If your company is in the construction sector and wants to employ construction workers from non-traditional source (NTS) countries/regions or the People's Republic of China (PRC), you will need to get prior approval (PA) before applying for their Work Permits.
What is prior approval
PA is an approval for companies to employ migrant workers from NTS countries/regions and the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
PA indicates the number of migrant workers the company is allowed to employ from these countries/regions. It also determines the number of workers who can have their Work Permits renewed, or who can be transferred from another company in Singapore.
PAs are given based on:
- The duration of the Work Permits applied for.
- The number of full-time local workers employed by the company over the past 3 months as reflected in the company's CPF contribution statements.
- The quota remaining.
- The number of man-year entitlements (MYE) allocated.
The Man-Year Entitlement (MYE) framework will be dismantled from 1 Jan 2024 onwards, and firms will no longer need to apply for MYE or PA before applying for a Work Permit for NTS or PRC workers.
Find out more.
Who should apply
You should apply for PA if you are submitting a new application, renewal, or change of employer for an NTS or PRC worker.
You need to get the PA before applying for individual Work Permits.
You can hire NTS and PRC workers on
MYE waiver if you do not have PA. They will be placed on higher levy.
Requirements
Before applying:
- You must have a valid Building Construction Authority (BCA) or Singapore List of Trade Subcontractors (SLOT) registration certificate.
- If you are the main contractor, you must have a valid MYE certificate.
- If you are a sub-contractor, you must have MYE directly allocated from the main contractor.
Types of PAs
Depending on how you want to use the PA, you can get a new, transfer or renewal PA.
For NTS workers
|
Type
|
Use of PA
|
Validity
|
|
New
|
For recruiting new workers with Skills Evaluation Certificates or Skills Evaluation Certificates (Knowledge) from their home countries/regions.
|
5 months
|
|
Transfer
|
For transfer of workers currently working in Singapore.
|
5 months
|
| Renewal |
For renewal of workers. |
5 months
|
For PRC workers
|
Type
|
Use of PA
|
Validity
|
|
New
|
For recruiting new workers with Skills Evaluation Certificates or Skills Evaluation Certificates (Knowledge) from PRC.
|
6 months
|
|
Transfer
|
For transfer of workers currently working in Singapore.
|
5 months
|
|
Renewal
|
For renewal of workers.
|
5 months
|
How to apply
When: Before MYE expires
You need to apply for PA before your man-year entitlement expires.
You can apply using WP Online. The application will be processed within the next working day.
Appeal a rejected PA application
You can make an appeal if your application for prior approval was unsuccessful.
To appeal, you can submit this online form.
You need to submit the appeal within 1 month of the date of rejection and while your MYE is still valid.
Alternatively, if you can address the reasons for rejection, you can also re-submit the PA application using WP Online.
Cancel or withdraw a PA
To cancel or withdraw a PA, submit your request using the online form.
Partial withdrawal of PA is not allowed.
Change the PA type
You can apply to change the PA type after approval.
You can apply using WP Online. The application will be processed within the next working day.
Before you apply, check that the PA meets the minimum validity period:
- 7 days for a change of PA type.
- 37 days for a change of Construction PA for PRC workers (from "NEW" to other types).
Note:
- The original validity date of the PA remains the same. You cannot request to extend the PA expiry date.
- The number of man-years applied remains the same.
- You cannot request to change the PA type if the man-year entitlement has expired.
- You cannot request for a partial change of PA type.