14 principles to securing a work pass in Singapore

Prepared for directors and
senior professionals
relocating to Singapore.

As of January 2013

14 PRINCIPLES
FOR SECURING AN
EMPLOYMENT PASS
IN SINGAPORE

LAUNCH YOUR
BIG IDEA

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WORKPASSES.
WHEN YOU
ABSOLUTELY
NEED ONE.
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#1
RIGHT
DESIGNATION

RIGHT
DESIGNATION

Don't short sell the candidate.
Choose a title that accurately reflects the
seniority of the candidate. If the
candidate is in operations, are they the
'director of operations„?
Choosing a title “Consultant – F&B”
rather than “Bartender” helped one of our
clients secure an EP.


#2
EXPERIENCE
MATTERS

EXPERIENCE
MATTERS

The candidate should have different
experience or skill-sets not available in
the local job market.
Their CV should list similar positions
held before. Include with the application
a copy of the job description.
We recommend including a business
plan which describes the job
position, and a employment contract with
a corresponding job scope.


#3
DEGREE
HOLDER

DEGREE
HOLDER

It is preferable if the candidate is a
degree holder.
However for most industries, experience
plays a bigger role.
Candidates who obtained qualifications
from a Singapore institution have an
advantage.
We have secured EPs for senior
professionals who do not hold any paper
qualification.


#4
RELEVANT
REFERENCES

RELEVANT
REFERENCES

In cases where a degree or formal
qualifications are not held, references
and training certificates hold sway.
Letters of endorsement from past
employers and clients, especially large or
well known.
Training certificates relevant to your
industry count.


#5
RIGHT
SALARY

RIGHT
SALARY

1 December 2012, EPs and other work
passes require a greater base salary.
A salary below the bar will get you a
quick rejection.
The salary should not compete with local
talent, which is why it priced higher.
The minimum for most applications is
now $4K.
A director‟s salary should be > S$8k


#6
NATIONALITY


NATIONALITY

As defined by the ICA, candidates from
level zero countries (including USA,
Australia, Europe and Malaysia) are
easier to secure an EP.
Candidates from Level one countries
(India, Russia, China, Myanmar, Ukraine)
have an advantage if they have held a
study or work visa in a level zero country.


#7
EXISTING
EP HOLDER

EXISTING
EP HOLDER

We discovered employees who are EP
holders, have higher chances of
obtaining a new EP from a new
employer.
This recognises local experience in
Singapore is an advantage.


#8
COMPANY
STRUCTURE

COMPANY
STRUCTURE

Companies operating successfully for
longer than three years have an
advantage over startups.
New companies can benefit from having
a large paid up capital to demonstrate
they have liquidity to pay salaries.
Having a reputed corporate parent is an
advantage.
A unique or important business segment
gets attention too.


#9
PROFILE
BUILDING

PROFILE
BUILDING

If it is the company's first time applying
for a pass, include a copy of the business
plan to build the profile of the company.
Provide a rental agreement or letter of
intent to rent if available.
Include bank statements showing
infusion of paid up capital.
Include and signed contracts with large
or reputable client.


#10
NICHE
INDUSTRY

NICHE
INDUSTRY

Some industries are easier to hire foreign
talent than others.
Tech startups are an example of a sector
which we have seen fast approvals of EP
applications.
We have seen cases of companies with
90% foreigners, build a payroll of 40
employment passes, because of the
firm‟s unique contribution to the tech
space.


#11
APPEALS


APPEALS

Plan this with the candidate and have a
backup plan should things go wrong.
You have 30 days to file the appeal.
Each appeal takes 6 weeks to process.
It is common for companies applying for
their first few EP‟s to require appeals.


#12
PAST
REJECTIONS

PAST
REJECTIONS

A candidate with a history of rejected EP
applications, has a lower chance in the
future of securing an application.
It is so important to get the application
correct the first time.
Past rejections may be due to errors or
more commonly due to the candidate or
company being short sold.
It requires extensive communication with
MOM to get such a situation corrected.


#13
QUOTAS


QUOTAS

S-Passes have strict quotas - four
Singaporeans to one foreigner.
EPs are free of explicit quota restrictions.
However companies are expected to
justify the need for EP‟s if there are not
enough locals on the companies payroll.
In our experience, quotas can be
negotiated depending on circumstance.


#14
RIGHT
WORK PASS

RIGHT
WORK PASS

EPs and PEPs are among the two most
popular work passes for professionals.
However a Letter of Consent or a
Business Visa are easier to apply for and
may suffice.
Letter of Consent is free of most
restrictions and are exclusively for
Dependant Pass holders.


WORKPASSES.
WHEN YOU
ABSOLUTELY
NEED ONE.
Find out more


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