Stricter Educational Verification Requirements for Some Applicants

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At a Glance

• The Ministry of Manpower in Singapore has implemented stricter documentary requirements for foreign nationals applying for initial and renewal Employment Passes, S Passes and Training Employment Passes, which now require the verification of educational certificates in some cases.
• Since the verification process may take up to a month, or longer in some cases, affected employers and applicants are advised to factor this extra time into their work authorization timeline for new and renewal applications.

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The situation

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in Singapore has implemented new educational document verification requirements for foreign nationals applying for initial and renewal Employment Passes, S Passes and Training Employment Passes.

A closer look

• For applicants with tertiary qualifications from higher education institutions not included in the MOM’s standard drop-down list. Applicants whose higher education institution is not listed on the MOM's standard drop-down list must now submit proof of their educational credentials from international verification agencies such as Dataflow and Risk Management Intelligence to support their work pass applications.
• For applicants with tertiary qualifications obtained from mainland China:
  • Diploma-level qualification: Foreign nationals with a Diploma-level qualification obtained from mainland China must now submit a verification report solely from the China Higher Education Student Information and Career Center (CHSI).
  • Bachelor’s degree and higher. Foreign nationals with a Bachelor’s degree or higher obtained from mainland China may continue to submit verification reports either from the China Academic and Graduate Education Information (CDGDC) or international verification agencies such as Dataflow and Risk Management Intelligence.
• Previous rule. Previously, only applicants with educational certificates and higher qualifications obtained from mainland China were required to submit proof of their educational qualifications.

 

Impact

Employers must now ensure their employees affected by this change obtain verification and authentication of their educational qualifications as needed prior to applying for their initial and renewal Employment Passes, S Passes and Training Employment Passes.

Since the verification process may take up to one month (or longer in some cases), affected employers and foreign nationals should factor this extra time into their work authorization timeline for new and renewal applications.

Fragomen can assist in confirming and assessing the requirements and can provide support for the verification process.

Background

Immigration authorities in Singapore have been enforcing the scrutiny of educational qualifications and have been requesting applicants to verify their educational credentials obtained from mainland China or from other countries on an ad-hoc basis. This change expands the increased scrutiny to other applicants who obtained their tertiary qualification from higher education institutions not listed on the MOM’s standard drop-down list.

Looking ahead

As Singapore’s economy grows and the country continues to attract foreign nationals, immigration authorities are likely to continue to implement measures to ensure that foreign applicants are skilled, possibly by way of stricter rules regarding qualification verification.

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].