What is the difference between Singapore Work Permit and Employment Pass?

Singapore is an employment destination for global professionals, business leaders, and foreign workers. In order to distinguish these categories and distribute the privileges and restrictions according to the skills each type of worker, the government has developed 2 different types of visas; Employment Pass and Work Permit.

An employment pass has a minimum salary requirement but is considered a stratified visa with a minimum pass of $5,000, whereas a work permit does not have any requirement.

The employment pass is open for all nations around the world; the government does not apply special requirements or incentives for specific nationalities, but certain nationals may be required to provide additional documents, while a work permit is only available for workers arriving from approved Asian countries. Be reminded that each sector has its own list of approved countries.

Employment passes are given more flexibility to change jobs compared to work permit holders. In the event that employment pass holders get terminated, they can apply for a short-term visit pass and stay in the country a bit longer to find a job.

A work permit application is processed much faster than an Employment pass. The earliest would be one day to a maximum validity of 2 years. The duration of the visa is also dependent on other factors such as employment duration and many more.