Working from Singapore for a US employer

[rachanaagrawal]

Hello,
I need your help. I am moving to Singapore in Dependent Pass with my family. I am a US citizen and my US employer is allowing me work for them from Singapore.
Can you please tell me if I need any Visa for this? Also, what is the name of that Visa?

[beppi]

If you want to legally work while on a DP, you need an LoC (Letter of Consent) from MoM (Ministry of Manpower).
This is only given for work with a Singapore-registered company.
So your US employer would have to register a Singapore subsidiary in order to employ you.
If that is not an option, don't do it under the radar! Even if you think the chance of being found is low, the repercussions are very serious (after some jail time, deportation without a chance ever to come back).

[Strong Eagle]

beppi has it sort of right. If you are working for a US based company, providing services in the US or elsewhere, but no services in Singapore, and you are paid in/from the US, then you can work with no permits. This also assumes you are paying US personal income taxes.

Although it is characterized as "under the radar", there is really no radar to be under. You are not working for a Singapore company. You are not providing services in Singapore. Your income is earned and taxed outside of Singapore. Therefore, you have zero effect on either the jobs market or taxation whether you choose to work or watch soap operas all day.

However, if any of the above are not true, then, as beppi says, either your company needs and entity, or you need to create a company and apply for an employment permit from for yourself from your company. There are several threads covering this issue, but mainly your odds are greatly increased if you have experience and a contract in hand.

[beenthere]

What SE wrote is correct and that is exactly my situation. The company I work for HAS no Singapore presence and payment for my services are from and in the US. I'm the unusual male trailing spouse on a DP. However, I have declared to and paid my income taxes for both countries.

edited to change SMS to SE - moderator