How much would an employer spend to hire a foreigner?

[Edmund Cardie]

Hi,

I was just wondering. How much exactly would a Singapore company spend to hire a foreign worker, excluding any relocation benefits.

Like for instance, how much an employment pass cost (from application to issuance)? Is there also any insurance involved that the company has to pay for the foreigner being hired?

Any other cost to consider besides this?

[Strong Eagle]

The costs of filing for an EP are trivial now that online filing is available. You fill out most of the information, company adds a few items and submits. I'd guess total administrative processing costs to be S$75 max.

Company must guarantee your repatriation if demanded by the authorities. Normally, a limited or private limited does not have to put up a bond, just guarantee the repatriation, so no cost involved.

[sundaymorningstaple]

As SE said, if the Company is a Pte Ltd company, the bond for repatriation is forgone as long as the company ultimately guarantees repatriation if necessary.

Costs of an Employment Pass are as follows:

$10.00 Online Filing
$30.00 Cost of Physical Pass
______
$40.00 Total Administrative Costs
$52.50 Medical (SATA)
$10.00 Photos
______
102.50 Total Actual Cost of Getting the EP

[Edmund Cardie]

Okay. So it is not expensive after all.

[durain]

Okay. So it is not expensive after all.

it's not that bad. and to further save cost, you can advertise the job in cold storage free notice board in holland v. that should get lots of ang moh expats.

[ksl]

Is there also any insurance involved that the company has to pay for the foreigner being hired?

Would be no more than, any local if they are pr holders. What's your line of biz? I presume your on about CPF and other contributions!

[Edmund Cardie]

How about the application process itself? Is it mandatory for a Singapore company to go thru an agency in order to apply for an EP? I see that several companies go thru agencies and don't deal with the MoM directly.

What's the difference between a company applying direct and going thru an agency?

[misscecille]

As SE said, if the Company is a Pte Ltd company, the bond for repatriation is forgone as long as the company ultimately guarantees repatriation if necessary.

Costs of an Employment Pass are as follows:

$10.00 Online Filing
$30.00 Cost of Physical Pass
______
$40.00 Total Administrative Costs
$52.50 Medical (SATA)
$10.00 Photos
______
102.50 Total Actual Cost of Getting the EP

Thank you for this informative info sundaymorningstaple. Are you aware if these costs are still accurate to date pls? Just wondering if any of the fees involved in getting an EP may have increased.

[sundaymorningstaple]

The administrative costs remain the same. The photo & medical costs are subjective (medical for instance from $38 to $60 depending where you go). Same with the photos.

[banker]

Okay. So it is not expensive after all.

it's not that bad. and to further save cost, you can advertise the job in cold storage free notice board in holland v. that should get lots of ang moh expats.

Now you can find applicants in Holland V for stripper jobs (both male and females)

[winger7]

but still it could be a hassle for companies to employ a foreigner...i have set my sights on moving thee next year. i also hear it might be easier to get a job after i settle down there as i will have the pass for permanent stay...but then at the same time my one friend told me its better to have a job beforehand otherwise i will be fighting with all the ppl from india and china for jobs there... so which is true??

[Strong Eagle]

You cannot get a pass for permanent stay until you get an employment pass... filed by your employer.

[winger7]

i forgot the name of the pass...theres this pass that'll let u stay in sg for a year for u to find a job too i heard...anyway thats what i was referring to...and ive checked and i believe i fit the requirements as well

[sundaymorningstaple]

That's LPR or Landed Permanent Residence. But that one will cost you upward of 2500 to get and you will have to go through SMC (the link can be found on my links page). You can apple for a EPEC but that will only guarantee that you will not be rejected due to educational qualifications. It is still up to the employer to justify why they need to hire a foreigner. This is getting stricter and stricter by the week. No, we are not privy to these guidelines but plenty of anecdotal evidence out there that it's happening.

As SE indicated, aside from the landed PR scheme, you have to get a job BEFORE you can "settle down" here. I think you need to have another read of the MOM website and the various Passes/working visas and their requirements. (Try not to read between the lines. Just read what is written and you will be spot on).

sms

[winger7]

thank u all for ur comprehensive answers, i did read in another threat in this forum about how this guy did his application thru SMC and in no time...3 months i think he said his pass got approved and he was on his way there. He said it costed somewhere around 9000 HKD? Well education-wise Ive gone to Laurentian University in Canada which is recognized there. I think that is the sort of pass that allows you to stay in Singapore for a year to find a job if im not mistaken...which i probably am