The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) now requires companies to obtain a written consent from foreign national candidates sponsored for work passes. This applies to all new and renewal work pass applications. Verbal consent will not be accepted.

The written consent is not required to be submitted with work pass applications as one of the supporting documents, but the MOM will ask to see this in the event of a dispute between the employer and the employee.

The MOM has not defined a specific format for the required consent. However, the MOM confirmed that it will accept any document that shows the foreign national agreed to be employed by the company. An example would be a signed employment contract.

The MOM has stated the new requirement was added to protect the interest of both the applicant and employer.

What This Means for Employers

Employers must ensure that a written consent is obtained from all foreign employees or candidates prior to applying for a work pass for them. The MOM will request this in case of any dispute (e.g., foreigner objects to a work pass application).

Fragomen will work with our clients to incorporate this requirement into our procedures, without additional administrative burden or fees to the employers.

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