Singapore Work Visa: Eligibility, Types & Procedure Explained

Overview: Singapore work Visa

Singapore is considered to be one of the most expensive cities in the world. Due to a steady financial center with a vibrant urban culture that provides a variety of options to visitors looking for employment.

This bustling metropolis in Southeast Asia, which attracts ex-pats from all over the world, draws students looking to pursue further education as well as job seekers looking for employment or entrepreneurs looking to launch their own enterprises.

As per Singapore laws, all foreign employees who are willing to work in Singapore must have a valid pass which is commonly known as a Singapore work visa, before they start legally working in Singapore. Therefore, it is required to apply for a valid pass for all foreign employees after the incorporation of the company in Singapore. If a company fails to do the same then it will lead to punitive penalties and prosecution for the company as well as its employees.

Generally, there are three types of working visas for all foreign employees:

• For laborers and domestic workers, there is a work permit.
• For mid-level skilled workers, s pass is used.
• For experienced PMEs, an Employment Pass is issued.

In this article, we will be going to cover all the details related to a Singapore work permit visa the documentation required to obtain it, also the eligibility criteria of it. So, without any further delay, let’s begin with it.

What is a work permit?

Work permits in Singapore are basically for basic skilled foreign workers of Singapore. The minimum age required for issuance of a work visa is 18 years whereas the upper limit of age for Malaysians is 58 years and for non-Malaysians is 50 years.

For this, two additional conditions need to be kept in mind are-

• Payment of foreign worker levy for their work permit holders. This payment is given to the government of Singapore.
• Adherence to the dependency ratio ceiling by the employer. This ratio is of foreign workers to the total workforce in Singaporean companies.

Eligibility and requirements for a Singapore work visa

Three main conditions which are required to be fulfilled by foreign employees for applying for work visas are-

• The employee must hold a valid passport.
• The employee must be at least 18 years old.
• He must work within the scope mentioned in the work permits.

Foreign workers are also needed to comply with some other conditions apart from the above-mentioned. These conditions are-

• Can not start its own business or take part in any other business.
• Work in the organization and for an employer who is specified in the work visa
• Not be able to marry a citizen or permanent resident of Singapore without the permission of the Ministry of Manpower.
• Allowed to reside only in the specified place in the work visa.
• Required to carry the original pass for the whole employment period.

Types of Singapore work visa

In Singapore, there are different types of work visas issued by the government of Singapore for different categories of employees according to their skills. It is required for every foreign employee to have a work visa to work in Singapore legally. There is a list of some Singapore work visas with the skills listed below.

1. For Professionals-

• • Employment pass
  • Entrepass
  • Personalized employment pass

2. Skilled and semi-skilled workers-

• • S pass
  • Work permit for migrant workers
  • Work permit for performing artists
  • Work permit for confinement nanny

3. Trainees and students

• • Training employment pass
  • Work holiday pass
  • Training work permit

4. Family members-

• • Dependent’s pass
  • Long-term visits pass
  • Pre-approved letter of consent

5. Exemption and working while on the visit pass

• • Miscellaneous work pass
  • Work pass-exempt activities
  • Work pass exemption for foreign students

Fees payable for a Singapore work visa

To avail of a Singapore work visa/ work permit, it is required to pay 60US dollars as fees. At the time of application submission, 30 US dollars needed to be paid. The remaining amount of 30 US dollars was paid at the time of issuance of a work visa/work pass to the government of Singapore. There is also a requirement to pay administrative fees according to the pass the employer is availing. Different passes required different administrative fees to be paid. On 1st April 2019, the Singaporean government revised the fees of application, issuance, and renewal of different types of work visas in Singapore.

Procedure to apply for a Singapore work visa

For availing of a Singapore Work visa, the following steps are to be followed-

• Submitting an application
• Preparing for the arrival of workers
• Get the permit issued
• Register with the photos and fingerprints
• Receive the permit
• Return the old card (If needed).

Steps to be followed for submission of application for a work visa/work permit are mentioned below.

• Ask for written consent from the foreign employees/ workers to apply for a work permit
• Login to work permit online through CorpPass.
• Put in the necessary info while applying through the form.
• By using a General Interbank Recurring Order, Visa, Master Card, or e nets debit, pay the fees of 30 US dollars as the application fees to the government of Singapore.
• After applying successfully, check the status of the application after 7 days.

Conclusion

In the end, we can see that Singapore has different types of work visas that are issued to different categories of foreign workers based on their skills. There is a very easy process to get these passes issued by the government of Singapore. There are very few fees required to pay for this process, and it is less time taking also. The steps for submission of the application and issuance of a work visa are stated above in the article. It is mandatory to have a valid work visa for foreign employees to work in Singapore without having any problems. Further, the application for these work visas is submitted by employers.