Singapore Employment Update September 2022
As Singapore emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, a series of changes to employment policies were announced in August 2022:
- Introduction of the Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass
- Shortening of the application process for Employment Pass from 3 weeks to 10 days
- An increase of the salary threshold for employer’s advertising exemption from $20,000 to $22,500 (from 1 September 2023)
Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass:
The Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass is targeted to better attract top talents across all sectors to strengthen Singapore’s position as a global talent hub.
| Employment Pass (EP) | Overseas Networks and Expertise | |
| Income
Requirement |
Applicants required to earn a fixed monthly salary of $5000 and above | Applicants required to earn a fixed monthly salary of $30,000 and above
(Comparable to top 5% of EP holders) |
| Duration of Pass | 2–3 year work pass | 5-year work pass |
| Protocol for candidates with no recent employment history in Singapore | Overseas candidates need to have a job offer in Singapore in managerial, executive or specialised positions | Overseas candidates with no recent employment history in Singapore need to prove that they have worked or will be working for a company with a market cap of at least US$500 million or annual revenue of US$200 million
|
| Regulations for pass holders | Pass holder can only work for one employer at a time | Pass holders will gain flexibility to concurrently work for multiple companies in Singapore at any one time
|
| Regulations for family members | Pass holders would have to apply for a dependent’s pass for sponsors and spouses. Spouses of pass holders are allowed to work after obtaining a Letter of Consent | Pass holders can sponsor dependents and spouses of pass holders will also be allowed to work after obtaining a Letter of Consent
|
Application process of Employment Pass:
| Previously | Currently (as of August 2022) | |
| Processing Time | 3 Weeks | 10 Days |
With a shortened processing time, applicants will be able to apply for and obtain their Employment Pass in a significantly shorter time
Increase in the threshold exemption from advertising requirement on MyCareersFuture
Effective from 1 September 2023, employers are not required to advertise vacancies on MyCareersFuture if the fixed monthly salary of the vacancy is $22,500.
| Currently | From 1 September 2023 | |
| Salary Threshold | $20,000 | $22,500 |
This is a $2,500 increase from the current threshold.
