Singapore Immigration Services: EP, PR and Citizenship

Who decides what, and why it matters

Most confusion about Singapore immigration comes from treating it as one system. It is two, and they answer to different ministries, publish different rules and run on different clocks.

The Ministry of Manpower administers work passes. Employment Pass, S Pass, Work Permit, Personalised Employment Pass, EntrePass, Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass, Dependant’s Pass, Long-Term Visit Pass for family of work pass holders, and Letter of Consent. MOM publishes salary thresholds, scoring frameworks and fee schedules, and it publishes them in detail. If you want to know whether a candidate qualifies for an Employment Pass, the answer is calculable before you apply.

The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority administers entry into Singapore and long-term residence status. Entry visas, visit passes, Student’s Passes, permanent residence, citizenship, Re-Entry Permits and renunciation. ICA publishes eligibility categories, fees, processing times and document checklists. What ICA does not publish is any score, weighting or threshold for permanent residence or citizenship. ICA states the factors it takes into account and stops there.

That difference runs through everything on this page. For a work pass we can tell you before we start whether the application is likely to succeed and what would need to change. For permanent residence and citizenship nobody can tell you that, because ICA has not published the standard. Any adviser who gives you a percentage or a points score for a PR application has produced it themselves, and it has no standing with ICA.

Why we say this rather than sell around it

ICA states on its own pages that it has no affiliation with any external migration agency or commercial entity claiming to be a Singapore immigration specialist, consultant or partner, and that it does not support or endorse services by self-proclaimed professional immigration consultancy service providers. That is ICA’s published wording, not a paraphrase. We think a reader is better served by an adviser who repeats it than by one who hopes the reader never finds it.

The complete map of routes into Singapore

The table below is the routing map for this site. Each row is a different legal basis for being in Singapore, with the authority that decides it and the page where we set out the detail.

Table 1. Every route into Singapore, and who decides it

Route	Who it is for	Deciding authority	Can it lead to PR	Our page
Entry visa	Nationals of listed countries and places who need pre-entry permission	ICA	No, it is pre-entry permission only	Covered below
Short-Term Visit Pass	Visitors, granted at the checkpoint on arrival	ICA	No	Covered below
Employment Pass	Foreign professionals, managers and executives with a job offer	MOM	Yes, EP holders may apply	Employment Pass
S Pass	Skilled employees, subject to quota and levy	MOM	Yes, S Pass holders may apply	S Pass
Work Permit	Migrant workers in eligible sectors	MOM	Not on the strength of the pass	Work Permit
Migrant Domestic Worker permit	Domestic helpers employed by a household	MOM	Not on the strength of the pass	Domestic helper services
Personalised Employment Pass	High earners who want flexibility between employers	MOM	Not listed by ICA as an eligible category	Personalised Employment Pass
Overseas Networks and Expertise Pass	Top talent across fields, with employer flexibility	MOM	Not listed by ICA as an eligible category	ONE Pass
EntrePass	Founders of innovative or venture-backed businesses	MOM	Not listed by ICA as an eligible category	EntrePass
Dependant’s Pass	Spouse and unmarried children under 21 of an eligible pass holder	MOM	Not on the strength of the pass	Dependant’s Pass
Long-Term Visit Pass	Common-law spouse, handicapped children over 21, step-children, parents	MOM	Not on the strength of the pass	Long-Term Visit Pass
Letter of Consent	Certain dependants who wish to work or run their own business	MOM	No	Covered below and on the DP page
Student’s Pass	Foreign students enrolled in a Singapore institution	ICA	Yes, on ICA’s student category, with conditions	By enquiry
Permanent residence	Spouses, children, aged parents, EP and S Pass holders, qualifying students, investors	ICA	It is PR	Singapore PR application
Global Investor Programme	Investors with a substantial business track record	EDB, with ICA deciding the PR grant	Yes, it is a PR route	We do not handle GIP
Citizenship	Permanent residents of at least two years, and certain family members	ICA	It is the step after PR	Singapore citizenship

Entry visas and visit passes, which are not the same thing

ICA is specific about this and people get it wrong constantly. A visa is pre-entry permission to travel to Singapore and seek entry. It is not an immigration pass and it does not determine how long you may stay. The pass is granted by the ICA officer at the checkpoint, in the form of an electronic visit pass notified by email, and the period of stay shown on that e-Pass is what governs your stay. Holding a valid visa does not guarantee entry.

