You love Singapore. You want to work there. But what will you do if you are neither a Singapore citizen nor a resident of Singapore. Well, the answer is simple – you need a Personalised Employment Pass!
For foreigners who find Singapore an ideal place to visit, live in, find employment or even set up their own company, there are specific passes required before you can fully enjoy the benefits of being in the country. These passes are Personalised Employment Pass, Regular Employment Pass, EntrePass, Dependent’s Pass, and Long Term Visit Pass.
But if you only desire to find employment in Singapore, then you must apply for a Personalised Employment Pass.
A Personalised Employment Pass or PEP is a work visa granted to qualified foreigners who wish to find employment in Singapore but do not want to enter to an employment contract with a specific employer for a period of five (5) years.
Where will you apply for PEP? The Ministry of Manpower in Singapore is the department that processes applications for PEP and grants the same to a foreigner who possesses the requisite qualifications and professional attainment. It is not necessary that you must already be employed in Singapore before you apply for a PEP. But you must remember that upon the issuance of a PEP to you, you need to find employment within the period of 6 months from the date of issuance of PEP, otherwise the work visa issued to you will be revoked.
What are the requirements in order for an applicant to be granted a Personalised Employment Pass? The applicant should be either of the following: First, the applicant must earn a salary of at least S$7,000 per month. Second, he/she must be a former P1 category Employment Pass holder who resides overseas (it is important that he/she must not be unemployed for more than a continuous period of six months at the point of application). Third, he/she must be a current P1 category Employment Pass holder. Fourth, he/she must be a current P2 category Employment Pass holder with at least two years of working experience in a P category of Employment Pass that earns an annual income of at least S$30,000. Lastly, he/she must be a foreign graduate from institutions of higher learning in Singapore and has at least two years of working experience on a P or Q1 category Employment Pass (the annual income should be a minimum of S$30,000).
What are the documents that an applicant for PEP should prepare? Here is a summary: resume or CV stating your educational and employment history, copies of educational certificates and past employment testimonials, a copy of the personal particulars page of your passport, appointment letter from the current employer and copies of the last three months salary slip. All documents that are not in the English language should have an English translation provided by an official translation service.
Holders of PEP are not allowed to set up any business in Singapore. However, they are allowed to own at least the minority share in a company, and he/she is allowed to act as one of the directors. A PEP holder can apply for a Dependants Pass and/or Long-Term Visit Pass for the members of his/her family.
It is strongly advised that a foreigner seeking to apply for a Personalised Employment Pass engage the services of a professional firm in Singapore to assist him/her in the preparation of his/her application to its submission, processing and collection.