Work Permit in Singapore Employment Visa for unskilled workers in Singapore 1 WHAT IS WORK PERMIT IN SINGAPORE? The visa issued for lower-class employment is called a Work Permit. The Work Permit allows foreign unskilled workers to seek employment in Singapore. The Work Permit holder may carry out jobs in fields such as construction, manufacturing, and marine etc. Because of the low qualification criteria for such a visa, the demand from foreigners for this type of work permit is high. However, this type of visa does carry certain restrictions. For example, the holder of the permit is limited to the type of company that they are allowed to work for; the employer must pay a levy and a security bond, and they are also limited to a quota of foreign nationals that they may employ.
2 CRITERIA AND REQUIREMENT FOR A WORK PERMIT Only certain countries have been approved by the Singapore government. These include countries such as India, Bangladesh, China, and Malaysia, and only foreigners from approved countries may apply for such a work permit. The age limit for the holder of this type of permit is 18 years to 58 years for Malaysians, and 18 years to 50 years for all other foreign nationals. Applicants must hold a valid passport. Work pass holders can only work according to the specifications of their working visa.
3 BENEFITS OF WORK PERMIT Processing of a Work Permit can be achieved in 1 working day. A foreigner is not allowed to apply for the Work Permit themselves; only the hiring company can apply, or a visa agency can apply on an employer’s behalf.
Only foreign nationals from certain countries are eligible to apply for a Work Permit. Therefore, before applying please check the approved countries list on the MOM website or visit here. There is no salary limit for the holder of the work permit. The maximum term of the work permit is 2 year, but this varies depending on the validity of the holder’s passport or the security bond for example. Foreigner worker are not allowed to run their own company or business in Singapore.
4 FAQ’S 4.1 HOW TO APPLY FOR THE WORK PERMIT? Only an online application for this type of work permit is possible. The hiring firm can apply for a work permit for the foreigner, or a visa agent can apply for the same but only on the behalf of the employer and from firm’s account.
4.2 HOW TO RENEW A SINGAPORE WORK PERMIT? The validity of a Work Permit is for a maximum of 2 years. If it’s due to expire you can apply for a renewal online. The renewal option is active on Work Permit eight weeks before the visa expires. If renewal is not completed on time, a fee will be imposed. Renewals can be made only for those foreigners who are eligible.