ICA charges a non-refundable processing fee of S$30 for an entry visa and states that applications are processed within three working days, excluding the day of submission. Applicants are advised to apply within thirty days before arrival. Applications from within Singapore go through the e-Service using a local contact with Singpass or Corppass, or through a strategic partner. From outside Singapore they go through an authorised visa agent appointed by a Singapore Overseas Mission, or at the Mission itself.

Our fee for handling an entry visa application is S$100.

A decision framework: which route suits you

Work through these questions in order. The first one that gives you a clear answer is usually your route.

Table 2. Which route suits which person

Your position	The route that usually fits	The thing that most often blocks it
You have a job offer from a Singapore company as a professional, manager or executive	Employment Pass	The age-graded salary floor, and the COMPASS score of the hiring company
You have a job offer in a skilled role below the EP floor	S Pass	The employer’s quota and the levy, which are the employer’s problem, not yours
You want to move to Singapore and run your own company	Incorporate first, then an Employment Pass, or EntrePass if the business is innovative or venture-backed	There has to be an employer before there can be a pass
You earn a very high fixed salary and want to change employer without refiling	Personalised Employment Pass or ONE Pass	The salary threshold, and the fact that neither is an ICA-listed PR category
Your spouse is moving on an Employment Pass or S Pass	Dependant’s Pass	The sponsor must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$6,000
You want to bring your parents	Long-Term Visit Pass	The sponsor must earn a fixed monthly salary of at least S$12,000
You are on a Dependant’s Pass and want to work	An Employment Pass, S Pass or DP-Work Permit through an employer, or a Letter of Consent if you are running your own business	MOM no longer issues a Letter of Consent simply because you hold a Dependant’s Pass
You are married to a Singapore citizen or permanent resident	Permanent residence under ICA’s spouse category, sponsored by your spouse	Nothing structural. The question is whether the file is ready
You hold an Employment Pass or S Pass and have been here some years	Permanent residence in your own right	Applying too early, before there is a residency and tax record to assess
You have been a permanent resident for at least two years and are 21 or older	Citizenship	Renunciation of your existing citizenship, and National Service for sons
You hold a Work Permit, Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass and want PR	None, on the strength of that pass alone	ICA’s eligibility list does not include those passes in their own right
You are an investor with a substantial business track record	Global Investor Programme, administered by EDB	We do not handle GIP and will tell you so at the first conversation

The question almost nobody asks first

Before choosing a route, ask what the route is for. People arrive at an adviser asking for permanent residence when what they actually want is for their children to stay in school here, or for their spouse to be able to work, or for the family to stop renewing passes every two years. Those are different problems with different and often much cheaper answers. A Letter of Consent, a Dependant’s Pass renewal handled properly, or simply waiting another eighteen months before filing for PR can be the better outcome. We would rather have that conversation than sell the largest engagement on the list.

The realistic sequence, from first arrival to citizenship

The timings below are drawn from what MOM and ICA publish about their own processing, plus the waiting periods that are structural rather than administrative. They are not promises. They describe a case that runs without complication.

