S Pass

Guide For Singapore S Pass

Singapore S Pass

The S Pass allows mid-level skilled staff to work in Singapore. Candidates need to earn at least $2,500 a month with effect from 01-October-2020 and have the relevant qualifications and work experience.

The criteria for older and more experienced S Pass candidates has been increased w.e.f. 01-October-2020, for example, an S Pass applicant in his early 40s will need to earn higher than the minimum qualifying salary of $2,500.

S Pass renewals will be subject to the new salary requirement only with effect from 01-May-2021 to moderate the impact on businesses.

Employment Pass & S Pass – advertising requirements under the Fair Consideration Framework

Employer must advertise on MyCareersFuture at: www.mycareersfuture.gov.sg for at least 28 calendar days w.e.f. 01-Oct-2020 unless MOM has explicitly exempted the company or job from this requirement.

Consider all candidates fairly before you apply for an S Pass.
Before applying for an S Pass, you should advertise the job on MyCareersFuture and consider all candidates fairly.
This is expected of all employers.

Fair Consideration Framework (FCF)

The Fair Consideration Framework (FCF) sets out the requirements for all employers in Singapore to consider candidates fairly for job opportunities. Employers should not discriminate candidates based on non-job related characteristics such as age, gender, nationality or race.

All employers in Singapore are expected to adhere to the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices.

Consider all candidates fairly

To promote fair employment practices and improve labour market transparency, employers submitting S Pass applications should first advertise on MyCareersFuture, and consider all candidates fairly.

Advertising requirements

The advertisement should clearly explain the job requirements and salary offered to attract the right candidates.

MOM will reject any S Pass applications linked to advertisements that are discriminatory or do not represent the job accurately:

The advertisement must not contain discriminatory words or phrases – see examples.
The job advertised must match the occupation in the S Pass application.
The employer submitting the S Pass application must be the same as the one in the job advertisement.
The salary offered must be clear, specific, and consistent. Therefore the salary range advertised:
- Must be visible to all candidates and cannot be hidden.
- Cannot be too broad, i.e. the maximum salary cannot exceed two times of the minimum salary.
- Must contain the salary offered to the S Pass candidate.
The advertisement must be open for at least 28 days to allow job seekers to view and apply for the vacancy.
If you change any advertisement details (e.g. job title, salary or number of vacancies), you must keep it open for at least another 28 days before you can submit the S Pass application. This is to ensure that job seekers are aware of the updated job details and have a chance to apply for it.

Job advertisements that have expired or have closed for more than 3 months cannot be used for S Pass applications. You must advertise the vacancy again to reach out to other job seekers.

If you are using an advertisement for multiple S Pass applications, the total number of S Pass applications cannot exceed the number of vacancies in the advertisement.

Exemption from advertising requirement

All employers must practise fair hiring even if their job vacancies can be exempted from advertising.

For practical reasons, you are not required to advertise on MyCareersFuture if any of the following applies:

Your company has fewer than 10 employees.
The fixed monthly salary for the vacancy is $20,000 and above.
The vacancy is short-term, i.e. not more than 1 month.

Click here to learn about FCF requirements

	Singapore Passes available for Skilled And Semi-Skilled Workers
	Comparison of All Skilled And Semi-Skilled Work Passes And Work Permits In Singapore
	Comparison of All Professional Passes (EntrePass, EP & PEP) With S Pass And Work Permit (Foreign Worker) In Singapore

Key facts on S Pass in Singapore

The S Pass allows mid-level skilled staff to work in Singapore. Candidates need to earn at least $2,500 a month with effect from 01-October-2020 and have the relevant qualifications and work experience.

Get an overview and key facts about the S Pass for hiring technical staff to work in Singapore.

Who it is for	Mid-skilled technical staff who meet the eligibility criteria.
Who can apply	An employer or appointed employment agent must apply on behalf of the applicant. If the pass holder changes jobs, the new employer or the appointed employment agency has to apply for a new pass.
Minimum salary	Fixed monthly salary of at least $2,500/- (w.e.f. 01-October-2020) Older and more experienced S Pass candidates need to earn higher than the qualifying salary
What is the duration	Up to 2 years.
Is it renewable	Yes.
Passes for family	Available for eligible pass holders.
Quota or levy	Yes. Employers are subject to a quota and levy for S Pass employees.
Medical insurance	Employers must provide medical insurance for S Pass holders.
Relevant legislation	Conditions of Work Pass Employment of Foreign Manpower Act

Eligibility for S Pass

Only eligible candidates will be considered for an S Pass. Criteria include a minimum salary of $2,500 with effect from 01-October-2020 and acceptable qualifications. Use the Self-Assessment Tool to check a candidate’s eligibility before you apply.

