploma Either way, the following documents must be presented:
– Related certificates and a printed copy of Original Transcript of Records
– Detailed Resume or Curriculum Vitae indicating the employment and education history
– Testimonials or Certificate of Employment from previous employers
– A copy of Passport details

Should the documents expressed in foreign languages, the same must be translated into English by an official translation service accredited by Singaporean authorities.

Relative to the purpose, the Employment of Pass are in 3 types namely P1 Pass, P2 Pass, and Q1 Pass.
In order to attain P1 EP, one must earn a fixed monthly income not below S$7,000. The position kept must either be an executive, specialist or managerial.

The P2 EP is issued among individuals having a fixed monthly salary of more than S$3,500 and who possess satisfactory qualifications.

For a Q1 EP to be obtained the applicants must have a fixed monthly earning of more than S$2,500 and who should also have impressive qualifications.

Family members may then have a chance to visit or even stay for a considerable period of time since upon issuance of EP, the applicant can apply for a Long-Term Visit Pass or Dependent Pass.