Table 3. A realistic timeline from arrival to citizenship

Stage	What has to happen	Published or structural timing
Entry visa, if required	Application through a local contact, strategic partner or overseas mission	Within 3 working days, per ICA
Employment Pass application	14-day MyCareersFuture advertisement, then filing	Advertisement 14 consecutive days, then MOM outcome within 10 business days for most cases
In-Principle Approval to issuance	Candidate enters Singapore and the pass is issued	IPA valid 6 months on a new EP
Dependant’s Pass for family	Filed after the main pass is approved	Within 3 weeks for most cases, per MOM
First EP renewal	Renewal window opens 6 months before expiry	First pass up to 2 years, renewal up to 3 years
Building a PR-ready record	Continuous employment, tax assessments, time actually spent here	Not published by ICA. In practice most people file after several years
PR application	Online through ICA’s e-Service using Singpass	Within 6 months, some applications longer, per ICA
Completion of PR formalities	Entry Permit, Re-Entry Permit and Identity Card issued	After In-Principle Approval and payment of ICA’s completion fees
Qualifying period for citizenship	At least 2 years as a permanent resident, aged 21 and above	Structural, stated by ICA
Citizenship application	Online through ICA’s e-Service	Within 12 months, per ICA
Singapore Citizenship Journey	Mandatory for applicants aged 16 to 60 after in-principle approval	Completed before citizenship is granted

What actually slows people down

Almost never the authority. In our experience the delay is document collection: a birth certificate held in another country, a marriage certificate that needs an official translation from a source ICA accepts, a divorce file that is incomplete, a Singpass account that has not been registered. ICA notes that Singpass account approval can take two to five working days and recommends starting an application only after everyone who must declare has registered. For a family of four that is four accounts, and it is worth doing before anything else.

What we do at each stage, and what it costs

Our fees are published. They are fixed in writing before work starts and they do not move once we have begun. We do not charge a percentage of the outcome and we do not charge a success fee, because an adviser paid on approval has an interest in filing this year whether or not this year is the right year.

Table 4. Our published fees, in Singapore dollars

Service	New application	Renewal	Note
Employment Pass	1,400	200	New fee includes MOM fees and one appeal if rejected. Renewal excludes MOM fees
S Pass	1,400	200	Same structure as the Employment Pass
Dependant’s Pass	600	200	Per pass
Long-Term Visit Pass	600	200	Per pass
Letter of Consent	300	150	Where the applicant is eligible for one
Work Permit	300	150	Excludes levy, security bond and insurance costs
Entry visa	100	Not applicable	ICA’s own fee is S$30 and is paid separately
Update of particulars with MOM	80 per change	Not applicable	Address, passport, salary and similar notifications
Singapore permanent residence, single applicant	2,000	Not applicable	ICA’s fees are paid separately and directly to ICA
Singapore permanent residence, family application	2,500	Not applicable	Covers the main applicant with spouse and children under 21
Singapore citizenship	On quote	Not applicable	Scope and fee agreed in writing after the first review
Global Investor Programme	On quote	Not applicable	We do not file GIP applications. We will say so at the first conversation

What the authorities charge, separately from us

Government fees are not ours and we do not mark them up. The figures below are the ones MOM and ICA publish.

Table 5. Government fees, in Singapore dollars

Item	Authority	Amount
Employment Pass application	MOM	105
Employment Pass issuance	MOM	225 per pass
S Pass application	MOM	105
Dependant’s Pass application	MOM	105 per pass
Dependant’s Pass issuance	MOM	225 per pass
Multiple Journey Visa, where required	MOM	30 each
Entry visa	ICA	30, non-refundable
Permanent residence application	ICA	100 for each application, non-refundable
PR completion: Entry Permit, 5-year Re-Entry Permit, Identity Card	ICA	20, 50 and 50
Re-Entry Permit renewal	ICA	10 for every year, or part of a year, of the approved permit
Citizenship application	ICA	100 for each application, non-refundable
Citizenship completion: certificate and identity card	ICA	70 and 10
Renunciation of Singapore citizenship	ICA	35

ICA states that successful applicants will be notified of other applicable fees subsequently, so treat the figures above as the published baseline rather than a final total. All ICA fees are non-refundable, including where an application is refused.

What is not in anybody’s fee

Official translation of any document not in English, and notarisation or embassy attestation where it is required. ICA accepts translations from the embassy of the issuing country, from a notary public in Singapore or in the issuing country, or a private translation attested by that embassy or notarised. ICA does not endorse any private translation company. We do not mark these costs up and we take no commission on them. You pay the translator or the notary directly.

Where a lawyer is needed, and how the referral works

Most immigration work is administrative. Some of it is not, and the difference is not always obvious from the outside. Here is where we stop.