Who is eligible

The S Pass is for mid-skilled foreign employees (e.g. technicians) who meet these criteria:

Fixed monthly salary of at least $2,500. The salary should reflect work experience.
Older and more experienced applicants need higher salaries to qualify than the qualifying salary.
A degree or diploma. MOM may consider technical certificates, such as courses for qualified technicians or specialists.
The certification should include at least 1 year of full-time study.
Years of relevant work experience.
Application for an S Pass is open to all nationalities.

Use the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to check if the applicant qualifies for the pass.

Note: You cannot employ foreign workers to work at a food stall in a hawker centre, coffee shop or food court. Such operations are small scale and should be manned by owners or family members.

Objectionable or Ineligible Occupations for an S Pass in Singapore

The list of objectionable occupations includes masseurs, bar and lounge hostesses. Food stall owners with an Singapore Food Agency (SFA) or National Environment Agency (NEA) licence are also not eligible to apply for an S Pass.

Who can apply

An employer or authorised third party has to apply for a candidate’s S Pass.

Self-Assessment Tool

MOM encourages you to use the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) to get an indication of whether an applicant meets the requirements. Candidates can also use the tool to assess their eligibility.

If the SAT shows that the candidate is not eligible, you shouldn’t apply for the S Pass because it will be rejected.

If the SAT shows that the candidate is eligible, there is around a 90% chance that the candidate will get a pass.

Passes for Family Members

Pass holders who have a fixed monthly salary of at least $6,000, are eligible for a Dependant’s Pass for their spouse and children. If you are legally married or have children, you may be eligible for a Dependant’s Pass.

From 1 January 2018, work pass holders will need to meet a minimum salary criteria of $6,000 to enjoy dependant privileges.

Eligibility for Long Term Visit Pass

Eligible S Pass holders can bring certain family members to Singapore on a Long Term Visit Pass.

You can apply for a Long Term Visit Pass for your family if you meet these requirements:

Hold an Employment Pass or S Pass.
Earn a minimum fixed monthly salary of $6,000.
Are sponsored by an established, Singapore-registered company (usually your employer).

You can get a pass for the following family members:

Common-law spouse.
Unmarried handicapped children above 21 years old.
Unmarried step-children under 21 years old.
Parents – only for those earning a fixed monthly salary of at least $12,000.

Employers can submit the application together with the S Pass application or separately at a later date.

Stages of Pass

Get an idea of what you need to do before, during and after you apply for an S Pass.

Before Applying:

Know the eligibility and requirements
Know your quota and levy
Declare business activity (applicable for first time employers)
Check the documents required for applying

Before candidate arrives in Singapore:

Apply for pass

After candidate arrives in Singapore

Buy medical insurance and submit details
Get the pass issued

Register fingerprints and photo
Receive the pass card

As and when required:

Notify with any changes
Renewal of pass
Replace a lost or damaged pass card
Cancel a pass

S Pass medical insurance requirements

Before you can issue or renew an S Pass, you must buy medical insurance for the pass holder and submit the details online.

What it should cover

As part of an employer’s S Pass medical obligations, you must buy and maintain medical insurance for your S Pass holders as long they are under your employment.

The insurance coverage must be at least $15,000 per year and cover inpatient care and day surgery.

Co-pay arrangement

You can have a co-pay arrangement with the S Pass holder only if all of the following are met:

The medical treatment is not for work-related inpatient expenses.
The co-pay amount is reasonable and does not exceed 10% of the worker’s monthly salary.
The duration co-payment does not exceed 6 months.
The co-payment option is explicitly in the employment contract or collective agreement and has the worker’s full consent.

Note:

You cannot pass on the cost of purchasing the medical insurance to S Pass holders.

Submit insurance details

You need to submit medical insurance details online before you request to issue or renew an S Pass, and when the insurance details change.

You can submit the medical insurance details through:

WP Online

EP Online – you can submit the details when you issue the S Pass.

You need to keep the following information up to date:

Name of insurer
Insurance policy number
Insurance policy commencement date
Insurance policy expiry date

MOM encourages you to get a WP Online account to make it easier for you to update your employees’ medical insurance. Registration is free.

S Pass quota and levy requirements

The number of S Pass holders you can hire is limited by a quota. You must also pay a monthly levy for these workers.

Learn more about S Pass quota and levy requirements

Calculate Foreign Worker Quota

Use the quota calculator below to plan how many Work Permit and S Pass holders your company can hire based on your sector and workforce.

Note: If you’re checking for services sector, please remember to choose the correct year, e.g. 2020.

https://www.mom.gov.sg/passes-and-permits/work-permit-for-foreign-worker/foreign-worker-levy/calculate-foreign-worker-quota

ACHI BIZ is one of the licensed Employment Agencies in Singapore. We will assist your work pass related applications and appeals at our level best with the regulatory authority Ministry Of Manpower (MOM) for successful outcome.