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How should I count my local employees to calculate my Work Permit and S Pass quota?

Your local employee must earn the Local Qualifying Salary (LQS) of at least $1,400 before they can be counted towards your quota entitlement.

A Singaporean or Permanent Resident employee employed under a contract of service, including the company’s director, is counted as:

  • 1 local employee if they earn the LQS of at least $1,400 per month.
  • 0.5 local employee if they earn half the LQS of at least $700 to below $1,400 per month.
Local employee Monthly salary Count
A $4,500 1
B $1,400 1
C $700 0.5
D $800 0.5
E $400
Total number of local employees 3

Employees A and B are considered 2 local employees because they each earn at least $1,400.

Employees C and D make up 1 local employee because they each earn $700 to below $1,400.

Employee E is not counted because the salary is below $700.

The following employees are also not counted when calculating your quota:

  • Business owners of sole proprietorships or partnerships.
  • Employees who receive salaries and CPF contributions from three or more employers.

If you have multiple CPF accounts in your company, you should not declare salary and contribute CPF for the same employee under the different accounts to get more quota.

If you hired new employees recently, you will only see an adjustment in your quota when you pay their first full-month salary and CPF contribution.