Business Relocation Service
Our Smooth & Stress-free Immigration Service
Singapore remains an attractive financial, logistics and technology hub in Asia and has drawn many foreign investors with it’s tax incentives and favourable business climate.
Shifting your existing business or starting a business in a foreign country can be daunting for many. In The Immigration People, we assist business owner / entrepreneur / innovator / investor who wishes to venture into Singapore, and perhaps obtain a permanent residency or citizenship status eventually.
Our Business Relocation Service is here to provide you with the right immigration solutions to Singapore.
Immigration Journey
This is a 1-1 private and comprehensive session with our experienced consultants to understand your background, profile, and professional credentials to determine and propose the best solutions for your quest to incorporate a business and relocation to Singapore.
During this session, we will be explaining to you in detail about:
- Incorporation process
- Employment / Entrepreneur Pass scheme, including Dependant’s Pass(es) for your family member(s)
- Renewal criteria
- Options for PR and Citizenship in the near future.
Along with our trusted Corporate Secretary / Accounting partners, we will assist you to incorporate a company with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA).
Incorporation of company can take any time between a week to two, after all documents are in place.
Nominee Director service is provided for foreigners with no local business partners.
Depending on what was proposed to you, we will assist you in filling the necessary application with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) so that you are allowed to engage in work activities in Singapore, including the freedom to travel in and out of the
country.
(i) Employment Pass
This pass is meant for foreign professionals (all nationalities) with a fixed monthly salary of at least S$5,000. More experienced and senior candidates will require higher salaries to qualify.
Duration: EPs granted for new companies will usually be up to 1 year and subsequently renewable for 2-3 years, depending on the performance or track record of the company.
Renewal Criteria: EP holders is to ensure that business activities and operations are running, and you are not working in a dormant company. Renewal of EP can be done up to 3 months prior to the pass’s expiry date.
Summary of Documents Required:
- Your Passport
- Company’s latest business profile or instant information registered with ACRA
- Your Highest Education Certificates (up to 2), e.g., Degree Certificate. Additional documents are required for all countries
- Completed EP application form
- Additional supporting documents will be required, on a case-by-case basis.The success rate of EP can be determined by the following factors:
- Your credentials (e.g., educational and professional qualifications, years of work experience, specialised skills, relevant work experience, salary, etc)
- Singapore Company’s Profile (for new companies, a substantial amount of Paid-Up Capital is crucial, nature of the business, Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) / Invoices / Contracts with clients, etc.). Kindly note that a company must be incorporated before we can file an EP application.
Processing time: An EP application takes an average of 8 weeks, which can be longer if you are selected at random for further checks by the MOM.
Approval: On approval of EP application, MOM will issue an In-Principal Approval (IPA) letter. This IPA is valid for 6 months, whereby you can use this IPA to travel and enter Singapore to complete the formalities with MOM. A medical check-up will be required for first-time EP holders.
Do note that you will not be allowed to start work in Singapore with the IPA alone. While waiting for the issuance of the EP card, you will require a Notification Letter (NL) to be issued by the MOM should you wish to commence work before the issuance of the EP card. This NL is valid for 30 days. Typically, the EP card will be delivered to the employer within four working days upon successful document verification and fingerprint registration (if required).
(ii) Entrepreneur Pass (EntrePass)
This pass is intended for serial entrepreneurs, high-calibre innovators or experienced investors who wish to venture into and operate a business in Singapore.
To be eligible for an EntrePass, you must meet at least one of the following seven criteria, on top of being at least:
- 21 years of age and above
- Does not have a company in Singapore yet OR the company in Singapore is incorporated less than 6 months ago
- Will be holding or hold at least 30% in this Singapore company
| Entrepreneur | Innovator | Investor |
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The following businesses are not eligible for an EntrePass:
- Coffee shops, hawker centres, food courts
- Bars, night clubs, karaoke lounges
- Foot reflexology, massage parlours
- Acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal dispensing businesses
- Employment agencies
- Geomancy business
If you belong to any of the listed sectors, (i) Employment Pass will be the best option for you. Please refer to the above section on (i).
Duration
First-time EntrePass holders will be granted for up to 1 year and subsequently renewable for every 2 years, having met the renewal criteria set out by the MOM.
Renewal Criteria
- Renewal of EntrePass can be done up to 3 months of the pass’s expiry date.
- Provide documentary proof of ongoing business activities as described in the original business plan. Candidate must own at least 30% shareholding of the company.
| Number of years EntrePass is held | Total annual business spending of minimum (in SGD) | Employ at least |
| 2 | 100,000 | 3 local full-time employees OR 1 local professional, manager or executive |
| 4 | 200,000 | 6 local full-time employees OR 2 local professional, manager or executive |
| 6 | 300,000 | 9 local full-time employees OR 3 local professional, manager or executive |
| 8 or more | 400,000 | 12 local full-time employees OR 4 local professional, manager or executive |
Summary of Documents Required
- Your Passport
- Your past employment testimonials or resume to elaborate on professional experiences, awards or recognitions.
- A 10-page business plan in English, consisting of:
- Product and service offered
- Market analysis
- Operation plan
- Profile of management team
- Supporting documents, e.g. licensing agreements, product certificates and endorsement patents
- Company’s latest business profile or instant information from ACRA Bizfile (For businesses who have already incorporated a company in Singapore that is less than 6 months old
- Documentary evidence to prove that you have fulfilled 1 out of the 7 criteria listed above
- Your Highest Education Certificates (up to 2), e.g., Degree Certificate. Additional documents are required for the following countries:
- India – Transcripts or marksheets for all semesters, indicating the college attended.
- China – Verification proof for Diploma and above qualifications (service for verification of education certificates is included as part of our Business and Relocation package)
- Completed EntrePass application form
- Other additional documents that will support your EntrePass application, depending on your profile and which category you fall within the above 7 criteria.
Processing Time
An EntrePass application takes an average of 8 weeks, which can be longer if you are selected at random for further checks by the MOM. The application will also be assessed jointly by the other government agencies such as SGInnovate, the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board of Singapore (SPRING), Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA)
Approval
On approval of EntrePass application, MOM will email the In-Principal Approval (IPA) letter to you directly. This IPA is valid for 6 months, whereby you can use this IPA to travel and enter Singapore to complete the formalities with MOM. A medical check-up will be required to complete the formalities.
In order for MOM to issue the EntrePass card, you are required to have a residential address (must meet MOM’s housing requirements) and a local address to deliver the card to. There may also be a need to register your fingerprints and photograph within 2 weeks from the issuance of your EntrePass card. This will be indicated in your notification letter from MOM.
You can be assured that we will be here to guide you till the end of your work pass journey, including submitting and tracking of your application status of your behalf, step-by-step guidance (including booking of any e-Appointments with the MOM.) on completion of formalities, any liaising with the relevant government authorities.
In the event of a rejection, we will explore the reasons with the MOM and assist with an appeal, where applicable.
Once you obtain your work pass, you can begin your business operations!
Be it an EP or EntrePass holder, you are eligible for permanent residence (PR) in time to come. Typically, we recommend after the first renewal of your EP / EntrePass as this shows more stability in your business and allow you time to integrate into Singapore’s society.
In fact, once you have officially gotten your EP/EntrePass status, we will begin to guide you on the things you can do to assist with your social integration efforts and other factors that will bolster your chances of approval for your PR application.
The PR application will be filed to the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and approvals are not automatic but based on your credentials, overall conduct and Singapore’s PR policies at that given point in time
Please share with us some details about your needs, we will get back to you.
