Do you have plans to look for other opportunities, but your current Employment Pass is restricting you from doing so? Fear not, because you can always put in a new Employment Pass (EP) application while working for your current employer.
Changing jobs as a Singapore Employment Pass holder is simple – there are two situations that you may wish to consider:
Here are some pointers that you should note when changing jobs:
Is it permissible to accept a new job offer while working for other Company in Singapore?
Yes, it is permissible to accept a new offer. It is advisable for you to resign and cancel your current Employment Pass only when your new employer has secured an Employment Pass tying you to their company.
Once your new employer has managed to secure an EP, the In-Principal Approval (IPA) letter will give you 6 months to proceed with card issuance.
This allows you to tender your resignation with your current employer and undergo the notice period without hassle.
What if I wish to start a business in Singapore?
Singapore is a country that boasts many business opportunities and the government often welcomes foreign investment. It’ll be a waste of talent if you continue working for someone when you can always leverage on your potential and gift.
Paul Hype Page & Co. offers packages that can help you to incorporate a company in Singapore as well as apply Employment Pass on your behalf.
By engaging with Paul Hype Page, the workflow will be as below:
You can look into this article if you’re wondering what you need to prepare before setting up your company and applying an Employment Pass.
Wait for an In-Principal Approval (IPA) letter before resigning
Applying for an Employment Pass is not easy and we do not wish for our clients to be jobless after resigning before securing a new position.
There are tightening regulations on top of reduced quotas for issuing new Employment Passes. In 2022, the Ministry of Manpower announced an increased in minimum monthly qualifying salary of S$5,000 from S$4,500.
Along with this new change, a new point-based system will be introduced in September 2023 called the COMPASS framework.
This is why it is recommended to wait for an IPA letter before resigning so that you do not end up in a sticky situation.
You may look into this article to understand some of the crucial reasons why an Employment Pass is rejected.
It takes 100 days to change your job
Day 1: Obtain an offer letter from your new employer.
Day 2: Apply for an EP under your new employer.
Day 30-60: Once successful, you will receive an IPA letter valid for 6 months.
Day 90: Tender your resignation and serve the notice period (1 month in this example) with your current employer.
Day 91: Once completed, your current employer will assist to cancel the Employment Pass and issue you the Short-Term Visit Pass (STVP) to remain in Singapore.
Day 92: Proceed to card issuance at MOM for your new Employment Pass with the new employer.
Day 100: You are ready to start working with your new employer
Our thoughts
A big congratulations if you found a better opportunity. What we have to say is, consider setting up your own company and applying for an EP under your own company and have a contract relationship with the new employer.
As this process already points out, keeping your EP with your employer means you are restricted to them. A part of grasping good opportunities is to grab at them when you can. Having your own company essentially allows you to work with multiple “employers”, and also contributes to a road of financial and personal freedom.
FAQs
If you are ready to start your Employment Pass application, click here to fill up the Employment Pass Questionnaire. Our in-house agent will help you with this process.
You may also use the Self Assessment Tool (SAT) to check the Employment Pass or S Pass eligibility of your candidacy before you apply or appeal.
- Job scope and qualifications do not match. Educational profile and experience should be aligned with the job requirements.
- The applicant’s previous employer did not hire locals or had an imbalanced ratio of locals to foreign employees in the company. This shows a lack of contribution to Singapore and a lack of trust in the local economy. It also casts a poor light on the company with regard to its global standing.
- A local can easily take the job which the applicant is pursuing. In such a case, there is no need for a foreign talent as there are enough locals that can already do the same job.
- Criteria such as academic and salary qualifications are not fulfilled to an appropriate level.
- The duration of the applicant’s previous job is less than two years and the applicant changed job without any acceptable reason. The Ministry of Manpower takes a dim view of job-hoppers and applicants with questionable work records.
After applying for an EP online, the following image can be seen:
Applicants’ EP status can be divided into three categories. An applicant’s EP application status can be pending, rejected, or approved.
If the applicant’s EP status is “approved”, the MOM has already approved the application. The applicant may now proceed to make an appointment with the MOM to receive the EP and activate it.
There are several advantages which are provided to applicants for as well as holders of an Employment Pass which do not exist for those of other Singapore work visas.
- S Pass holders are not permitted to either own or be the director of a company. They are also barred from entering certain lines of work.
- Personalized Employment Pass holders have a much higher salary requirement than do Employment Pass holders. They too are not permitted to enter specific lines of work.
- EntrePass holders are required to fulfil specific criteria related to their status as an entrepreneur, innovator, or investor. None of these additional requirements are applicable with regard to the EP. Thus, it is only to be expected that the EP is the Singapore work visa most commonly selected by foreigners.
Since August 2014, the Ministry of Manpower has required companies that intend to hire EP holders to first advertise the relevant position in the Singapore Workforce Development Agency’s Jobs Bank. However, certain exceptions apply.
The following positions are exempted:
- Jobs in firms with fewer than 25 employees
- Jobs that pay more than S$12,000 per month
- Intra-corporate transferees (i.e. candidates holding senior positions / professionals with advanced levels of expertise)
- Short-term positions (less than one month)
Sometimes, an Employment Pass application is rejected by the authorities. If such has happened to you, we will investigate why the outcome was so. We will consider the Ministry of Manpower’s reasons, establish a firm appeal in your defence, address the issues raised, and provide any needed documents on request.
- Appeals take at least three weeks to be completed, though this duration may sometimes be longer.
- Any appeal must be submitted within three months of the official rejection. After this time period, a new application must be submitted.
According to our Singapore Employment Pass Guide, it is wise to make use of the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT), an online tool offered by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM). In the guide, we have listed important factors to consider when applying for a Singapore Employment Pass.
The SAT serves as a gauge of one’s chances of receiving an Employment Pass; it is not an exact means of determining either approval or rejection of such an application.. Applicants and employers can check whether they meet the specific requirements to obtain the proper work passes. The SAT is reliable and has as a high level of accuracy. The SAT will aid in checking one’s eligibility based on nationality, education profile, working background or experience, and salary profile.
Should the SAT results indicate that an applicant is not eligible, the applicant is advised to abandon the application because the application may be outright rejected. However, the SAT is merely a reference and does not depict actual results; the application will nevertheless be thoroughly reviewed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) authorities. The Self-Assessment Tool exists on the MOM’s website.
Yes, you can check your visa validity, it should be printed on your visa.
It is best to apply and submit your entry visa one month before you arrive in Singapore during peak season (e.g March to May); for the non-peak season, it is also recommended to submit your application at least 7 days before your arrival to avoid disappointment.
All visas offered by the Singaporean government provide various advantages to those who obtain them. However, the advantages offered by the Employment Pass are more numerous, accessible, and commonly needed or desired when compared to the advantages offered by other visas. Therefore, the Employment Pass has become the most frequently issued, desired, and recommended visa in Singapore.
People of various educational levels, skill levels, and salaries are interested in moving to, living in, and working in Singapore. These differences prevent the same visa from being used for every foreigner who plans to work in Singapore. Thus, to overcome this potential problem, the Singaporean government must offer different types of visa to cater to the needs of as many foreign workers as possible.
