Unlike the closed-border regulations that are currently controlling in the rest of the advanced countries, Singapore is still continuing to support progressive immigration rules. The continuous economic growth of the country and sparse fertility levels have made Singapore in need of bringing foreign employees to alleviate its continuously tight labor market. Singapore is always in need of foreign professionals to support the growth of its economy. It’s the reason that almost a third of the total workforce in Singapore are foreign workers. This article will help you understand the regulations of Singapore when it comes to new foreigners working in the country. Here are the various kinds of work passes and permits in Singapore.
What is a Work Permit?
The first type of Singapore’s employment visa is the Work Permit. It is required for those foreigners who wish to get a job as semi-skilled workers. Semi-skilled jobs include work done in the manufacturing, construction, services, process, or marine shipyard industry. The Work Permit has a pre-approved list of countries which includes China, Thailand, India, South Korea, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
So, if you came from these particular countries and you plan on working as a semi-skilled worker in Singapore, you need to apply for the Singaporean Work Permit. For example, Jenna is a foreigner from Thailand who wants to work in Singapore, and she has a job offer to work in a factory. Jenna needs to apply for a Work Permit first before she can start working in the factory. She can’t get any work in the country if she can’t get a Work Permit. However, you need to make sure what work permit you’ll be applying for. Here are different types of work permits.
For Foreign Worker
This work permit is applicable for unskilled and semi-skilled workers who want to work in the services, process, marine, construction, and manufacturing industry. There is no salary requirement, but there are other criteria based on the sector they will be working in.
For Foreign Domestic Workers
This work permit is for those who want to work as a Foreign Domestic Worker in the country. The applicant must be between 23 and 50 years of age, should not have any relation with their employers, and must have finished at least eight years of formal education.
For Confinement Nanny
This work permit is required for Malaysians who want to work as a confinement nanny in Singapore. The employer of the potential confinement nanny should be at least 21 years old and must have a child below four months old. The employer must also pay for a monthly levy. If you’re the one getting the work permit, you must be a Malaysian. You need to between 23 to 70 years old and must work in your employer’s residence.
For Performing Artiste
This kind of work permit is ideal for performers who want to work in bars, restaurants, karaoke, café, etc. The work permit for performing artiste holders can apply for work related to stage performance.
What is an S Pass?
The S Pass is a type of employment visa in Singapore for mid-level skilled workers. As a requirement, a foreigner must have a minimum monthly salary of at least $2,500 and should pass the assessment criteria. There’s no pre-approved list from specific countries that need to apply since all nationalities who want to work as a mid-skilled worker must apply for the S Pass.
For you to apply, you should have a related skilled technical certificate, diploma, or degree. Also, to back this up, you must have a lot of past work experiences. However, if you have more work experience, the minimum monthly wage requirement doesn’t stop at $2,500, because it increases for more older applicants and more experienced workers. Once you receive your S Pass, you can renew it after two years.
What is an Employment Pass?
The Employment Pass is a type of employment visa in Singapore that requires foreigners to work as skilled-professionals, executives, managers, or other high-paying roles. For you to qualify, you need to earn at least $4,500 a month. Aside from this, you should also have expert skills, have expert qualifications, and a good university degree.
Keep in mind that there are no levies or DPC quotas for Singapore Employment Pass holders. You can either apply for an EP through the manual application or online. Once you have applied and got approved for the Singapore Employment Pass, this employment visa is valid for up to two years, which you can renew for three years at a time.
For other professional workers, you can apply for a different employment visa like the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) and the Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass). The Personalised Employment Pass is not tied to one employer. You can switch to any work opportunity in the country without the need of acquiring a new Singapore Employment Pass scheme. But for you to be qualified for the PEP, you need to be a current Singapore Employment Pass holder with at least a S$12,000 monthly salary.
The Entrepreneur Pass is ideal for those who want to start their own business in Singapore. It’s also applicable for those experienced investors and high-calibre innovators who want to relocate to the country. To qualify for the EntrePass, you must have a company or business that is existing not more than six months at the time you apply for the visa. You should also possess at least 30% of shares in your proposed company. One of the benefits of acquiring these work visas is that you can apply as a permanent resident in Singapore. You just need to have a Personalised Employment Pass, EntrePass, or Singapore Employment Pass scheme.
Get a professional help
For companies both big and small, hiring is one of the continuous challenges that they need to deal with. In Singapore, the government’s work policy is to give priority to the locals to get jobs available in the country and require non-Singaporeans to get a job when they already acquire a work visa. If you want to settle in Singapore and find a stable job, you must apply for either a Work Permit, S Pass, or Employment Pass. Also, if you don’t have enough time to process your application or are not sure where to start, you can get professional help from Ren Ai Group. They are experienced in all work visa processing and they will make sure you’ll get approved without having any hassle on your end.