Table 6. Agency work and legal work, separated

Matter	Handled by us	Referred to an independent law firm
Preparing and filing a work pass application	Yes	No
Preparing and filing a PR or citizenship application	Yes	No
Appealing a refused work pass to MOM	Yes	No
Appealing a refused PR or citizenship application through ICA’s appeal e-Service	Yes	No
Advice on the effect of a criminal record or a past immigration offence	No	Yes
An investigation or prosecution under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act or the Immigration Act	No	Yes
Custody, guardianship or consent of an ex-spouse for a child applicant	No	Yes
Divorce, separation or matrimonial proceedings affecting a pass or an application	No	Yes
Advice on National Service liability in a contested or unusual case	No	Yes, and CMPB should be consulted directly
Purchase of restricted residential property under the Residential Property Act	No	Yes, plus the SLA application itself
Conveyancing, tenancy disputes and stamp duty assessments	No	Yes
Company incorporation and the resident director requirement	No	Handled by our affiliate Raffles Corporate Services
Judicial review of an immigration decision	No	Yes

How the referral actually works

If a matter crosses the line we tell you at the point we notice it, not at the end. We refer to an independent Singapore law firm under a separate engagement between you and that firm. You contract with them directly, you pay them directly, and their advice is theirs. We do not take a referral commission and we do not receive any share of their fee. If we are already engaged on the administrative part of the same matter we continue with that part, and the two pieces run alongside each other.

There is a practical reason we are strict about this. An employment agency licence is issued under the Employment Agencies Act and governs employment agency work. It is not a practising certificate and it does not make anyone entitled to give legal advice. Legal advice given by someone not entitled to give it is worth less than nothing, because you will have relied on it.

What an employment agency may and may not do

This matters more than the market usually admits, so it is worth setting out plainly.

What the MOM licence means

Our licence is issued by the Ministry of Manpower, number 19C9790. It authorises us to carry on employment agency work, which includes applying for work passes on behalf of employers. It means we are a regulated, inspected and accountable business with a number you can check on MOM’s register.

What the licence does not mean

It gives us no standing with ICA. ICA states that it has no affiliation with any external migration agency or commercial entity, does not support or endorse immigration consultancy services, and is not responsible for any loss arising from engaging one. An agency that implies it has a relationship with ICA, a channel into ICA, or influence over an ICA decision is describing something that does not exist. You can file a PR or citizenship application yourself through ICA’s e-Service, and you do not need anyone’s permission or introduction to do it.

What an agency adds, honestly stated

Three things. A view on whether this is the right year to file, which is the single most valuable and least-sold part of the work. A document strategy, so that what arrives at the authority is complete, consistent and properly translated the first time. And someone to handle the exchange when the authority comes back asking for more. That is the whole of it. If your case is straightforward and your documents are in order, filing yourself is a perfectly sensible choice and we will say so.

What we will not do

We publish no approval rate, no success rate and no guarantee. MOM and ICA decide every application on its merits and no agency controls that. We will not produce an unofficial score for your profile and call it an assessment. We will not take a case we think should not be filed this year. Where we think an application is unlikely to succeed as it stands, we will say so and tell you what would need to change.

The governing legislation, named accurately

Most pages in this market never mention the law. That is a shame, because knowing which instrument governs a question tells you where to look when a page like this one goes out of date. The instruments below are all on Singapore Statutes Online at sso.agc.gov.sg and are free to read.

Table 7. The main instruments, and what each governs

Instrument	What it governs
Immigration Act 1959, and the Immigration Regulations made under it	Entry into and departure from Singapore, passes and permits, entry permits and re-entry permits, and the powers of the Controller of Immigration
Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the citizenship provisions	Who is a citizen of Singapore, acquisition of citizenship by registration and by naturalisation, and deprivation and renunciation of citizenship
Enlistment Act 1970	National Service liability, registration, enlistment and the offence of defaulting
Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990	Work passes, the conditions attaching to them, employer obligations and offences including false declarations
Employment Agencies Act 1958	Licensing and conduct of employment agencies, including this one
Residential Property Act 1976	Purchase and holding of residential property by foreign persons, and approval by the Controller of Residential Property
Stamp Duties Act 1929	Buyer’s Stamp Duty, Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty and lease duty
Compulsory Education Act 2000	Compulsory primary education, which applies to children who are citizens of Singapore
Education Act 1957	Registration and regulation of schools and the office of the Director-General of Education
Central Provident Fund Act 1953	CPF contributions, which are payable for Singapore citizens and permanent residents

