Work Pass Division

About Us

The Work Pass Division (WPD) facilitates and regulates the employment of foreign nationals in Singapore. This is achieved through the administering of three types of Work Passes namely: Employment Passes, S Passes and Work Permits.

Mission

To develop an efficient, effective and dynamic foreign manpower admission framework that meets the needs of the Singapore economy.

Employment Pass

Employment Passes are for foreigners who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $3,000 and possess acceptable degrees, professional qualifications or specialist skills. There are two types of Employment Passes: P and Q Passes.

S Pass

S Pass is meant to increase the flexibility and responsiveness of our foreign manpower policy to meet industries' needs for middle level skilled manpower. The S Pass replaced the Q2 Pass with effect from July 2004. Foreigners who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $2,000 may apply for S Pass.

Applicants for the new S Pass will be assessed on a points system which will take into account multiple criteria, including salary, education qualifications, skills, work experience, job type.

Work Permits

Work Permits (R Passes) are for foreign unskilled workers. The number of foreign workers an employer may engage under Work Permits is dependent on the number of local workers on his payroll. This local to foreign worker ratio varies from industry to industry.

There are accompanying levy and dependency controls for S Passes and Work Permits to ensure that we will obtain the desired profile of foreign manpower. By imposing levies and limits on the number of foreign workers a company can employ, the Division ensures that our economic objectives are met and that the total workforce, including both local and foreign workers, benefit from Singapore's growth.