Singapore: New Educational Qualification Verification Requirement for Employment Pass Applicants Forthcoming
March 3, 2023
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At a Glance
- Starting September 1, 2023, employers of new Employment Pass (EP) applicants will be required to submit a verification for their foreign nationals’ educational qualifications when filing EP applications.
- Furthermore, starting September 1, 2024, employers of renewal EP applicants will be required to submit this verification as well.
- Employers must submit verification in the form of confirmation from a government-certified background screening company.
- Applicants may experience delays in the processing of EP applications due to the additional step, which can take up to four weeks or more to obtain.
The situation
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of Singapore announced a stricter rule for employers to verify their Employment Pass (EP) applicants’ educational qualifications.
A closer look
| Change | Details | Impact |
| Expansion of verification requirement |
|
|
| Expansion of list of background screening companies |
|
|
Background
The change coincides with the MOM’s implementation of the new Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) for new EP applications, where applications are assessed through a points-based system which includes criteria such as the salary level and educational qualifications of the applicant to ensure that companies are selecting highly qualified foreign professionals as well as improving workforce diversity in Singapore.
Looking ahead
The MOM may expand the verification requirement to S Pass applications in the future in line with the government’s policy to ensure that there are no fraudulent qualifications that serve as basis for approving work passes in Singapore. Furthermore, the MOM is expected to release further details on the implementing rules for the new COMPASS framework closer to the launch date.
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].
