Employment Pass Procedures

Set up your own company with an Employment Pass. If you cannot find a job or a company to sponsor for your Employment pass application , you can always do it on your own – Incorporation with Employment Pass

We also discuss how you can use your company and EP to achieve financial and personal freedom in this article. Your EP is your asset- keep it with you, not with anyone else like an employer.

MOM has been implicit in ensuring Companies to post job advertisement as an effort to employ local before pursuing to employ foreign professional via Employment pass even though the Company is exempted from job advertisement.

It was also stated clearly in its website mentioning for all Singapore registered Companies to consider all candidates fairly. To do this, they are encouraged to put up job advertisement in MyCareersFuture to give Singaporean the same consideration as the foreign candidates.

This job advertisement can be served as supporting document to MOM as proof that the Company has indeed fulfil the criteria needed.

In Paul Hype Page, we will ensure that the employing Company follow through the guideline that MOM has highlighted to ensure the EP application process a smooth one. Our expert will advise based on the information given. This is so we can assist our clients to the best of our knowledge.

The standard timeline needed for MOM to assess the initial application submitted will be 1 to 3 weeks. Some might take longer, depending on the case.

In Paul Hype Page, we submit all Employment Pass applications electronically to Ministry of Manpower by our authorized in-house Employment agency. You may take a look at the Employment Pass to get the gist of it.

Steps to apply Employment Pass:

Day 1 to 2: Update the Company UEN in MOM database (2 days)

Day 1 to 2: Fill up EP form (by Client)

Day 3 to 4: Check & Submit EP (By Authorized Paul Hype Page EP agent) (2 days)

Day 5 to 30: Upon submission of EP application, the standard timeline for MOM to assess the initial application is 1 to 3 weeks. They will reply with the outcome of the application or if additional supporting documents are needed

Day 30 to 60: If additional documents are requested, MOM will require a further 1 to 3 weeks to assess the additional documents submitted. Some cases might take up to 6 weeks for them to verify the information given.

Day 61: Approval application – In-Principle Approval (IPA) /Medical check-up (if required)

Day 61 to 70: Card issuance (at Paul Hype Page & Co office)

Day 61 to 70: Card registration at the Ministry of Manpower’s office (for new EP applicants)

Day 61 to 70: Card collection (at Paul Hype Page & Co office)

“ Paul Hype Page & Co. helped us set up our Singapore branch company and bank account seamlessly. Paul Hype Page also obtained employment pass permits for our expat staff smoothly. We also use the payroll services, tax and corporate administrative services that Paul Hype Page provides us on an ongoing basis thereby enabling us to focus on our business.

ESP is trusted by global organisations to deliver tailored IT support and infrastructure solutions wherever they operate from around the world, 24/7. Experience-led, lean solutions are developed using a combination of deskside support, with global service desk and specialist repairs and logistics centre, all coordinated by the toolset built on innovative technology and hosted from highly resilient datacentre. ”

Additional/supporting documents

In recent months, MOM has been rigid in ensuring the Company is well equipped to hire a foreign employee via work pass and the candidate of choice is well deserving of the position offered.

Paul Hype Page offers a group of expertise that is able to advise you on what are the potential documents MOM will high likely request and guide you on how to well prepare the documents based on MOM guideline.

Some of the possible documents are:

MOM wishes to know more on what type of business the Company will commence, where they will operate in Singapore and mostly, why they need to run in Singapore. It is very important to know how to highlight all these information to answer MOM’s questions.

What is a Company without any clients? To ensure the Company is not a ‘Shell Corporation’, having contracts secured or letter of intents with legit potential clients (preferably local Singapore client) is important. This letter will summarise the job scope the Company will be performing for its client, the contract duration as well as estimated value of the contract.

To ensure the Company is eligible to hire a work pass holder, MOM will want to see that their Company bank account have sufficient fund to cover the candidate’s 12 months’ salary payable + cover their business operation expenses.

A Company that have a physical workplace in Singapore will definitely gives a good impression to MOM. In Paul Hype Page, we offer office space rental at a considerable price as well as providing the tenancy agreement if client wishes to use it as part of their supporting document to MOM.

These are some of the potential documents that MOM might request. By engaging with Paul Hype Page team, we will ensure that the documents requested by MOM are well prepared according to the guideline and ensure it covers the potential red flags to smoothen the EP process.

The total duration of the application procedure may vary; the Ministry of Manpower might require additional documents or verification of documents.

Once the EP has been approved, MOM will issue an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter. An IPA letter is valid for six months from the date of approval.

After receiving the IPA letter, candidate may travel into Singapore for us to proceed with the card issuance procedure as MOM requires the candidate to be physically present during card issuance time. If you engaged with Paul Hype Page to incorporate the Company, our expertise will guide you one by one on what’s the procedure to apply entry into Singapore during this Covid-19 time.

If medical examination is needed, it can be conducted in the applicant’s home country through an established clinic or hospital or in Singapore. Most clinics in Singapore can provide a medical examination and report within one or two working days.

Medical examination must be done before the card issuance is submitted online.

Once candidate is in Singapore for card issuance, we will need the documents/info below:

Once our agent has submitted the card issuance online, we will then furnish the candidate a notification letter which will grant the candidate to stay and start working in Singapore. We will also book an appointment for candidate to complete the card registration process in Employment Pass centre.

Kindly be advice that you are required to bring along the following documents:

Once the card registration is complete, MOM will take at least 5 to 7 working days to assess the documents submitted for card issuance before they deliver the card to our office.

We will notify you once the card is ready to be collected.

What we are experiencing now is a tightening in Employment Pass regulations. EP renewal is no longer just an administrative procedure. If you are considering applying for your EP, you should be prepared with the right documents on hand. If your EP is under your own business, you have control over company level finances and contracts. You would be in an advantage because you decide how much capital you want to inject, how much salary you want to transfer.

If your EP is in the hands of an employer, be sure to discuss well with them. Or rather, you can take your EP into your own hands, set up your own company and suggest a contracting type arrangement with your employer. A lot less HR administrative matters your employer has to navigate, and a lot more flexibility on your part.