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Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)
The Personalised Employment Pass (PEP) was introduced in January 2007 to attract highly qualified foreign individuals to work and live in Singapore. Unlike the Employment Pass (P1, P2, Q1, S pass) or the Entrepass, the PEP holder is not tied to any employer and cannot start or own a business in Singapore. PEP is granted upon the strength of the applicant’s individual merits. PEP holders have the flexibility of remaining in Singapore for up to six months without a job, to evaluate new employment opportunities.
Eligibility
The following groups of foreigners will be eligible for a PEP application:
- Overseas foreign professionals who had a last drawn fixed monthly salary of at least S$8,000 (or its equivalent in foreign currency). The last drawn fixed monthly salary should be no more than 6 months from the time of application.
- Former P1 Pass holders who are residing overseas, and have not been unemployed for a continuous period of not more than 6 months at the point of application.
- P1 Pass holders who will be accorded the In-principle Approval (IPA) letter for the PEP upon application.
- P2 Pass holders who have at least 2 years of working experience on a P Pass. They should earn a fixed salary of at least S$34,000 in the preceding year.
- Q1 Pass holders who have at least 5 years of working experience on a Q1 Pass. They should earn a fixed salary of at least S$34,000 in the preceding year.
- Foreign graduates from institutions of higher learning in Singapore with at least 2 years of working experience on a P or Q1 Pass. They should earn a fixed salary of at least S$34,000 in the preceding year.
(Please note: MOM will also consider individual cases that do not meet the minimum criteria but merit the issuance of a PEP.)
Highlights of the PEP
- Job Flexibility – PEP holders can generally take on employment in any industry sector. PEP holders do not need to re-apply for a new pass when changing jobs, which is convenient for both the PEP holder and the employer. PEP holders are also given the flexibility of a continuous period of up to 6 months without a job to evaluate employment or work opportunities.
- Dependent Privileges – PEP holders will continue to enjoy the dependents’ privileges of their original passes or current eligibility at the point of PEP application. Those who switch to higher paying jobs may apply for the corresponding higher dependents’ privileges.
- Conditions of Validity – The PEP holder’s maximum unemployment period cannot exceed 6 continuous months at any point, and he/she must earn an annual fixed salary of at least S$34,000 for each calendar year of the PEP. Both the PEP holders and their employers will need to keep MOM informed on any updates or changes made in relation to information pertaining to the PEP holder’s employment status (e.g.: commencement or cessations of employment) and agree to make available to MOM information on his/her annual fixed salary. The PEP holder needs to notify MOM of any changes in his/her contact details (also if there is a change in the local contact person and address).
- Duration – The PEP is valid for 5 years. The PEP will only be issued once, and it is non-renewable. At the end of the 5-year period, if the PEP holder wishes to continue working in Singapore, he/she will need to apply for an Employment Pass or for Singapore Permanent Residency.
Note : The PEP holder is not allowed to start his/her own business or engage in any entrepreneurial activities. If he intends to do so, he must apply for an EntrePass.
Application
An application for a Personalised Employment Pass can be made via PEP Online or manually. The following information will be required for completion of Form 8:
- Copy of passport, together with your CV
- Details of current employer and copy of employment contract
- Job and salary details, (together with copies of last 3 months’ salary slips)
- Copy of highest education certificates
- Local contact details
Existing Employment Pass (EP) holders who have a SingPass (a common password that is used to transact with different Government online services) can complete their application via PEP Online.
Overseas foreign professionals are required to submit their PEP application manually. If you require professional assistance, please contact our consultants for details.
An administrative fee of S$10 will be charged by MOM/SingPost for every PEP application submitted.
Approval
If you are an existing EP holder using online application, approval takes about 1 week. For manual application, approval takes 3 to 4 weeks.
An In-principle Approval (IPA) letter will be issued to the successful applicant, and the IPA letter will be valid for 6 months.
Foreigners who are not eligible for PEP
The following groups of foreigners are not eligible for PEP:
- Foreigners who are issued with an Employment Pass under the Sponsorship scheme, whereby their direct employers are overseas companies without a Singapore-registered office/business entity;
- Foreigners who are working or intending to work on a free-lance basis without any direct employers in Singapore;
- Foreigners who are listed as sole proprietors, partners or directors in a Singapore registered business/company and are shareholders of that business/company.
- Foreigners who are working as journalists, editors, sub-editors and producers.
For more information, please visit the MOM website at http://www.mom.gov.sg or contact our dedicated team of specialists for assistance with your Singapore PEP application.
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