It's also quite easy for spouses to advance their own careers, as they have the option to work or start a business in Singapore. All foreigners intending to work in Singapore must have a valid pass (commonly known as a work visa) before starting work. If you hire foreigners to work in Singapore, you must ensure that they have a valid pass. Find out which pass is appropriate, if they are eligible, and how to apply.
What may seem like an additional layer of complication for foreigners moving to Singapore, especially for the wives of expatriates who take jobs here, aims to foster coherence within the labor ecosystem in compliance with the latest labor updates, the Ministry explains. By way of background, a person in charge (i) of a holder of an Employment Pass, EntrePass or Personalized Employment Pass; (ii) with a dependent pass valid for at least 3 months; and (iii) who has had a job offer from a Singaporean employer, can “take advantage of their spouses to work in Singapore by obtaining an LOC from Ministry of Human Resources. The PD, which traditionally allowed spouses or family members of expatriate employees to work in Singapore simply with a letter of consent (LOC) from the MOM, is now going to change with stricter processes. The consent letter offers a temporary work subsidy in Singapore, so dependents may want to take the time to talk to other expat families while researching other options.
Lee Quane, Asia regional director for international expatriate management firm ECA International, said that, according to his data, female wives represent a “disproportionate number of the 11,000 dependant pass holders working in Singapore. This also means many unhappy foreign expatriate families, and relocating them here will be more difficult if they know their partner or spouse won't be able to work, he said.
