| Q1 | How do I apply to study in Singapore? | ||||||||||||||||||
| A. | Application procedures are dependent on the type of institutions the students are applying to. In general, you need to check the application procedures with the educational institution of your choice. Click here for the general application procedures for application to the following institutions:
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| Q2 | What are the entry requirements to study at educational institutions in Singapore? | ||||||||||||||||||
| A. | Entry requirements vary from institution to institution. As English is the common language of instruction, most institutions require students to meet a minimum standard of English. Generally, certification of competence in English is in the form of:
Step 1: Apply at school of choice1 The parent/guardian submits the completed application form for school admission together with all the necessary original documents directly to a school of choice. Step 2a: School conducts placement test and issues Letter of Acceptance School will conduct placement test for the applicant if there is a vacancy. If applicant passes the placement test and the school accepts him/her, the school will issue a Letter of Acceptance. The Letter of Acceptance will indicate in-principle acceptance of the applicant to the school. The applicant can proceed to ICA to apply for a student's pass with this letter (see Step 3). Acceptance to the school is subject to the applicant obtaining and returning with a student's pass from Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) within 2 weeks from date of issue of the Letter of Acceptance. Applicants who are holding a Dependant's Pass (DP) or an Immigration Exemption Order (IEO) are not required to apply for a student's pass from ICA. He/She can be admitted by the school immediately upon passing the placement test (go to Step 5). Step 2b: School issues Letter of Referral to ICA for clearance Applicants with parents working in Singapore but not eligible for DP need to be referred to ICA before the school can conduct the placement test. School will fax a Letter of Referral to ICA. ICA will follow up with the applicant directly on matters regarding immigration clearance and issue a letter of clearance to the applicant. The applicant can then approach the school for a placement test with this letter (refer to Step 2a). Step 3: Apply student's pass at ICA The Letter of Acceptance is valid for 2 weeks from date of issue. Upon receiving the Letter of Acceptance, the applicant should proceed to ICA immediately to apply for a student's pass. Applicant must produce the original Letter of Acceptance endorsed by the School to ICA. Step 4: Return to school within 2 weeks with student's pass The applicant must return to school with a valid student's pass within 2 weeks from the date of the Letter of Acceptance. The applicant will forfeit his/her admission to the school if he/she does not return within 2 weeks. Step 5: Donation to the Education Fund After the applicant has been successfully admitted to the school, the Ministry of Education will send a letter to him/her requesting for the biennial donation to the Education Fund, i.e $1,000 for every 2 years. For more information, please visit http://www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/ For other private, foreign system, international schools and universities, polytechnics or institute of technical education:
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| Q3 | How do I find out which institution offers courses I am interested in? | ||||||||||||||||||
| A. | For a list of educational institutions in Singapore, please go to the pages on Education Programmes. You may also surf the institution's website for a complete listing of courses available. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Q4 | What is the difference between private and public institutions? | ||||||||||||||||||
| A. | Public Schools are government schools. They are registered and managed by the Ministry of Education, Singapore. In Singapore, there are 11 gazetted public holidays and three scheduled school holidays in a calendar year. For more details on scheduled school and public holidays for 2004, click here. Private Schools - There are various types of private schools in Singapore. Private schools are generally run by private companies or non-profit organisations. There are also some private institutions that receive public funds, eg. NAFA (The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts), SMU (Singapore Management University) and LASALLE-SIA college of the Arts. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Q5 | Do I need a Visa and Student's Pass to study in Singapore? | ||||||||||||||||||
| A. | Any international student wishing to study full-time in Singapore is required to apply for a Student's Pass and visa (if applicable) from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). For applicants who require a visa to enter Singapore, please ensure that your application for the Student Pass is submitted to the ICA at least 2 months before the commencement date of the course. Basic requirement:
With the launch of CaseTrust for Education under the Education Excellence Framework, all private education organisations will need to have the CaseTrust-endorsed Student Protection Scheme to offer school placement for international students. This is effective from December 1 2004. For more information, please refer to www.ica.gov.sg. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Q6 | How much security deposit is required from the local sponsor upon approval of student pass application? | ||||||||||||||||||
| A. | A security deposit may be required from local sponsor upon approval of student pass application.
Exemption from the security deposit requirement may be granted to:
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| Q7 | How much are the school or tuition fees?What is MOE Tuition Grant? Is there a bond to the grant? | ||||||||||||||||||
| A. | School or Tuition Fees may vary according to type of course and type of school (private or public). For course fees of private schools, please check directly with the institutions. Typical fees for public schools are:
MOE Tuition Grant MOE Tuition Grant is applicable to undergraduate students at universities and diploma students at polytechnics. The cost of University education is highly subsidised by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE). The high subsidy is provided in the form of a Tuition Grant (TG). The TG is the difference between the full fees (cost of training at the University) and the tuition fees payable by the student (i.e. direct payment). The TG is offered to all admitted full-time undergraduate and polytechnic students. Students who accept the TG need only pay the portion of the fees not covered by the TG. The TG is very substantial and works out to be about 65% - 80% of the full tuition fees. E.g. (Business Bachelors course in NUS without TG is S$19,350/annum, with TG is S$6,220/annum). | ||||||||||||||||||
Note
1 Alternatively, the parent/guardian can enroll the child to take a Certification Test conducted by PAI. For parents who are prepared to have their children placed in schools other than the top schools requiring a CQT (as in 2.7) should consider having their children taking the Certification Test. Organised by the Principals Academy Inc, the Certification Test open doors for international students who wish to study in Singapore. It is a test that help schools administer the testing of foreign students and to assess the educational levels of these students for admission purposes.
