rcep.biz

Singapore Employment Pass (EP) Application

The Singapore Employment Pass (EP) is a program for foreign professionals, managers, executives, and technical personnel (PMETs). It provides a stay of up to 2 years for senior overseas employees working in Singapore. In March 2023, Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MoM) announced that from September 2023, the EP application will introduce the COMPASS points-based assessment system.

The COMPASS assessment consists of four main criteria (salary, education, workforce diversity, and local employment support) and two bonus factors (individual skills and company economic strategy), with a passing score of 40 points.

The four main evaluation criteria are: salary, education, workforce diversity, and whether the company supports hiring locals.

For salary, employees whose income exceeds 90% of the local PMETs in Singapore will receive 20 points, while those earning between the 65th and 90th percentile will receive 10 points.
For education, employees with degrees from top institutions, including universities ranked in the global top 100, other highly reputable Asian universities, Singapore’s public autonomous universities, and other prestigious institutions, will receive 20 points. Those with bachelor's degrees or industry-recognized professional qualifications will receive 10 points.
For workforce diversity, if the employee’s nationality accounts for less than 5% of the company’s PMET staff, they will receive 20 points; if it’s between 5% and 25%, they will receive 10 points. If there are fewer than 25 PMETs in the company, 10 points will automatically be awarded. This is one of Singapore's measures to encourage companies to hire employees of diverse nationalities.
For local employment support, to ensure employment for Singaporeans, COMPASS stipulates that if half or more of the PMETs hired by the company are Singaporeans, the company will receive 20 points; if 20%-50% are Singaporeans, the company will receive 10 points.
There are also two bonus factors:
Bonus for individual skills. If the applicant's job is in a shortage occupation in Singapore, they will receive an additional 20 points. Current shortage occupations include new food development (e.g., plant-based meat), financial and investment experts, green economy professionals, healthcare personnel, and digital and ICT specialists. (Note: If the applicant’s nationality accounts for 1/3 or more of the company’s PMET staff, the individual skills bonus will be reduced to 10 points.)
Company economic strategy bonus. If the company collaborates with the government on investment, innovation, internationalization, or labor transformation activities that drive the local economy, the company will receive an additional 10 points.

Application Process & Document Preparation

Application Process

1.
Publish job vacancies and open CPF and EPOL accounts
2.
If paid-in registered capital, the registered capital must be paid, proof provided, and updated with the Registry and Ministry of Manpower. EP applications can be made after 14 days.
3.
EP Document Preparation
4.
Results in 3 weeks

Document Preparation

Personal:
1.

Scan of the applicant's passport and ID card
2.

Bachelor's degree or higher + translation (if the degree is not in English, a certified translation is required), an English version of the degree certificate issued by an accredited organization. (For degrees from China, a certified English translation from CDGDC (https://www.cdgdc.edu.cn/) must be provided.)
3.

Applicant's personal resume, job description, employment contract
4.

Other supplemental documents if necessary
Company:
1.

It is recommended that the company's registered capital be at least SGD 200,000, and it must be paid up to the required amount.
2.

Job vacancies must be posted for at least 14 days, and interviews must be arranged. [The purpose of the advertisement is to show that the company offers fair job opportunities to locals.]
3.

Additional documents may be required: company business contracts, invoices, and bank statements
4.

Additional documents may be required: a lease agreement for office space of at least 6 months (can be a shared desk lease or office lease)
5.

Additional documents may be required: CPF contribution records if local employees are hired
6.

Additional documents that may be requested by the Ministry of Manpower
7.

Additional documents that may be required by the Ministry of Manpower

FAQs

Question

What is the Singapore Self-Employed EP?

Answer

                                                The Singapore Employment Pass (EP) application is divided into two categories: self-employed and employer-sponsored. The self-employed application refers to applicants who set up a company in Singapore and take an executive position (such as director) in the company to apply for an employment pass for themselves.

                                                After holding an EP for a certain period (usually recommended for two years), holders can apply to the local government for Permanent Resident (PR) status, which is commonly referred to as the Singapore Green Card. There are various ways to obtain a Singapore PR, such as through the Global Investor Program (GIP), family offices, etc. The process of converting EP to PR has no high investment threshold and applies to a broader range of people.

                                                EP holders can:
Obtain a Singapore tax identification number and enjoy the same tax rates as Singapore tax residents;
Enter and exit Singapore freely without needing to apply for a visa, using the green self-service channel for quick and convenient immigration clearance;
Serve as the local director of their own Singapore company without hiring an additional one, reducing costs and risks;
Open a private bank account in Singapore as a local resident.

                                                There are no strict requirements for the self-employed EP application, but it is generally recommended that applicants be under 55 years old, have at least a diploma or higher education, and have either already established a company in Singapore or plan to start one in the future.

                                                If the applicant has already established a company in Singapore and the documentation is complete, the EP can be approved in about one week. For those who have not yet set up a company, company registration must be done first, and the whole process, including the EP application, typically takes 2-4 weeks.

                                                EP holders can apply for Dependant Pass (DP) for their legal spouse and children under 21 years old. Children with a Dependant Pass can attend public schools in Singapore. Additionally, EP holders can apply for Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) for cohabiting partners, unmarried children with disabilities over 21, and adopted children under 21.

View All>