Two points of accuracy that are worth making. First, National Service liability sits in the Enlistment Act 1970, and ICA states that a person who defaults on his obligations by committing an offence under that Act is liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$10,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both. Second, the Compulsory Education Act 2000 applies to a child of compulsory school age who was born after 1 January 1996, is a citizen of Singapore and is residing in Singapore. Foreign children living in Singapore are not within it. That single fact explains a good deal about the schooling section of our family relocation guide.

The mistakes that cost people the most

Treating an In-Principle Approval as permission to work

It is not. Employment may only begin once the pass has been issued. This is the single most expensive misunderstanding in the whole system, because working before issuance is an offence and it contaminates the employment record.

Assuming a COMPASS exemption is an advertising exemption

They are separate rule sets that happen to share a number in one case. An application exempt from COMPASS can still be refused for failing to advertise correctly on MyCareersFuture.

Filing for permanent residence in the first year

ICA publishes no minimum period of residence, so nothing stops you. But length of residency is one of the factors ICA says it weighs, and a few months of pass history gives ICA very little to assess. The application is not wrong. It is thin, the S$100 is not refundable, and the refusal sits in your record.

Reapplying without changing anything

A refusal, then a fresh application a few months later with the same facts, the same documents and a slightly different covering letter. Nothing material has changed, so there is no reason for a different outcome.

Discovering National Service after the application

If you have a son approaching sixteen and a half, his National Service position should be part of the decision about when, and whether, to apply for permanent residence or citizenship. ICA directs all male applicants to CMPB for information on National Service before proceeding with an application. That is the right place to check, and it should be checked first.

Letting a Re-Entry Permit lapse while abroad

Permanent residence is not unconditional. A valid Re-Entry Permit is required whenever a permanent resident travels out of Singapore, and status can be lost by remaining overseas without one. We cover the current rule on our permanent residence page.

Frequently asked questions

What immigration services does a licensed employment agency actually provide?

Work pass applications, renewals, appeals and cancellations with MOM, family pass applications, and preparation and submission of permanent residence and citizenship applications to ICA. What it cannot provide is legal advice, or any influence over a decision by MOM or ICA.

Do I need an agency at all?

For a work pass, the employer or a licensed employment agency must file, so a candidate cannot do it alone. For permanent residence and citizenship you can file yourself through ICA’s e-Service. What an adviser adds is a view on timing, a document strategy and someone to handle the follow-up correspondence. If your case is straightforward we will tell you to file it yourself.

How long does the whole journey take, from arrival to citizenship?

Nobody can give you a single number, because the longest stage is the one no authority publishes: how long you should be here before a permanent residence application is worth filing. The published parts are that ICA processes permanent residence within six months and citizenship within twelve months, and that citizenship requires at least two years as a permanent resident.

Which pass leads to permanent residence?

ICA’s eligibility list includes Employment Pass and S Pass holders, spouses and children of citizens and permanent residents, aged parents of citizens, qualifying students and foreign investors. It does not include Work Permit, Dependant’s Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass holders in their own right.

Can I apply for permanent residence and citizenship at the same time?

No. ICA’s citizenship eligibility requires that you have already been a permanent resident for at least two years, or that you have been a PR for at least two years and married to a Singapore citizen for at least two years.

What does ICA charge, and is any of it refundable?

S$100 for each permanent residence application and S$100 for each citizenship application at submission, both non-refundable. On approval, S$20 for the Entry Permit, S$50 for a five-year Re-Entry Permit and S$50 for the Identity Card on the PR side, and S$70 for the citizenship certificate with S$10 for the identity card on the citizenship side. An entry visa is S$30.

Do you publish your fees?

