New minimum salary requirements for work passes in Singapore
| Minimum qualifying monthly salary | S-pass (SGD) |
|---|
| Current salary requirement for new applicants | $2,500 (as of 1 October 2020) |
| Previous salary requirement | $2,400 |
| Change effective date for renewal applicants | 1 May 2021 |
Singapore PRs are permitted to live, work, study, and retire in Singapore without any time limit. PR status is robust in practice but not absolute.
Singapore Permanent Residence (PR) BenefitsIf you are a current work pass holder (Employment Pass, Personalised Employment Pass, EntrePass or S Pass), and have worked in Singapore for at least six months, you'll be eligible to apply for Singapore PR (permanent resident) status.
Both of these would differ based on the industry. A key difference between Work Permit passes and an S Pass or Employment Pass, would be that the former does not allow the pass holder to bring his or her family to reside in Singapore, while the latter may be permitted to do so under certain conditions.
As a simple guideline, skilled foreign employees holding acceptable academic qualifications (Bachelor Degree and above) and professional qualifications with managerial/executive/specialist experience and who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$4,500 (older and more experienced candidates need higher salaries) are
If you hold a Work Permit and wish to apply for an S Pass, first ensure that you are eligible for the S Pass by using the S Pass self-assessment tool. If you meet the requirements, your employer can then apply for an S Pass for you. Your employer should apply for the S Pass early.
Rates, taxes and levies are monthly costs that the Body Corporate and local Municipality charge in order to fund the services they provide.
However, if you no longer need to pay levy, you can request for a refund:
- Submit an online refund application at CPF Board within 1 year from the date of payment.
- Check your application status 12 working days after your levy refund application.
When and how to pay the levyYou must pay the levy via General Interbank Recurring Order ( GIRO ). If you don't have a GIRO account, apply for one using the GIRO application form. We will notify you of the outcome and start date of your GIRO deduction by post within one month.
Levy rate
| Type of levy | Monthly rate | Daily rate |
|---|
| Normal (1st FDW) | $300 | $9.87 |
| Normal (Subsequent FDWs) | $450 | $14.80 |
| Concessionary | $60 | $1.98 |
Rates, taxes and levies are fees paid to the authority that services your property such as a body corporate or municipality. If you are buying a sectional title property such as a property in a complex or a flat, you will be charged levies.
The foreign worker levy, commonly known as “levy”, is a pricing mechanism to regulate the number of foreign workers in Singapore. The levy liability will start from the day the Temporary Work Permit or Work Permit is issued, whichever is earlier. It ends when the permit is cancelled or expires.
As of 1 April 2019, the current maid levy in Singapore is $300 per month. For subsequent FDWs, it's $450. If you qualify for a concessionary levy, this will be reduced to $60. The concessionary rate applies to families who have family members as stated below.
A levy is a legal seizure of your property to satisfy a tax debt. Levies are different from liens. A lien is a legal claim against property to secure payment of the tax debt, while a levy actually takes the property to satisfy the tax debt.
Who can qualify. As an FDW employer, you can qualify for levy concession if you live with any of the following eligible person who is a Singapore citizen: Young child below 16 years old. Elderly person who is at least 67 years old.
Failing a medical test or not meeting the salary requirements will meet instant rejection. For S Pass, it could be over quota, as companies can only have a certain percentage of their staff on S Pass. There is only one factor that really matters: the salary the company is paying the applicant.
Yes, you can work overseas as long as necessary, if it's for your Singapore-based employer. The same requirements will still apply. If you want to leave Singapore for more than 6 months to work for an overseas employer, you should cancel your Personalised Employment pass ( PEP ).
Eligibility for Employment Pass
- Have a job offer in Singapore.
- Work in a managerial, executive or specialised job.
- Earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $4,500 (older, more experienced candidates need higher salaries).
- Have acceptable qualifications, usually a good university degree, professional qualifications or specialised skills.
There are no levy tiers for the construction, process and marine shipyard sectors.
- Levy tiers. Manufacturing sector. Services sector.
- Tier 1. T1 = 25% x total workforce. T1 = 10% x total workforce.
- Tier 2. T2 = (50% x total workforce) – T1.
- Tier 3. T3 = No.
- 1st: S Pass holders. 2nd: Higher-skilled WP holders.
No. If an Employment Pass ( EP ) or S Pass holder changes jobs and the new pass is approved, MOM does not automatically cancel the existing work pass. This is so that the current employer has a notice period. The employer needs to cancel the pass using EP Online.
The S Pass allows mid-level skilled staff to work in Singapore. Candidates need to earn at least $2,500 a month and have the relevant qualifications and work experience.
Foreign workforce numbers
| Pass type | Dec 2015 | Dec 2017 |
|---|
| Employment Pass ( EP ) | 187,900 | 187,700 |
| S Pass | 178,600 | 184,400 |
| Work Permit (Total) | 997,100 | 965,200 |
| Work Permit ( FDW ) | 231,500 | 246,800 |
Foreign worker levies will be waived for all S Pass and work permit holders, including maids, during their stay-home notice periods from January to September, the Manpower Ministry (MOM) said on Thursday (Apr 1).
No foreign worker levy or quota required. Employers can choose whether to provide medical insurance for EP holders. Access online services and forms for Employment Pass.
Employers that implement cost-saving measures during the circuit breaker period between 7 April 2020 and 1 June 2020 (inclusive) must notify MOM if the cost-saving measures result in a more than 25% reduction in the monthly salaries of their employees and the employer has at least 10 employees.
The new levies for foreign workers in Malaysia have been announced. Effective Friday, employers in the manufacturing, construction and services sectors (category one) will have to pay a levy of RM1,850 for each foreign worker hired. Plantations and agriculture sector bosses (category two) are to pay RM640 per worker.
