Singapore Adopts Stricter Approach to Employment Pass Criteria

    SINGAPORE, April 14, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is adopting a stick-and-carrot approach to dealing with the issue of hiring foreign professionals. Companies applying for foreign talent in jobs that pay at least S$3,300 a month will now face three new criteria added to the EP application process. These criteria will entail companies being assessed based on how strong their "Singaporean core" is, whether they have a commitment to strengthen this core and their relevance to the local economy as well as society. In the past, EP approvals were based on an applicant's qualifications, experience and salary.

Disproving The Misconception

Manpower Minister Mr. Lim Swee Say revealed numbers for the first time during the Ministry's Committee of Supply debate, to correct the perception that foreigners outnumber Singaporeans in professional, managerial, executive and technical jobs. About 79% of jobs with a monthly pay of more than $3,300 are held by Singaporeans. Even in the infocomm and food and beverages sectors where the proportion of foreigners is higher, Singaporeans still have the upper hand by 1%.

Singapore has nevertheless already tightened rules for hiring foreign workers in recent years, after their growing presence in the economy spurred voter unhappiness over greater competition for jobs. Employers who persist in hiring these foreign professionals for no good reason and fail to have concrete plans to nurture their Singaporean staff, will now find it harder to operate and expand in Singapore. They will be put on the watch list and their work pass privileges could be suspended; specifically, their applications or renewals for Employment Passes.

However, One Visa Pte. Ltd, a Singapore based recruitment and immigration consulting firm believes that these revisions do not necessarily mean that Singapore no longer welcomes foreigners to work or set up a business in Singapore. "The Manpower Ministry's stricter approach is set to ensure higher quality company sponsors and in the process assuring that companies are committed to contributing to Singapore by hiring and training the workforce. Nonetheless, talented foreign professionals will still be able to obtain Employment Passes if their sponsored company is able to give ample justification for the hiring," said Mr. Heng, Chief Consultant of One Visa.

"It is also important to know what MOM is looking for and how to boost each application especially since approval for EP is subject to the authorities' discretion. We do this by enhancing the value-adding aspect for our clients so that they can present a stronger case for their application," Mr. Heng added.

At the same time, Mr. Heng believes in giving tailored advice to strengthen the case based on their situation. "We are not in the business of providing false hope to our clients so we have set up a complimentary assessment to ensure they meet the minimum requirements before they start paying. We value all our clients and this is an extremely important factor for One Visa so we can establish a win-win situation."

Building A Stronger Singaporean Core

In building a strong Singaporean Core in all major sectors, MOM has also launched sectoral manpower plans to create jobs and develop skills of the future to support the growth of future industry. Having foreign manpower as part of the Singapore workforce is a plus point and this is not due to Singaporeans not being valuable, but because Singapore simply does not have enough in number, readiness and diversity of capability.

Immigration policies are generally geared towards building a world-class workforce and that's why both locals and foreigners must work together as one to attract better investments and to create better jobs.

Moving forward, employers should have a concrete hiring plan in place for Singaporeans when they consider applying for Employment Passes. Employers must also ensure they have substantial justification for their hiring in terms of the foreign applicant's relevance experience and qualifications. A second opinion from an expert can lead to valuable insights.

For more information on the changes to the Employment Pass requirements check here.

MORE ABOUT ONE VISA:

One Visa is a Singapore-based consulting firm that specialises in providing solutions to Immigration, Recruitment and Incorporation matters to both the corporate clients and individuals.

One Visa Offers specialised immigration service to obtain Singapore Work Visa, Permanent Residency and Angola Visas. In addition, the company provides recruitment services from Junior to Mid-Level Executives as well as Technical specialists for IT, Finance, Oil & Gas Sectors.

Singapore, 14 April 2016 - The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is adopting a stick-and-carrot approach to dealing with the issue of hiring foreign professionals.

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Editorial Contact: Mohamed Fadhil

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