Yes, in full, in the table above. Employment Pass S$1,400 new and S$200 renewal, S Pass the same, Dependant’s Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass S$600 and S$200, Letter of Consent S$300 and S$150, Work Permit S$300 and S$150, entry visa S$100, update of particulars with MOM S$80 per change, permanent residence S$2,000 for a single applicant and S$2,500 for a family. Citizenship and the Global Investor Programme are on quote.

Can an agency guarantee approval, or quote an approval rate?

No. MOM and ICA decide every application. ICA does not publish approval rates by agency, by nationality or by profile, so any figure you are shown has been produced by whoever is showing it to you. Treat a guarantee or a quoted percentage as a reason for caution.

When do I need an immigration lawyer rather than an agency?

When the question is about the legal effect of something rather than the mechanics of an application. A criminal record, a past immigration offence, an investigation or prosecution, custody and consent for a child applicant, matrimonial proceedings, property purchase under the Residential Property Act, or any challenge to a decision. We refer those to an independent Singapore law firm under a separate engagement and take no commission.

I am a founder. Do I incorporate first or apply for the pass first?

Incorporate first. A work pass is tied to an employer, so there has to be an employer capable of sponsoring it. Our affiliate Raffles Corporate Services handles incorporation and the resident director requirement, and we handle the pass. Founders should also look at EntrePass.

My spouse is on a Dependant’s Pass and wants to work. What are the options?

MOM’s published options are an Employment Pass, an S Pass or a DP-Work Permit obtained through a prospective employer, or a Letter of Consent if your spouse is setting up or operating their own business. A DP holder who obtains an Employment Pass or S Pass is no longer dependent on the main pass holder for their stay and must have the Dependant’s Pass cancelled before the new pass is issued.

Do you handle the Global Investor Programme?

No. The Global Investor Programme is administered by the Economic Development Board, which publishes the assessment criteria, the investment options and the application forms, with ICA deciding the permanent residence grant and charging S$100 per applicant. We will tell you at the first conversation that this is not work we take on.

How we can help

Little Big Employment Agency Pte Ltd is an employment agency licensed by the Ministry of Manpower, EA Licence 19C9790. We work on Singapore work passes, family passes and immigration applications from our office at 151 Chin Swee Road, Manhattan House.

Start with a review, not an application

Send us where you are now: your nationality, your current pass if you have one, how long you have been in Singapore, your role and salary, and who is coming with you. We will come back with a route, a realistic timeline, the total cost including the government fees, and an honest view on whether this is the right year to move. There is no charge for that and no obligation.

What you should ask any agency, including us

Is the fee fixed, and is it in writing before work starts? What exactly does it include? What do I pay MOM or ICA, and when? Do you charge any percentage of the outcome? Is anything refundable if the application is refused? Who will actually handle my file? And, most usefully: under what circumstances would you tell me not to apply? An agency that cannot answer that last one has not been assessing anyone.

Talk to our team about your immigration position.

Official sources

• MOM: Work passes and permits
• MOM: Key facts on the Employment Pass
• MOM: Eligibility for a Dependant’s Pass
• MOM: Apply for a Dependant’s Pass, including fees
• MOM: Working in Singapore for Dependant’s Pass holders
• MOM: Eligibility for a Long-Term Visit Pass
• ICA: Becoming a Permanent Resident
• ICA: Becoming a Singapore Citizen
• ICA: Check if you need an entry visa
• ICA: Applying through commercial entities or consultants
• EDB: Global Investor Programme
• CMPB: National Service liability and enlistment
• Singapore Statutes Online: Immigration Act 1959
• Singapore Statutes Online: Enlistment Act 1970
• Singapore Statutes Online: Residential Property Act 1976
• Singapore Statutes Online: Stamp Duties Act 1929
• Singapore Statutes Online: Compulsory Education Act 2000

Figures checked against MOM, ICA, EDB and Singapore Statutes Online on 15 September 2026. The Ministry of Manpower decides every work pass application and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority decides every entry, permanent residence and citizenship application, each on its own assessment. We make no approval-rate claim and no guarantee. This page is general information and not legal advice. See our legal and referral information.