Singapore Employment Pass
Why do need to Apply for Singapore Employment Pass and Singapore Employment Visa?
One of the (many) services the Ren Ai Group provides is helping our clients to obtain a Singapore employment visa. This will include the application of a personalised employment pass Singapore. Our vision is to help our entrepreneur clients in all non-operations-related operations in their company. This includes the process to start a business in Singapore, digital marketing, accounting, and even payroll.
Ren Ai Group helps to complete clients' quest in setting up a business and relocating to Singapore. We can provide more details to assist you on the Singapore employment pass scheme, tracking the employment pass application status, apply for an employment pass, and employment pass renewal for your employees. For most foreigners, who want to set up a company in Singapore and work and live in Singapore for more than 6 months, Singapore Employment Pass application services is the preferred choice.
What are the Services under Ren Ai Group (Singapore Employment Visa Agency) can provide for you?
- Pre-application information and advice on Work Pass.
- Assistance in completing the Singapore employment visa self assessment tools with MOM.
- Filing of the Employment Pass Singapore application.
- Tracking Singapore Employment Pass application status while under processing.
- Direct liaison with MOM officer-in-charge when necessary by Ren Ai Group, Singapore employment visa agency.
- Responding to MOM’s request for additional information as necessary after the Singapore employment visa application.
- Issuing of employment pass will be arranged once the required Authority has approved the Singapore employment visa application.
- Helping expats with the process of Singapore work permit renewal.
Singapore Company Incorporation and Relocation to Singapore
Upon deciding to move to Singapore for your Company's incorporation and management, there are 2 main tasks that needs to be completed:
- 1. Start a business in Singapore.
- 2. Obtain an employment pass visa through employment agency in Singapore.
The validation period for an Singapore employment pass applied by the Singapore employment visa agency is for 1 to 2 years and renewable provided the employee continues working in the company. The validity period for first-time Singapore employment pass application applicants is also up to two years.
Corporations planning to relocate staff, such as managing directors and management staff, to Singapore will need to secure Employment Passes on behalf of them. With an Employment Pass, the pass holder can travel in and out of Singapore with minimum hassle during immigration. Furthermore, Employment Pass holders are qualified and eligible to apply for Permanent Residency (PR) in Singapore after working for more than 2 years. Essentially, if you or your foreign employees are in Singapore on a short-term basis (between 2 weeks to 6 months), it would be more useful to apply for the the short-term Singapore employment visas.
Despite not being a local Singaporean, your dream of becoming an employer of a Singapore company can still be accomplished. At Ren Ai Group, we provide you with all the support and assistance you require to start a business in Singapore. Our experienced consultants will explain the Singapore employment pass scheme, tracking of the Singapore employment pass application status, and submission of the E Pass Singapore application to you. In addition, our professionals will be able to guide you through the company incorporation Singapore process. Thus, you are able to both set up your company and do not need to relocate in Singapore to manage it in person!
What are the Requirements for Company Incorporation in Singapore?
- Minimum: One (1) shareholder, One (1) resident director and One (1) company secretary in Singapore.
- Minimum paid-up capital of S$1 has to be shown before company incorporation in Singapore.
- A local registered office Singapore address.
Employment Pass Application Eligibility Requirements
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) assesses your eligibility and capability according to the employment pass scheme conditions as stated below. To be considered for an Employment Pass (EP), you must have a fixed monthly salary of at least S$3,600 (With effect from 1 May 2020, the qualifying salary for Singapore Employment Pass application will be raised from S$3,600 to S$3,900) and possess one or more of the following:
- Acceptable educational qualifications, e.g. a good degree
- Professional qualifications
- Specialist skills
- Related work experience
Below are the procedures for Singapore Employment Pass Application
1) The following required documents must be provided to Ren Ai Group and submitted to Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for the E Pass Singapore application:
- 1. Passport and Singapore work pass/ student pass/ any other pass (if any)
- 2. 2 Highest Education Certificates
- 3. Working testimonial (if any) and a resume/ CV
- 4. Completed application form with details of the E Pass Singapore applicant
* For married applicants, please provide documentation proof of item 1, 2 & 3 of your spouse.
2) The processing time is 1 week usually. (Manual application will take more than 4 weeks for processing, therefore, it is advisable to submit online by Ren Ai Group. Do note that as from 1 Jun 2015, MOM will not accept hard copy application form should you be keen for the Employment Pass application)
3) If the E Pass Singapore application was not approved in the first submission, MOM will request for additional supporting information such as business plans and testimonials. The employment pass status will be consistently tracked by us and an appeal will be submitted on your behalf with no additional fees.The appeal process will take 5 weeks usually.
4) Upon approval, you can visit Singapore to collect your work pass within 6 months from the date of approval.
In summary, the application could be completed in 2 weeks to 3 months time.
There is no requirement to stay in Singapore while applying for the work pass and awaiting of the employment pass status.
Do note that the Singapore Employment Pass application can only be submitted after the incorporation of a company.
