A valid Singapore work visa is required for a non-residents before engaging in employment or business endeavors in Singapore. Employers who fail to secure a valid work visa for his foreign workers will be prosecuted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
This article will provide an overview of the various work visa schemes available in Singapore. In turn, it will enable you to review which work visa is most suitable to your needs.
What are the Singapore Work Visa Schemes:
- Employment Pass – also known as EP is the main type of Singapore work visa issued to foreign professionals, managerial personnel (managing directors, general managers, CEOs), executives or specialists who wish to work in Singapore.
- Entrepreneur Pass – also known as the EntrePass is designed for foreign entrepreneurs who may lack the appropriate educational or specialist skills, but have either a proven track record of successful business ventures or possess innovative business ideas that have good economic prospects.
- S Pass – is a work pass designed for mid-level skilled foreign workers employed by companies operating in Singapore. The application is assessed based on a point system with consideration for each of the following factors: salary, education qualifications, skills, job type and work experience.
- Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) – is a special type of Employment Pass issued to an individual based on his/her own merits and independent of any employer. The PEP pass holder can switch employers without affecting the status of the pass, and is also entitled to stay in Singapore for up to 6 months in between jobs and evaluate opportunities. It is issued for a period of 5 years, and non renewable thereafter.
- Miscellaneous Work Pass – Foreigners working in Singapore on short-term assignments of up to 60 days are required to obtain a Miscellaneous Work Pass (MWS). The MWS has replaced the Professional Visit Pass.
- Training Employment Pass – is required for foreigners who are on practical training attachments for professional, managerial, executive or specialist jobs in Singapore.
- Multiple-Journey Business Visa – facilitates the frequent entry of business executives from visa-requiring countries into Singapore. This will benefit foreign investors or business people who visit Singapore frequently to attend to their business or investment needs.
For detailed information on Singapore work visas, eligibility requirements, procedures and timeline, approval and rejection, you may consult Rikvin Singapore, an expert in professional immigration services since 1998. Rikvin is committed in putting your best case forward in every application or appeal.
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