Singapore raises the stakes for EP holders planning family relocation

Singapore professionals seeking an Employment Pass need to plan salary, visa status and family needs together. The thresholds determine whether spouses, children and parents can get Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass approval, and they can also affect school enrollment and work rights.

Why it matters: - For foreign professionals moving to Singapore, the Employment Pass is often the gateway to bringing family members legally into the country. - Salary level now has direct consequences for spouse, child and parent relocation, not just work authorization. - Families that plan early can reduce the risk of visa rejection, delayed school enrollment and gaps in residency status.

What happened: - Globevisa Group laid out how Singapore Employment Pass rules connect an applicant’s salary to family relocation outcomes. - The company said EP planning should begin with family requirements in mind, including spouse residency, children’s education and parental relocation. - The main applicant must hold a genuine managerial role, and the sponsoring company must show operational capacity and the ability to pay the stated salary. - Standard EP applications are filed by a Singapore employer, while entrepreneurs can apply by setting up a company and employing themselves in a managerial capacity.

The details: - The current minimum fixed monthly salary for an EP applicant is SGD 5,600, or SGD 6,200 in the financial services sector. - EP applicants must also score at least 40 points under the Ministry of Manpower’s COMPASS framework. - COMPASS scoring weighs fixed monthly salary, qualifications, company nationality diversity and local employment support. - Salary points are based on percentile ranking against local professionals in the same sector and age group, not on the absolute salary alone. - For an applicant aged 45 or older in traditional wholesale trade, about SGD 10,279 in fixed monthly salary may yield 10 salary points, while about SGD 20,301 may yield 20 points. - Benchmarks are updated periodically, so a pre-assessment is required before applying. - In harder cases, Globevisa Group uses the Ministry of Manpower’s Self-Assessment Tool before submission to check alignment with current rules. - A Dependant’s Pass covers a legally married spouse and unmarried children under 21. - The main applicant must earn at least SGD 6,000 in fixed monthly salary for Dependant’s Pass eligibility. - The DP threshold is based only on the main applicant’s personal salary and does not include household income. - A DP remains tied to the main applicant’s EP status, so expiry or cancellation of the EP invalidates the DP. - DP holders who want to work in Singapore generally need their own work pass. - A Long-Term Visit Pass for parents requires the main applicant to earn more than SGD 12,000 in fixed monthly salary. - If the salary threshold is not met, parents cannot be sponsored through the EP route for an LTVP. - Families can take a phased approach, including a later salary increase application to the Ministry of Manpower once the company has substantive operations and meets financial conditions. - For children 12 and under who are foreign-born and applying for a DP, the Ministry of Health requires a Verification of Vaccination Requirements. - The vaccination process covers mandatory shots such as MMR and DTaP. - Incomplete vaccination records can delay DP issuance. - Once a child is admitted to a local Singapore school, a DP generally removes the need for a separate Student’s Pass. - DP-based school enrollment can help families avoid Student’s Pass quota limits at some schools.

Between the lines: - The rules show that Singapore’s family-reunification pathway is tightly linked to income, documentation and employer readiness. - For applicants with weaker education credentials, salary becomes a more important lever under COMPASS. - The phased compliance approach suggests that some families may need to relocate in stages rather than all at once. - Globevisa Group is positioning early assessment and regulatory planning as a risk-management service, not just a visa filing service.

What's next: - Applicants are expected to assess salary thresholds, family goals and company readiness before filing EP applications. - Families with children should complete vaccination verification and medical-document notarization before submission. - Higher-salary adjustments, if needed, must be approved by the Ministry of Manpower before DP or LTVP applications can follow. - Globevisa Group says it will continue to support relocation planning, visa renewals and post-arrival compliance for international families.

The bottom line: - In Singapore, an EP is not just a work visa. It is the foundation for whether a family can relocate together, stay compliant and, in some cases, work or study legally.