Job Advertisement Requirement (effective from 1 August 2014)
As required by Ministry of Manpower in Singapore, firms submitting new Employment Pass (EP) applications will have to advertise on MyCareersFuture.sg or Jobs Bank for 14 calendar days before it can submit an EP application. This is to ensure that Singaporeans are first considered during the job search and are able to have access to the job information before the firm makes the final hiring decision. The ads must follow in accordance to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices and be online for 14 – 30 days.
Should you meet the advertisement requirements as stated below for the Singapore EP application, your company will have exemptions :
- a) Your company has fewer than 10 employees;
- b) The job position is paying a fixed monthly salary of $15,000 and above;
(The fixed monthly salary threshold for exemption will be raised to $20,000 and above w.e.f. 1 May 2020)
- c) The job has to be taken by an intra-corporate transferee (ICTs) as described by the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement regarding Trade in Services; OR
- d) The job is necessary for short-term contingencies (i.e. the employment period in Singapore is not more than a month).
Dependent Pass Application
Please provide:
- 1) Spouse – Marriage Certificate & Passport, education certificates and last drawn salary details (if any)
- 2) Child – Birth Certificate & Passport
If your child is planning to study in Singapore, you may approach the school directly for the enrollment and the school would assist with the application of student pass for your child and no Dependent pass is required for.
For non-English documents, submission of the original document provided with an English translation is required . A translation service provider can be utilized for the translation. At Ren Ai Group, we also provide you with professional translation service and this is not included in the application fee.
For non-English documents, submission of the original document provided with an English translation is required . A translation service provider can be utilized for the translation. At Ren Ai Group, we also provide you with professional translation service and this is not included in the application fee.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Employment Pass
1How long will my Employment Pass be valid for?
Essentially your Employment Pass will be valid for 1 to 2 years. You are advisable to submit renewal for your Employment Pass within 6 month prior to the expiry date and the validity period will be continue from the date of expiry, not the date of renewal approve.
2Do I need to go through a medical test when applying for work pass in Singapore?
If you are required to go through a medical test, it will be indicated in your In-Principle Approval Letter along with the list of specific tests. In general, it includes a physical examination and some blood tests to rule out serious diseases such as HIV and etc.The medical form in the In-Principle Approval Letter must be completed by a certified doctor. If it is not written in English, you are required to submit a copy of the original papers and the official English translation done by a certified translator, High Commission/Embassy or notary public. The medical report is valid for card registration within 3 months from the date of medical examination.
You are encouraged to do the medical examination in Singapore to ensure that it meets the requirements and medical report will be written in English.
3Do Employment pass holders need to make any contribution to social security or government fund?
Employment pass holders are not required to make contributions to any social security fund such as Central Provident Fund (“CPF” which is applicable to Singaporeans and Permanent Residents only). However, the employer (company) is required to contribute a fee to the Skills Development Fund (SDF). SDF contribution or Skills Development Levy (SDL) is paid by employers for all employees capped at the first $4,500 of gross monthly remuneration at the rate of 0.25% or $2, whichever is higher.
4As an Employment Pass holder, can I be the Company director and sole shareholder?
Yes, as an Employment Pass holder, you are eligible to become the company director and sole shareholder.
5Does our Company require nominee director if we are applying for Employment Pass?
Yes, your Company must have at least one director who is a local resident. Therefore you will require our nominee director service on a temporary basis until your Employment Pass is approved.
Once your Employment Pass is approved and you have moved to Singapore, we will replace our nominee director with you as the local director in the Company. Kindly remind that, it is our Company’s policy that our nominee director will not be involved in your business operation therefore if your business is required to apply for a licence, our nominee director will have to step down when you are ready to proceed with the licence application. Most licence application will need to be signed and submitted by a local key executive personal/director therefore you will need to have such person to act for your company and apply for the licence.
In certain cases such as if you are in the food and beverage business you will be required to apply for business licence(s) first to support your work pass application. Hence, our nominee director will only act for the incorporation in order for you to employ your own local director to assist you with the licence and work pass application.
Most businesses do not require licenses or permits to operate, there are handfuls that do, as they are regulated by the approving authorities. Some of these are private schools, travel agencies, liquor distributors, moneylenders, banks, childcare centres.
6My original education certificates are in my home country. Will this affect my Employment Pass application?
As of now the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) requires only a copy of your education certificates. However, please take note that MOM reserves all the rights to request to review your original certificates before or after the approval of your Employment Pass. Therefore it is advisable to have your original certificates on hand.
7Will my spouse and children’s Dependant Pass be automatically approved, upon the approval of my Employment Pass?
There are no automatic approvals of Dependant Pass for your immediate family members. You will have to submit a separate application for your family after the approval of your Employment Pass.
8What are my chances of successful approval with Employment Pass application?
The chances of an Employment Pass approval depend on the credentials of the company and the credentials of the individual applicant. We will be more than happy to advice you accordingly during our consultation.
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