Firms not yet verifying qualifications may face delays of over 18 days, HR experts warn.
SINGAPORE: Many companies in Singapore already verify the educational qualifications of foreign Employment Pass (EP) applicants, so the new requirement to submit third-party verification proof, set to take effect in September, will not greatly impact them, according to businesses and human resources experts.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced last week that companies must verify the educational qualifications of EP applicants with diploma-level certification or higher. Currently, verification proof is only required if the candidate’s qualifications come from non-accredited institutions. The verification process typically involves contacting the educational institution or an authorized agent to confirm the legitimacy of the qualifications.
Multinational corporations in Singapore, such as ExxonMobil and OCBC, have long included pre-employment checks, including verification of educational qualifications, in their hiring processes. “We have a longstanding practice of conducting screening and verification for successful applicants,” an ExxonMobil spokesperson stated, emphasizing the company’s commitment to a robust hiring process.
Smaller companies like ADDX, with about 130 full-time employees, are also accustomed to verifying employment history. They will now be required to begin screening educational qualifications when the new rule is implemented. Inmoo Hwang, the firm’s COO, stated that the added cost of these checks will be minimal, and the process can be conducted alongside employment history verification without major delays.
However, some companies may not consistently verify every application, especially for candidates already working in Singapore or with substantial experience. “Not all companies will follow through for every single application,” said Jaya Dass, Managing Director of Randstad’s Asia-Pacific permanent recruitment.
For companies that do not already conduct third-party verification, the new rule may extend the EP application process by more than 18 days, according to senior partner Ang Geok Khim at Triton AI Consulting. She highlighted challenges such as the difficulty of obtaining verification certificates when the educational institution has closed or when candidates lack proper documentation.
Despite these potential delays, the verification requirement is seen as a positive step toward ensuring that only qualified professionals are employed in Singapore. The new process will be incorporated into the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS), which evaluates EP applications based on four attributes, including qualifications, salary, nationality diversity, and support for local employment. Applications can earn points under different criteria, with companies having flexibility in how they meet the requirements.
The Singapore Business Federation’s Albert Tsui and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (ASME) have praised the new framework for offering options to SMEs, including the ability to earn points from other criteria, which could reduce the impact of the new verification requirement. For businesses that do not need to score points under qualifications, submitting verification proof will not be necessary.
