Singapore Tech.Pass Visa for Talented IT-Specialists
The New Singapore Visa Tech.Pass Has Great Promise and at the Same Time Is Quite Difficult to Obtain.
Tech.Pass is a new type of work visa designed specifically for foreign technology experts who wish to come to Singapore.
In this age of innovation, human talent is the most valuable commodity. Singaporean corporations of all sizes recognize that they need to compete globally to attract highly qualified employees to grow their companies.
The Economic Development Board of Singapore (EDB) has recognized this problem and has come up with a solution: Tech.Pass is a new type of work visa designed specifically for foreign technology experts or tech entrepreneurs who want to come to Singapore.
Tech.Pass has many advantages, allowing the owner to work in multiple IT companies at the same time or create their own innovative company. The visa also allows to bring family members to live in Singapore with the main holder. This encourages companies to attract the best technical talent from around the world, who in turn can be attracted by the opportunity to live and work in one of the most prosperous and safe countries in the world.
The downside is that the application criteria are quite high and rejections are not uncommon. However, you may even get government support in the Tech.Pass application process.
We invite you to read the article about some aspects of obtaining Tech.Pass.
What Is Tech.Pass?
Tech.Pass is a new type of work visa created by Singapore EDB for technology experts. This work visa allows the holder to work for more than one company, as well as self-employment if they so choose. It also enables family members to reside in Singapore.
There is currently a quota of 500 Tech.Pass visas per year. Visas are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis – upon receipt of applications and their approval.
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Who Can Get Tech.Pass?
Tech.Pass is usually only issued to foreign technology experts seeking employment in Singapore. Going forward, EDB also intends to extend this visa to entrepreneurs to encourage them to launch their startups in Singapore.
The scheme is open to technical experts who earned at least $ 20,000 per month last year. They must also have five years of cumulative experience, either in a senior technical position with a US $ 500 million company or as a technology product or service developer with US $ 100 million in annual revenue or 100,000 monthly active users.
What Are the Benefits of Having a Tech.Pass?
Tech.Pass’s big party trick is that it gives the holder the option to start their own tech company in Singapore. This is important because when it comes to innovation, Singapore’s economic landscape is dominated by large companies with foreign investors. With Tech.Pass, an individual can enter Singapore’s innovation sector and potentially have a measurable impact on the future of the technology sector.
Other benefits of Tech.Pass:
- The ability to join one or more Singapore companies as their employees.
- The ability to move from employer to entrepreneur.
- Opportunity to become a director of one or more Singapore companies.
- Opportunity to be an investor / shareholder in one or more Singapore companies.
- Opportunity to become a mentor or consultant at a University of Singapore and lecture at local higher education institutions.
- The opportunity to join the family already in Singapore.
- The ability to sponsor a family member through a Dependent Pass or Long-Term Visit Pass to stay with you in Singapore.
What Are the Problems When Getting Tech.Pass?
The problem with Tech.Pass is that it is only applicable to highly qualified and valuable positions such as engineers, managers and executives of technology companies with global operations or international R&D centers in Singapore.
Another major drawback of Tech.Pass is how intense the process of passing it through the system can be. To apply to a local sponsoring company, applicants need to have a letter of offer or employment contract submitted by their potential employer. Thereafter, the applicant will have to pass a work experience test and migration certificate at the Ministry of Human Resources. In general, there are many steps to be taken to obtain a Tech.Pass, and this poses significant challenges for both employer and employee.
Simplifying the Tech.Pass Application Process with Tech @ SG
Fortunately, help is at hand: EDB and Enterprise Singapore have partnered with the Tech @ SG program. Tech @ SG was created to help Singaporean tech companies gain access to world-class talent and mitigate or remove some of the hurdles we will focus on.
