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Qualifying salary for Employment Pass to increase to $3,600 from $3,300 from 1 Jan

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Photo: Nicky Loh/Getty Images

The qualifying salary for Employment Pass (EP) applications will be raised to $3,600 from $3,300 from 1 January next year, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Tuesday (26 July).

MOM said in a statement that the revision is part of a regular update to keep pace with rising local wages and maintain the quality of the foreign workforce. The previous revision was in January 2014, when the EP qualifying salary was raised to $3,300 from $3,000.

“MOM’s manpower policy framework is designed to meet the manpower needs of the economy, so that businesses can stay competitive and grow, and ultimately create more and better jobs in Singapore,” the statement said.

EP applicants with more years of experience are required to command higher salaries in tandem with their work experience and skill sets, as per current practice, the statement added.

Businesses will be given time to make adjustments. Current EP holders whose passes expire:

i. Before 1 January 2017: Will be able to renew for up to three years based on the current EP criteria.
ii. Between 1 January 2017 and 30 June 2017: Will be able to renew for one year based on the current EP criteria.
iii. From 1 July 2017 onwards: Will have to meet the new criteria for renewal for up to three years.