Singapore Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)

Start Your Free Visa Assessment

The issuance of the PEP is managed by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower. The Singapore Personalised Employment Pass, also known as PEP, is a special type of Singapore work visa issued to top-tier individuals based on their own merits. The PEP is independent of any employer, rendering a PEP holder the flexibility and freedom to switch employers without having the pass revoked. The PEP holder is also entitled to stay in Singapore for up to 6 months in between jobs and to evaluate career opportunities.

Changes to the Personalised Employment Pass Criteria

From 1 December 2012, the qualifying criteria for the Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) has been raised and some of its features have been refined. This ensures that the PEP remains a premium pass for top-tier foreign talent and is in line with recent moves to raise the quality of Employment Pass holders. The changes are:

The PEP is open to P1 Pass holders who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $12,000 and overseas-based foreign professionals who are not unemployed for longer than 6 consecutive months and whose last drawn fixed monthly salary was at least $18,000.
Increase of minimum annual fixed salary requirement from $34,000 to $144,000.
Change in validity of PEP from 5 years to 3 years.
New PEP holders enjoy dependent privileges which include their parents, spouses and children.

Failure to secure employment beyond the grace period will result in the revocation of the Singapore work visa.

Note: There is no immediate impact on existing PEP holders!

All existing PEP holders have until 31 Dec 2014 to meet the revised minimum annual fixed salary requirement of $144,000.
PEPs due to expire within 6 months after 31 Dec 2014 (i.e. between 1 Jan 2015 – 30 Jun 2015) will be allowed to remain until expiry.
Dependents of existing PEP holders who are in Singapore by 1 Dec 2012 will be allowed to stay so long as their sponsors have valid PEPs.

Procedure and Timeline for Personalised Employment Pass Application

Rikvin can help you submit PEP applications online or manually to the Ministry of Manpower. Rikvin will also provide as part of its service, the local Singapore contact address for all PEP applications, as required by MOM.

The process consists either of the following steps:

Submission of application online for current EP holders. The Ministry of Manpower requires 1-15 working days to process the application.
Manual submission for first time applicants. The approval process takes approximately 3 – 4 weeks.

Upon receiving the In-principle Approval notification (IPA), we will make arrangements for the collection of your PEP.

Documents Required for PEP Application

Rikvin will need the following documents for submission of PEP visa application in Singapore:

Resume detailing one’s educational and employment history; (download Singapore Employment Pass Application form)
Copies of educational certificates and past employment testimonials;
A copy of the personal particulars page of one’s passport;
Appointment letter from the current employer and
Copies of one’s pay slips over the last three months.

*Any documents that are not in English must be translated into English by an official translation service.

Approval and Collection of the PEP

Once the application is approved, the Ministry of Manpower will issue an In-Principle Approval (IPA) letter via email. The IPA letter must be produced in order to collect the PEP at the Work Pass Division at Ministry of Manpower. An IPA letter is valid for six months from the date of the letter.

To collect your PEP you will be required to present:

A copy of the IPA letter
Recently taken passport size photograph
Original passport with the entry embarkation cards
Medical exam report* (if the In-Principle Approval states that you require one)
Any other documents that are requested in the approval letter

* You can get a medical examination done in your own country through an established clinic/hospital or in Singapore. Most clinics in Singapore can provide medical examination and report within a day.

Entry Visa into Singapore

If you are overseas and require an entry visa to Singapore, your IPA letter will include a single journey entry visa. Upon your arrival in Singapore, we will make an appointment with Ministry of Manpower on your behalf for finger printing. Upon completing the procedures, your pass will be ready in 4 working days.

You may collect the pass at Ministry of Manpower (MOM) personally or authorize Rikvin to collect it on your behalf.

Visa Passes for Family Members

New PEP holders are allowed to bring in their parents, spouses and children, similar to the dependant privileges that are accorded to P1 Pass holders.

Dependant’s Pass for PEP Holders

A PEP holder may apply for Dependant’s Pass (DP) for his/her:

Spouse
Unmarried children under 21 years of age
Parents

If you are an Employment Pass or an EntrePass holder, your spouse is eligible to work in Singapore as a Dependant Pass holder. However, your prospective employer is required to apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) with Ministry of Manpower. (Note: Not eligible for S Pass holders)

Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP)

A P Pass holder can also apply for Long-Term Visit Pass for their:

Common-law spouse
Unmarried and handicapped children above 21 years of age
Stepchildren
Parents-in-law

Validity of Personalised Employment Pass

Once issued, the PEP is valid for three years and it is non-renewable. Hence, the PEP holder must apply for an ordinary Employment pass and remain bound to an employer or alternatively may apply for Permanent Resident (PR) status.
The PEP holder is also not allowed to start his/her own business or engage in any entrepreneurial activities and must apply for an EntrePass if he/she intends to do so.
During this period, the PEP holder cannot be unemployed for more than 6 consecutive months. The failure to secure employment within six months results in the cancellation of the PEP.
Any changes in employment, local contact, address, travel documents, etc, must be duly updated with the MOM. PEP holders must also declare to MOM their annual earnings within 30 days at the end of each calendar year.

Rejection of Personalised Employment Pass Application

In the event that your PEP application is rejected by the MOM, Rikvin will investigate why your application has been rejected. Based on the reasons provided by MOM, we will submit an appeal that will address the issues outlined by MOM and also include additional documents as per their request, if any. MOM will take a minimum of three weeks or more to review your appeal.

Cancellation of Personalised Employment Pass

The Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) must be cancelled if the pass holder is unemployed for more than six months. The pass may be cancelled before the end of its 3-year validity period. However, the pass holder will not be able to reinstate the PEP subsequently. After cancelling the pass, the pass holder should obtain a valid pass, e.g. Short Term Visit Pass, Employment Pass, etc, to remain in Singapore. A 30-day Short Term Visit Pass will be issued upon cancellation of the Personalised Employment Pass.

Permanent Residence Eligibility

PEP holders are eligible to apply for Permanent Residence through Professional, Technical & Skilled Workers scheme. There is no designated waiting period but since one of the documents required is salary record of 6 months, it is advisable to wait for at least six months prior to making the application.

Singapore Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)

Changes to the Personalised Employment Pass Criteria