Dependant's pass holders will need work passes to work in Singapore from 1 May

SINGAPORE — From 1 May, foreigners in Singapore on dependant's passes will need to secure a work pass, instead of a letter of consent, to work in Singapore.

This means that their employers must apply for either employment passes, S Passes or work permits; the relevant qualifying salary, dependency ratio ceiling and levy for each type of work passes will apply.

Manpower Minister Josephine Teo announced the move during Parliament's Committee of Supply debate on her ministry on Wednesday (3 March), saying that the move is for "consistency with recent work pass moves".

She added that dependant's pass holders working in Singapore with a letter of consent make up about 1 per cent of all work pass holders. As of June 2020, there were about 1.1 million work pass holders in Singapore, excluding foreign domestic workers.

Dependant's pass holders who are business owners

Dependant's pass holders currently working in Singapore on letters of consent will be allowed to continue working until the letters' expiry. After that, their employers will need to apply for a work pass.

Those who are business owners will be eligible to continue running their business on letters of consent, provided that their business creates local employment.

They must either be the sole proprietor, partner or director with at least 30 per cent shareholding in the business. Furthermore, the company must hire at least one Singaporean or permanent resident who earns at least $1,400 and receives CPF contributions for at least three months.

Those who do not fulfil these criteria can continue to run their business on their existing letter of consent until its expiry. They can also apply for a one-off extension until 30 April 2022, when they next renew their dependant's pass.

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