Here in Singapore on a Dependant’s pass and not really knowing what to do with yourself? Thinking of earning some extra income to relieve your family’s financial burden? Or perhaps you’d like a bit of pocket money for personal spending? Good news! Even if you do not meet all the criteria for a Work Pass, you can work in Singapore for a local employer with a Letter of Consent (LOC).
Issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), a Letter of Consent allows eligible Dependant’s Pass (DP) holders and Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or LTVP+ holders to legally work in Singapore. Therefore, if you are holding one of these passes, you may be able to work in Singapore if you can find an employer that is willing to apply for an LOC for you.
This should not be hard! Foreign candidates who are eligible to work with an LOC are favoured by many employers. This is mainly because there is no foreign worker levy or quota required. Also, the usual source country restrictions for key business industry sectors, like Services, do not apply – fostering diversity and innovation in the workplace. Furthermore, hiring a LOC holder will not contribute to the compulsory ratio of foreign to local workers. Thus, with increasing labour costs and globalisation, hiring a foreign candidate under a LOC is a cheaper, and often more fitting, alternative to hiring a foreign candidate on a work permit or S Pass.
The duration of the LOC will largely depend on the employment period your employer indicates on the LOC application, and/or the expiry date on your LTVP, LTVP+ or DP. The LOC will stop being valid when your DP, LTVP, or LTVP+ is cancelled or expired and/or you are no longer hired by the company.
Note: You will not be allowed to work in “objectionable occupations” (eg. as a dance hostess).
To be eligible for an LOC, you must fulfill the following:
And
Note: If you are a DP holder of an S Pass holder, your employer will need to apply for a work permit for you, or treat you as an independent candidate and apply for other Work Pass, instead. NB: While the source country restriction and quota have been waived for a work permit, the employer must pay the foreign worker levy.
At Easy2Incorporate, we charge a flat fee of S$650 to apply for the Dependant’s Pass LOC. This fee includes:
*There are scenarios where LOC applications are rejected by the MOM, however, reasons are not always fully known or disclosed to the employer. Here are some factors that might affect the application:
We can assist you in appealing the rejection of your LOC, or responding to the MOM’s request for additional supporting documents for an additional fee. Contact us to discuss your case.
Each LOC application is evaluated by the MOM on a case-by-case basis, and therefore the application processing period varies. However, the general processing time for an LOC for a DP LTVP/LTVP+ holder will take within 3 weeks and 1 week respectively.
Additional documents may be required for specific industries, including: Healthcare professionals, lawyers and regional representatives. For non-English documents, you must submit both the original document and an English-translated document.
If you are interested in applying for an EP, it is advisable for you to seek professional help or get a free preliminary consultation with our work pass specialist.