Global Alerts

Singapore – Immigration Update

Effective September 1, 2022, MOM will be updating the requirements for Employment Pass (EP) and S Pass holders, to guarantee that the EP and S Pass holders are competent and not hired because they are less expensive to hire than locals.

Updates to EP qualifying salary

As of September 1, 2022, new EP applications will be subjected to the updated EP qualifying salaries in the table below. For renewal applications, these altered EP qualifying salaries will apply to passes expiring on or after 1 September 2023.

The gauge for the EP qualifying salary is based on the top one-third of local Professionals, Managers, Executives, and Technicians (PMET) wages, to guarantee that EP holders are similar in quality to the top one-third of local PMETs.

Additional details on upcoming changes to EP eligibility can be found here.

Updates to S Pass qualifying salary and levies

On September 1, 2022, new S Pass candidates will be subjected to the new S Pass qualifying salaries in the table below. For renewal applications, these updated S Pass qualifying salaries will apply to passes expiring on or after September 1, 2023. The new S Pass levy will apply to all S Passes from September 1, 2022.

The gauge for the cost of hiring an S Pass holder, which includes both the qualifying salary and levy, is based on the top one-third of local Associate Professionals and Technicians (APT) wages, to guarantee that S Pass holders are comparable in quality to the top one-third of local APTs. The upcoming increase in the S Pass qualifying salary and levy is the first of three steps, to attain this benchmark.

More details on upcoming changes to S Pass eligibility can be found here.

Self-Assessment Tool (SAT)

The Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) can be found on the MOM website from August 1, 2022, to assess if your EP or S Pass candidates will meet the new qualifying salary. You can refer to the Factsheet on Foreign Workforce Policy Announcements at Committee of Supply 2022 for more information.

Please reach out to an immigration specialist for further information.

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