If you’re a candidate who has been offered a work position in Singapore, first of all, congratulations; doors have opened for you! However, before you can walk through those doors, you will still need to cross one very important hurdle with your prospective employer: the application for an Employment Pass (EP) with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
The application for an EP is carried out by your prospective employer, but that doesn’t mean you should just relax, sit back, and wait for the results. You have a part to play in ensuring your EP application goes through smoothly and quickly. The preparations you make on your end will benefit both your employer and you by enabling you to commence work promptly.
What to expect during the Employment Pass application process
When applying for an EP from Singapore’s MOM, one of the major requirements of the EP process is the submission and verification of a candidate’s academic qualifications. Under Singapore law, any employer applying for a new overseas candidate (i.e. a candidate who has never gone through the EP process before, even for another employer) will need to engage an MOM-endorsed background check provider to verify the authenticity and recognition of their educational qualifications.
During the screening process, the background check provider will be in contact with you to obtain your consent to obtain, process, and verify your qualifications and other personal documents and details.
It is important to note that the university you obtained your degree or equivalent qualification from contributes to the overall assessment of your eligibility for an EP. The authorities will need to confirm that they recognise your university’s legitimacy (the Accreditation Status Verification check). They will also verify that your qualifications are genuine and bona fide (the Education Verification check).
What documents do you need for MOM verification and employment history verification?
Typically, a background check provider like RMI, who has been engaged by your prospective employer, will ask for certain documents in accordance with MOM requirements. Here’s what to submit for an MOM background screening:
- Copies of your degrees or certificates in their original language
- An English translation of the certificates if they are not in English, as required by MOM
- Copies of your academic transcripts
- A copy of your passport
- If your institution is in India, a copy of your marksheet
- If your institution is in China, copies of your Degree Certificate 学位证书 and Graduating Certificate 毕业证书
- Documentary evidence (such as deed polls, marriage certificates, baptism certificates etc.) that accounts for any discrepancy in name between your passport and your education certificates
How to prepare your documents and avoid delays in your Work Pass application
To facilitate a smooth verification process and prevent delays in your work pass application, you should prepare your credentials, as listed above, the moment your prospective employer makes you an offer.
Don’t wait until the EP process is started, as it may take some time on your end to make or request the necessary documents, in addition to the time taken for the verification process. That way, you will be ready to send the documents over the moment they initiate the EP process, and you are contacted by their selected background check provider.
Background check providers typically cannot commence the verification process until you have signed the Letter of Authorisation that allows the company to obtain and handle your data. They also need to have received all the necessary documents from you prior to the MOM verification.
The sooner you provide your background check provider with all the necessary documents, the faster they can help move your application along. It’s also better to commence verification earlier than you think, as it is a process that may take considerable time, depending on your country of origin/study and the specific circumstances of your academic studies.
When preparing your academic and identity documents for submission, please ensure that all your document scans are clear and clean; unclear document copies only make it harder and therefore slower to verify your details. Insufficient documentation may create knock-on delays throughout your EP process, and in the worst-case scenario, may result in work pass rejection from MOM.
What are your rights during the MOM verification process?
During the EP application and background check process, you are protected by Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and are entitled to certain rights under it.
The right to informed consent
It is your right to specifically consent to any data gathering before it can be done. Employers and their intermediaries (in this case, the background check provider) cannot collect, use, or disclose your data without this. This consent is usually obtained via a Letter of Authorisation.
The right to know what is being collected, and why
Organisations cannot force you to agree to the collection, use or disclosure of personal data beyond what is necessary for them to carry out their specific purpose. In this case, your data will be used to verify your identity and education. This means you have the right to know what the company is collecting and for what purpose, and you can object to it if necessary.
The right to withdraw consent
At any point in your EP process, you have the right to withdraw your consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your data. However, do note that this may come with negative consequences if it impedes verification, so this step should be considered very carefully and actioned only with good cause.
The right to access your personal data
You have the right at any time to request access to the personal data that your prospective employer or their background check provider has collected from you, and to find out how that information has been used within the past year.
The right to correct inaccurate data
You have the right to correct any inaccuracies in the data that your prospective employer or background check provider has collected, such as inaccurate dates or facts.
The right to data privacy and security
You have the right to expect that your personal data will be kept secure and protected, and that it will not be kept once all the purposes for which the data was collected have been served.
Reaching out to RMI for a smooth verification process
Besides getting your own documents in order prior to an EP application, there is also something you, as a candidate, can do to prepare to come to Singapore to work; especially in high-stakes recruitment situations. You can anticipate any potential difficulties in the verification process by proactively reaching out to an MOM-endorsed background check provider like RMI to run your own background check.
Partnering with a MOM-endorsed provider will allow you to review what shows up, and identify facts or particulars that may need correction, as well as supporting evidence or explanation. If nothing else, you can reassure yourself of what MOM will see, and gain confidence in a smooth process that is better managed with foreknowledge.
Working smarter begins before you start your first day in your new role: it starts here, at the verification process. If you would like to be better prepared for your own pass application, reach out to RMI for a chat.