The Certification Test aims to provide these students with the ease and convenience of applying into local schools, whilst saving them the trouble of having to take multiple entry tests at different schools. PAI does not, however, place students into schools.
Only Mathematics and English will be tested. Both subjects will be tested on the same day. Please note that PAI do not provide study and reference materials to the applicants.
Test fee is charged at S$200.00 for primary school applicants and S$250.00 for secondary school applicants. Payment made through cheque, bank draft or cashier's order. Test fees are non-refundable.
The Certification Test results will be released within 1 month after the test date and posted to the applicant. The test result will be valid for 12 months.
The process is attached in the following page in the form of a flowchart.
Singapore Income Tax Liability for Foreigners
As long as you work in Singapore either on Work Permit or Employment Pass or Professional Visit Pass , your earnings will be taxed in Singapore unless ........ The employee is responsible to pay his or her income tax to the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore. Personal income tax are levied at progressive rates
Singaporeans & Foreign Spouses
Immigration rules have been relaxed to allow Singaporean women who marry foreigners to bring in their husbands. From 2nd Jan 1999 Singaporean woman can sponsor her foreign husband for PR so long as the family has the means to support itself. Foreigners who have ever work in Singapore under Work Permit scheme must obtained the prior written approval of MOM before contracting a marriage with any Singaporean or SPR. Failure to adhere to this MOM ruling can cause the offending party to be barred from entering into Singapore. If you need advise regarding MOM marriage screening or assisting in obtaining MOM prior approvalForeigners working, living or visiting Singapore are subject to Singapore laws. Singaporeans and foreigners are accorded the same protection under Singapore Laws. The trafficking and possession of illicit narcotic drugs carries the mandatory death sentence. Overstaying or entering illegally in Singapore is a serious offence and on conviction the penalties may include mandatory imprisonment and caning. Employers hiring illegal workers are also severely punished with huge fines plus possible caning for repeat offenders.
Examples of Some Offences and their Penalties
 | Drunkenness in public place - Imprisonment of up to 1 month or fine up to S$1000 |
| Making false police report - Imprisonment of up to 6 months or fine up to S$1000 or both |
| Theft - Imprisonment of between 3 to 7 years or fine or both |
| Overstaying - Imprisonment of up to 6 months or fine up to S$4,000 or both. Caning of not less than 3 strokes and imprisonment of up to 6 months if overstayed beyond 90 days |
| Drug trafficking or murder - death sentence |
| Illegal workers fine up to S$5000 or to imprisonment up to 1 year or both |
| Foreign workers who moonlight while holding work permits will face a fine of up to S$5000 and be barred from future employment. |
| Anyone caught employing foreigners without a valid work permit will be charged in court even if that foreigner has entered into Singapore legally as a Student or as a Social Visitor e.g. tourist. The first time offender faces a minimum fine of up to 24 months of foreign worker's levy and a maximum fine of up to 48 months levy for each illegal worker employed or to imprisonment of up to 1 year or both. For the second or repeat conviction the penalty will be a mandatory jail sentence of 1 to 12 months in addition to the above fines. |
| Those found guilty of employing over stayers / illegal immigrants face a jail sentence of 6 months to 2 years and a fine of up to S$6000 plus compulsory caning if he employs more than 5 immigration offenders as workers. |
It is an offence under the Singapore Immigration Regulations for a foreign student to attend school without a valid student pass. A foreign student seeking admission to a kindergarten, private school or an institution of higher learning e.g. university or polytechnic should approach them directly for admission. Donation to the Education Fund of the Ministry of Education is not required for admission to a kindergarten, private school or institute of higher learning. In 1995 38,383 student passes were issued by Immigration and Checkpoint Authority of Singapore. The present foreign student enrolment in Singapore is about 50,000. This figure is likely to grow by 3 times in the near future to 150,000
Hotel, Restaurant, Tourism, English , Computer Science, and MBA courses are favourite subjects of study by foreign nationals. The local sponsor for the application for a student's pass can be a Singapore citizen, Singapore P.R. or the school or institute where the applicant intends to study. The following documentation are required for a student pass application: letter of acceptance from the school, travel documents, identity card of local sponsor, birth certificate, educational certificates, parent's marriage certificate. The local sponsor should furnish a security bond for the amount of S$5,000 for students from the P.R.C. India, Bangladesh & Burma. For other countries the Security bond is between S$1000 to S$1500. Under a recent ICA ruling PRC students attending SQC Schools & those aged 19 years and below can submit their application for STP directly to ICA in Singapore without having to go through via the Singapore High Commission in Beijing.
