Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate - Before you apply

The Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate (EPEC) allows foreigners to stay in Singapore for up to one year to facilitate their job search in Singapore. Successful EPEC applicants are required to apply for a one-year Visit Pass from the Immigration and Checkpoint Authority (ICA) to allow them to stay in Singapore.

Note that the certificate is not a work pass and does not allow the holder to work in Singapore. Upon securing employment, the employer is required to submit an Employment Pass application to the Work Pass Division for consideration. You can only start work after the Employment Pass application has been approved.

The EPEC is issued on a one-time basis and is non-renewable.

Eligibility

Foreigners who wish to apply for an Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate must fulfill one of these requirements:

• Possess selected university qualifications
• Be a current or former holder of selected skilled migrant visas

Documents Required

These documents and information are required for Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate applications:

1. Certified true copy of tertiary academic qualifications, transcript or professional qualifications
2. Copy of a skilled migrant visa (if applicable)
3. Photograph of the applicant (passport-sized and taken within last three months)
4. Personal particulars page of applicant’s passport/travel document

Important information

Applicants who hold non-English documents or certificates are required to submit a copy of the original papers and the official English translation certified by the respective embassy.

Fees

There is no administration fee charged for the Employment Pass Eligibility Certificate applications submitted.