A Letter of Consent or LOC is an authority issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of Singapore to vest a holder of DP (Dependent's Pass) the right to get full employment and get a salary in Singapore with a registered company in the country. We'll discuss here the LOC in Singapore.
Who is eligible for LOC?
Anyone can apply for an LOC to get employment in Singapore. If you are eligible to be a dependent's pass holder or should be an LTVP+ or LTVP who is unmarried or a spouse.
Eligibility
To become eligible for getting an LOC by the government of Singapore:
- The applicant must be the dependent's pass holder - a dependent using Employment Pass, Personalized Employment Pass (PEP), or EntrePass (EP).
- One who holds LTVP+ married to Singaporean, or who is a permanent resident of Singapore.
- An unmarried individual (below 21 years) born to a Singaporean and permanent residents who hold an LTVP.
What documents are required to obtain an LOC?
When applying for an LOC in Singapore, possessing the necessary documents is mandatory. Along with the documents of legibility, documents such as Dependent's Pass, LTPV+ or LTPV for employment in Singapore have to be submitted if they find a job.
For selected professionals, the applicant has to submit additional documents when applying for an LOC. Such applicants may be lawyers, healthcare professionals, and regional representatives.
Note that if your documents are not in English, you have to submit the original document and the English version thereof. The translation can be performed by a service provider in translation.
Apart from these documents, other documents might be required when the application is reviewed.
The additional documents to be submitted are as follows:
- Regional representatives: A copy of letter of approval from Enterprise Singapore is to be submitted to start a representative office in Singapore. A letter from the office of representative mentioning the purpose of the application, how long the duration of the assignment is going to be, and a guarantee for repatriation and maintenance of the candidate is also needed.
- Health care professionals, lawyers, football players and coaches: As for health care professionals for each discipline, the respective national apex authority in Singapore needs to issue the document. You can see full list here.
- Employees of food establishments: Employees of a food establishment must submit a copy of license issues by SFA, NEA food shop license issued before 01 April 2019 are also acceptable. However, if your establishment is a new one, and does not have a license yet, submit a copy of the food shop license application letter issued by SFA.
How to Apply for an LOC
Only an employer or an appointed employment agent (EA) can apply for an LOC. This is to look for eligible LTVP, LTVP+ and Dependant's Pass holders to work in Singapore.
Application can be done online via EP Online. You can also check the status of your application online.
How to Renew, Replace, or Cancel Your Application for an LOC
An employer can cancel an LOC or apply for renewal prior to the date of expiry. Employers can also apply for a replacement if the LOC is deemed loss.
Renewal of LOC
Employers or appointed employment agents can do it. Renewal processing takes three weeks for Dependant's Pass holder and 1 week for LTVP/LTVP+ holders. To apply for renewal, you need to log in to EP online.
Replacement of LOC
If the LOC is believed to be misplaced it has to be reported as loss, and request for replacement can be made.
Cancellation of LOC
To cancel an LOC, make sure you apply in one week following the closing day of the notice period.
If you're planning to submit the LOC application form you need to attach copies of document.
The following need to be submitted:
- The filled in application form
- A photograph of the applicant (passport size and not older than last three months)
- Documents that show the applicant's relationship with the holder of the EP
- Personal data of applicant's passport/travel document
Do I apply online or manually?
When applying for a letter of consent in Singapore, it is important to note that while submitting an application online is faster and easier, the applicant can opt for a manual submission. Applications submitted manually are considered on equal par with applications submitted online. Of course, when submitting manually it is critical to possess the physical documents. This will make sure that you submit an application as accurate as possible.