Singapore: Employment Pass Rule Improvements Forthcoming

September 2, 2022

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Country / Territory

At a Glance

The Singapore government will introduce several changes to the current Employment Pass (EP) rules that will benefit eligible applicants. These changes include:

  • Starting January 1, 2023, eligible applicants will be able to apply for the new Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass;
  • Starting September 1, 2023, the top 10% of EP holders will continue to be exempt from the Fair Consideration Framework job advertising requirement and the upcoming Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) and will continue to be eligible for the Personalised Employment Pass;
  • Starting September 1, 2023, experienced professionals in government specified tech occupations on the COMPASS Shortage Occupation List will become eligible for a five-year EP, compared to the typical initial EP duration of two years; and
  • All EP and S Pass applicants must now only comply with Fair Consideration Framework job advertising for 14 days, down from the previous 28-day requirement. Lastly, the government decreased its processing time of EP applications to 10 business days.

The situation

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore have announced enhancements to Singapore’s existing Employment Pass (EP) framework.

Change Details Impact
New Overseas Networks & Expertise (ONE) Pass
  • Starting January 1, 2023, the following individuals will be able to apply for a five-year work personalised pass that will allow holders to concurrently start, operate, and work for multiple companies in Singapore at any one time:
    • Applicants who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least SGD 30,000; or
    • Individuals with outstanding achievements across the fields of arts and culture, sports, science and technology, and research and academia can qualify even if they do not meet the salary criterion.
  • ONE Pass is renewable for five years at a time, provided renewal requirements are met.
  • Eligible applicants are exempt from the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) job advertising requirement and the upcoming Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS).
  • Spouses of ONE Pass holders will be able to work after obtaining a Letter of Consent from the MOM.

 
  • Holders of the new personalised ONE Pass will benefit from the flexibility to work for multiple companies in Singapore at the same time, compared to the typical EP, which only allows the holder to work under a specific job and employer.
  • ONE Pass holders do not need to reapply for a new pass when changing jobs.
  • Spouses of holders of the new pass will benefit from being able to work under a Letter of Consent, compared to spouses of holders of the typical EP, who are required to obtain their own work pass to work in Singapore.
Benefits for the top 10% of EP holders
  • Starting September 1, 2023, the top 10% of EP applicants will enjoy the following benefits:
    • Eligible applicants will continue to be exempt from the FCF job advertising requirement and the upcoming COMPASS;
    • Eligible applicants will continue to be eligible for the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP).
  • The MOM will increase the exemption bar for the FCF job advertising requirement and COMPASS from SGD 20,000 to SGD 22,500.
  • The PEP salary criterion will also be raised to SGD 22,500 for all applicants.
  • Applicants will have to comply with a higher salary threshold to be eligible for FCF and COMPASS exemptions and eligibility for the PEP.
Longer EP duration for specific tech occupations under the COMPASS Shortage Occupation List
  • Starting September 1, 2023, the MOM will offer the option of a longer five-year EP to experienced professionals with a salary of at least SGD 10,500 per month, filling specific tech occupations on the COMPASS Shortage Occupation List, and pass COMPASS and score at least 10 points on the Diversity criterion.
  • The MOM is expected to announce the COMPASS Shortage Occupation List soon.

 
  • Starting September 1, 2023, the MOM will offer the option of a longer five-year EP to experienced professionals with a salary of at least SGD 10,500 per month, filling specific tech occupations on the COMPASS Shortage Occupation List, and pass COMPASS and score at least 10 points on the Diversity criterion.
  • The MOM is expected to announce the COMPASS Shortage Occupation List soon.

 
Shorter FCF job advertising duration for EP and S Pass and faster processing times for EP applications

  • All EP and S Pass applicants now only need to comply with FCF job advertising duration of 14 days, down from the previous 28 days required for typical applications.

  • The MOM will also process EP applications from approximately three weeks to within 10 business days because of technological advances in their system. The MOM will notify employers if they require more time to deliberate.

  • Employers will benefit from faster lead times to onboard EP and S Pass employees due to the shortened FCF job advertising duration.

  • In addition, EP applicants will benefit from technological advances in the MOM system leading to a faster processing time. The MOM has not yet confirmed if the faster processing time will be extended to S Pass applications.
  • Competition for top talent. The changes are in line with the Singapore government’s aim to ensure that the country competes in the global fight for top talent, considering the skills gaps that exist in the country. Similarly, in January 2021, the government opened 500 spots for qualified foreign nationals in the technology sector to apply for the Tech.Pass. Further, in September 2023, the MOM will start using a new points-based evaluation framework called the COMPASS for new EP applications.

It is likely that the Singapore government will likely continue to enhance general work pass rules, such as those for the S-Pass, by introducing benefits like reduced processing times and other incentives for highly-qualified foreign nationals to ensure that companies in Singapore are bringing in and retaining top talent.

This alert is for informational purposes only. If you have any questions, please contact the global immigration professional with whom you work at Fragomen or send an email to [email protected].

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