An Employment Pass is a must for a qualified or skilled foreign professional who may be employed if his Singapore employer can pay him or her a basic monthly salary of S$2501 or more. Applications to Singapore Ministry of Manpower should be supported by certified copies of academic or professional qualifications, working testimonials. EPs are generally issued for 1 to 2 years in the first instance and upto 5 years on subsequent renewal. To qualify for EP an applicant should generally have a Degree from Foreign Universities in MOM's List plus relevant working experiences. Click here for EPONLINE submission services by Filmo for EP or SPass applications
Dependent Pass holders require only a Letter of Consent from the Employment Pass Department of Ministry of Manpower to work in Singapore. Online submission of CVs
Work Permit Performing Artiste
Miscellaneous Work Pass
Work Pass Exempt Activities
The Employment of Foreign Workers Act defines a foreign worker as one who is not a citizen of Singapore and who seeks employment with, or is offered employment by, or is in the employment of, an employer at a salary of not more than S$2000 a month. A foreign worker with a basic pay of S$2500 or below needs a Work Permit from the Controller of Work Permits before coming to Singapore. The WP is normally issued for 2 years basis.
for WP Online submission services call Steve 98365486 or email filmo@filmo.com
There are about 150,000 domestic workers in Singapore of which about 75,000 are Filipinas. WEF 1/1/05 the minimum age limit will be at least 23 years + 8 years of formal education & must pass a compulsory English test within 3 days of arrival. For advice on Direct Hire WP applications for Foreign Domestic Workers or for special waiver request to MOM call Steve at 65 - 98365486 or email filmo@filmo.com
Where the new jobs are? The annual job growth will be fastest in:
Business services 8,800
Financial intermediation 5,900
Computer related activities 4,700
Transport & logistics 4,000
Education 2,800
Health care 2,300
Wholesale trade 1,900
Petroleum & chemicals 1,400
As at December 2006, there were 2,495,900 persons employed in Singapore. Singapore citizens 60% or 1,498,500, permanent resident 241,100 or 9.7% and foreigners 30% or 756,300. Foreigners formed 22% of the workforce in the Services sector, 45% in manufacturing & 61% in the Construction sector.
Employers wishing to advertise their job vacancies for free click here
Medical Examination for Foreign Workers Foreign Students & SPR
Medical Examination is required for foreigners who applied and obtained in-principle approval for Student Pass, Work Permit, S Pass, Employment Passes of 6 month's duration or more, Long Term Immigration Passes, EPEC and Permanent Residence. The Medical Report from a Singapore registered doctor should be submitted in person by the applicant. Issuance of the Student Passes, Work Permits, S Passes. Employment Passes, EPEC, SPR will be subjected to the outcome of the medical report. We can arrange for your full medical exam ready for next 3 working days collection or urgent express service same day / next day collection . Call Steve 65-98365486 to make arrangements
The philosophy of the Foreign Worker's Policy is to maintain a controlled and revolving pool of foreign workers to supplement the local workforce due a a declining birth rate, aging population, fast economic growth and Singaporeans shunning dirt, dangerous and demeaning type of work. The approved sources for foreign workers for Singapore Work Permits issued by the Ministry of Manpower includes South Korea, Taiwan, People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Macao, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines. There is no nationality restrictions to work in Singapore under Singapore Employment Pass or S Pass issued by Singapore Ministry of Manpower. There are about 560,000 foreign workers in Singapore.
English language is the official government administrative language and hence all documents to be submitted for official matters to ICA or MOM must have English translations .
Singapore is an island city state located at the southern most tip of Peninsula Malaysia The main island of Singapore is 42 k.m. from the east to west and 23 k.m. from north to south. The total land area is 647.5 square k.m. Average daily temperature is a maximum of 30.8 degrees C in the afternoon and the minimum is 23 degrees C. just before dawn . Average daily relative humidity is 84.4 % . To top of page
Population: projected total population target 6.5 million by 2030
Total population: (source: SDOS )
1970: 2.07 million (2.01m SC/SPR & 61,000 foreigners)
1980: 2.41 million (2.28m SC/SPR & 131,000 foreigners)
1990: 3.05 million (2.74m SC/SPR & 311,000 foreigners)
2000: 4.03 million (3.27m SC/SPR & 745,500 foreigners)
2006 4.48 million (3.60m SC/SPR & 875,000 foreigners)
Citizenships & SPRs Granted to foreigners by ICA (source: ST 060507)
Year Citizenships SPRs
2002 7,600 39,500
2003 6,800 32,000
2004 7,600 36,900
2005 12,900 52,300
2006 13,200 57,300
Estimated Breakdown of major foreign nationals in Singapore: Source Embassies & HC
Chinese 200,000
Indonesian 150,000
Filipino 120,000
Indian 90,000
Bangladesh 60,000
Thai 45,000
Japanese 26,000
Sri Lankan 20,000
British 17,000
American 15,000
South Korean 15,000
Australian 15,000
Myanmarese 10,000
German 5,000
French 4,000
