The Fair Consideration Framework requires employers to give Singaporean candidates fair consideration when filling positions. In practice its most visible element is the requirement to advertise a role on the national jobs portal for a minimum period before submitting most Employment Pass applications.
More than a formality
Advertising is not merely procedural. Employers found to have advertised without genuinely considering local applicants, or to have discriminatory hiring practices, can be placed on a watchlist, which subjects their pass applications to additional scrutiny and can result in refusals. Singapore has also moved workplace fairness protections onto a legislative footing rather than leaving them to guidelines.
- Minimum advertising duration applies before the application
- Exemptions exist for certain roles, salaries and intra-company transfers
- Job advertisements must not state discriminatory preferences
Why it matters when hiring internationally
The advertising requirement adds lead time to a Singapore hire that companies often fail to plan for, and the watchlist consequence makes a superficial approach genuinely risky. Where a provider handles the application, it is worth confirming who runs the advertisement and holds the evidence of consideration.