Work Visas in Singapore
We discuss all these eight options in the following paragraphs.
1) Getting a Singapore Work Permit (WP)
In Singapore, work permits holders are basic-skilled workers, mainly labourers and domestic workers, from a pre-approved source territory. Here, the minimum age for the applicant is 18 years for all non-domestic foreign workers; and the upper limit is 58 years for Malaysians, and 50 years for non-Malaysians. When making the application for a Work Permit, the employer must keep in mind the sector, in which the applicant is going to work. This is so, as for WP applications, the Singapore Government has put in two additional considerations, in a bid to regulate foreign manpower in the city-state:
- The employer must the Foreign Worker Levy (FWL) for their work permit holders, whose amount is determined by the sector the worker will work in, as well as his or her educational qualifications and skills involved.
- The employer must adhere to the Dependency Ratio Ceiling (DRC), which is defined as – ratio of foreign workers in a Singapore company to the total workforce.
2) Getting a Singapore S Pass
In Singapore, S Pass is issued to mid-level skilled foreign workers. Moreover, like the Work Permit, two considerations of FWL and DRC (as described above) are also applicable to all S Pass holders in a Singapore company. While FWL ranges anything between S$315 and S$550 per worker, Singapore Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has mandated a sub-Dependency Ceiling (sub-DC) for S Pass holders in a service sector company as 15%. This ratio is 20% for companies operating in other sectors. While assessing an S Pass application, MOM looks at applicant’s qualifications, work experience, and a monthly salary of at least S$2,200 for young inexperienced applicants and more for experienced applicants.
3) Getting a Singapore Employment Pass (EP)
The MOM issues this normally for three years, and assess an EP application based on the nature of PME roles, whether the applicant has acceptable qualifications, and a monthly salary of at least S$3,300 for young inexperienced applicants and more for experienced applicants.
While the MOM doesn’t apply the considerations of FWL and DRC for EP applicants, it however does give preference to applicants from tier 1 regions. The applicant must also be complimenting the local workforce with his or her skills, and have been offered a salary commensurate with the skills. The company (employer) making the EP application for the potential employee must also demonstrate the intent of hiring a local first by advertising a job at jobsbank.gov.sg first.
Getting a Singapore Dependant Pass
Importantly, EP holders with a salary of S$6,000 or above per month, can bring their families to Singapore. The two options here are – a Dependant Pass (DP), or a Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP), both of whose validity is connected to the EP holder’s visa validity. Importantly, DP and LTVP holders can work in Singapore by applying for a Letter of Consent. Moreover, EP holders, and their attached DP and LTVP holders can apply for Singapore permanent residency, after having lived in the city-state continuously for six months.
Read more about Singapore Working Visa at InCorp Global.
