How to Maintain Your Personalised Employment Pass Status in Singapore

Being able to work in Singapore seems easy because of how easy the employment visa application process is. It is no doubt that Singapore is a country that encourages foreigners to come and work in local companies. That is because it helps their economy make it stable even in times of crisis. That is why they make the process of applying seem easy. However, that is not always the case because their eligibility requirements are a bit difficult.

Singapore is a small country therefore they can’t have a lot of people coming to the country. They need foreign workers that can contribute to their economy. Thus, they impose demanding eligibility qualifications for each work pass. One of the most highly regarded work visas is the personalised employment pass Singapore visa. The eligibility qualifications for this pass are one of the most demanding if not the most. Thus, it also has stringent requirements when it comes to maintaining its status. That is why in this article, we will cover three ways for you to be able to maintain the PEP employment visa status in Singapore.

Not Be Unemployed for More than 6 Months

The personalised employment pass Singapore visa is a very flexible work pass. A PEP holder is not tied to a specific job or employer. They can switch jobs or employers without having to re-apply for the employment visa, unlike the E Pass. Furthermore, a PEP holder can remain unemployed for six months. This is to give time to the foreign worker to look for a new job in Singapore. However, the unemployment period should not exceed six months.

Let us look at Carson’s case with his personalised employment pass Singapore visa. Carson decided to apply for the PEP even though he did not have a definite job yet. He spent months in Singapore looking for a job. However, he wasn’t able to find one. It’s been five months since he arrived in Singapore. Thus, he only has a month left to find a job. If he wasn’t able to find a job after a month, he needs to cancel the employment visa and go back to his home country.

To prevent being unemployed for more than six months, it is recommended that you look for a job in Singapore first before applying for the PEP. You can go online to look for job posts in Singapore. Once you find sure employment and have completed the hiring process, then you can proceed with the personalised employment pass Singapore application.

Earn a Fixed Annual Salary of at Least $144,000

Aside from not being unemployed for more than six months, there is a fixed annual salary that you should meet. A PEP employment visa holder should be earning an annual fixed salary of S$144,000. This means that your monthly salary should not be lower than S$12,000. Thus, you need to make sure that the job you will get in Singapore will give you this amount as your salary. If not, you should look for another job that offers that salary amount.

In addition, the fixed annual salary of S$144,000 should be met regardless of the number of months you are employed. For example in Carson’s case. If he finds a job five months after he got his personalised employment pass Singapore visa, he shouldn’t be given a monthly salary of S$12,000. That is because if you total that with the remaining seven months, that is below the annual salary requirement. He needs a job that will give him at least S$21,000 to meet the requirement. Otherwise, he will have to cancel his PEP employment visa.

Notify the Ministry of Manpower of Changes

Although you do not need to re-apply for the personalised employment pass Singapore visa if you switch jobs, you still need to notify the Ministry of Manpower of any changes. You should notify them whenever you leave and start a job. If you switched locations, you need to notify them of your new address. In line with the second point, you need to declare your fixed salary requirement every year by the 31st of January of the following year.

If you can get a salary of S$144,000 per year, always notify the Ministry of Manpower of changes, and remain employed, you will have no issues with the PEP employment visa.