What is the difference between a normal EP and a self-employed EP?

Singapore has no separate \"self-employed EP\" visa category — the term informally describes incorporating your own company first and having that company sponsor your EP application. The assessment criteria (salary threshold, qualifications, COMPASS points, genuine business operations) are the same and are set by MOM. The Employment Pass (EP) is Singapore's main work pass for professionals, applied for by a Singapore-registered employer on behalf of the candidate. What agents in the Chinese market call a \"self-employed EP\" (自雇EP) is not a distinct visa type: it simply means you incorporate a Singapore company first, and that company — as your employer — sponsors your EP application. MOM assesses such applications under the same framework as any EP: the prevailing qualifying salary, the COMPASS points system, your qualifications and experience, and importantly whether the company has genuine business substance (real activity, reasonable capitalisation, a credible business plan). Applications from newly incorporated shell companies with no real operations face obvious scrutiny. For current salary thresholds and criteria, rely on MOM's official website rather than agent marketing materials.