Freelancing while on an EP

[johngu1980]

I am currently on Singapore on an EP. I've been approached by a number of people to do some freelance work for them. Is there any way to make this possible? Some thoughts:

1. I can apply for a PEP, but I'm not sure that entitles me to work for a company and freelance for another.

2. I can continue on the current EP, but ask for an LOC for the freelance work.

Open to any and all other suggestions. Thanks.

[the lynx]

I am currently on Singapore on an EP. I've been approached by a number of people to do some freelance work for them. Is there any way to make this possible? Some thoughts:

1. I can apply for a PEP, but I'm not sure that entitles me to work for a company and freelance for another.

2. I can continue on the current EP, but ask for an LOC for the freelance work.

Open to any and all other suggestions. Thanks.

EP holders are not allowed to have any other employment apart from the one listed in his EP card. That means freelancing is out of question. LOC is only for DP or LTVP+ holders. IIRC PEP holders are not allowed as well based on MOM's website:

* The following groups of foreigners are not eligible for the PEP:

(i) foreigners who are issued with an Employment Pass under the Sponsorship scheme. Under this scheme, their direct employers are overseas companies which do not have a Singapore-registered office/business entity

(ii) foreigners who are working or intending to work on a free-lance basis without any direct employers in Singapore

(iii) foreigners who are listed as Sole Proprietors, Partners or Directors in a business/company registered with ACRA and are shareholders of that business/company

(iv) foreigners working as journalists, editors, sub-editors and producers.

Source: http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/passes-visas/personalised-employment/before-you-apply/Pages/default.aspx

[Beeroclock]

There a quite a lot of other related threads too if you search around here.

[johngu1980]

Yep. I've read primarily about people who want to freelance and then establish a sole proprietorship / pte ltd to obtain an LOC. I haven't found anything about doing freelance while already on an EP.

Suppose for the moment that I was able to obtain a PEP, does that still restrict me to only a single employer?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Employment Pass holders who earn a fixed monthly salary of at least $12,000

* The following groups of foreigners are not eligible for the PEP:

(i) foreigners who are issued with an Employment Pass under the Sponsorship scheme. Under this scheme, their direct employers are overseas companies which do not have a Singapore-registered office/business entity

(ii) foreigners who are working or intending to work on a free-lance basis without any direct employers in Singapore

(iii) foreigners who are listed as Sole Proprietors, Partners or Directors in a business/company registered with ACRA and are shareholders of that business/company

(iv) foreigners working as journalists, editors, sub-editors and producers.

Note: The PEP holder is not allowed to start his/her own business or engage in any entrepreneurial activities. The holder must apply for an EntrePass if he/she intends to do so.

The above from the MOM site for PEPs. Looks pretty cut and dried to me. It's not hard to find either.

[Beeroclock]

ftopic99591.html&highlight=freelance

See this one also

[Strong Eagle]

The only way you can legally make this work is to form your own company and apply for your own EP. Then, the company that you are currently working for would hire you as a contractor and you would be able to take on other freelance jobs as well.