Are you planning to travel to a rich country like Singapore in order to work and earn more? If so, that is a good idea. Working in Singapore can lead to a lot of great opportunities that may not be available in your home country. Furthermore, if you are able to work in Singapore for more than 12 months, you will become eligible to apply for permanent residency. Permanent resident status is only one step away from being a full-fledged Singaporean citizen. Thus, you should definitely consider applying for a work visa in Singapore, most especially the personalized employment pass Singapore visa.
Unlike the employment pass Singapore visa, the PEP is a higher paying work visa. In addition, it is a lot flexible when it comes to employment. That is because a PEP holder can switch employers without having to reapply for the pass. If you are interested in obtaining a PEP in Singapore, you need to know how you can maintain your status and how you can regularly check for it. Thus, in this article, we will discuss the PEP status.
How to maintain the personalized employment pass Singapore status?
The personalized employment pass Singapore visa is actually quite challenging to maintain. That is because its status conditions are not easy to accomplish since they are quite stringent. However, there is a way to make it easier and that is by knowing how to maintain PEP status in Singapore. That is what we will discuss in this section of the article.
Do not remain unemployed for more than six months
Not similar to the employment pass Singapore visa, you don’t necessarily have to be employed or have a job offering in Singapore to be able to apply. You can apply for the PEP without the need for an employer. In addition, you can remain in Singapore unemployed given that you are searching for a job. However, you cannot remain unemployed for more than six months.
The six months unemployed period is given in case the personalized employment pass Singapore holder came to Singapore to search for employment or loses a job. This grace period is given so the PEP holder can have time to find employment. However, once you exceed six months, you will have to cancel the pass thus losing your PEP status. To be able to maintain the PEP status, you need to be employed.
Report annual salary of at least SG$144,000
Aside from remaining employed, there is a salary limit that you need to meet. Unlike an employment pass Singapore holder, a PEP holder has a higher salary limit of at least SG$144,000 annually. In addition, the Ministry of Manpower requires the PEP holder to report his or her annual salary during the first month after one year since the PEP approval. This will be done annually until the PEP expires.
The personalized employment pass Singapore holder needs to have earned an amount equal to or greater than the annual salary limit. This requirement must be met despite the number of months in a year the PEP holder is employed. Thus, to prevent not meeting this requirement, it is best to look for a job in Singapore so you can start earning and have a higher chance of meeting the salary limit.
Always notify the Ministry of Manpower of changes
Aside from the annual salary report, a PEP holder must report PEP-related changes to the Ministry of Manpower. Since the PEP is not like the employment pass Singapore visa where you need to reapply if you switch employers, this doesn’t mean you don’t need to notify the Ministry of Manpower. In fact, you need to ensure that any changes made are reported to them via a notification letter submission.
A personalized employment pass Singapore holder also needs to report if there are changes regarding his or her home address. That is what is needed to be done if the holder changes marital status or made changes that will affect his identity. Thus, it is important that a PEP holder knows how to submit a notification form to the Ministry of Manpower. Failure to do so can affect the PEP status of the holder.
How to check for the personalized employment pass Singapore status?
Although you will be making sure that your PEP status is maintained, it is still essential that you check your PEP status regularly. There are two ways to check for the personalized employment pass Singapore status. That is to check online or use the QR code. Below is how each PEP status check option is done.
Check online
Similar to the employment pass Singapore status, the PEP status can be checked online through the Ministry of Manpower website. To be able to do this, you need to look at your PEP card. Look at the card number indicated in the card. Then, you visit the Ministry of Manpower website and find the Check WP Status. You will arrive at a webpage where you have to input the PEP card number. After clicking the check button, you will be given the current status report of your PEP in real-time. Thus, you need to have your PEP card on hand when you check your status online.
Using QR code
Another simple method in checking for the personalized employment pass Singapore status is to use the QR code. Similar to how QR codes work, you need to download a QR code scanner on your phone to be able to get the information in the code. In the case of the PEP, you need to download the SG Work Pass application. This is the only app that can decode the QR code for work pass.
The QR code of your PEP is found on your card as well. To check for your PEP status, you only need to capture the QR code through your phone’s camera. Then, the application will provide PEP status. Thus, you can have an instant PEP status check through your mobile phone.
The personalized employment pass Singapore visa is a professional work visa like the employment pass Singapore visa. However, when it comes to maintaining the work visa status, the PEP has the most stringent requirements if the Entrepreneur Pass is not included. However, the benefits gained as a PEP holder still outweighs the other work passes in Singapore.
Since the PEP has a high salary limit, the holder can easily meet the requirements of some of the benefits. These benefits include getting a Dependent’s Pass and applying for Singapore Permanent Residency.
