Debated in Parliament on 5 Jul 2023.
Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how frequently does the Ministry review the background screening companies responsible for verifying the qualifications of Employment Pass (EP) applicants; (b) how are conflicting verification results resolved to ensure accuracy and consistencies; (c) whether further information can be provided on the selection criteria in assessing these background screening companies; and (d) what steps will be taken to ensure a smooth implementation of the new requirement for employers who may be unfamiliar with the process.
As I had announced in my Committee of Supply (COS) 2023 speech, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will require employers submitting new Employment Pass (EP) applications to provide verification proof for diploma-level and above qualifications from 1 September 2023. These qualifications will then be accorded the correct points under the Complementarity Assessment Framework. Employers can use background screening companies that are listed on MOM’s website. Otherwise, employers can use online verification portals of local governments or educational institutions, or submit digital certificates verified through the OpenCerts portal.
MOM conducted an Expression of Interest exercise in April 2023 and have selected 12 background screening companies. These companies were carefully selected by a panel comprising representatives from MOM, tripartite partners, business and human resource associations. The background screening companies will be subject to regular MOM checks and annual reviews by the panel. Companies which fail to meet MOM’s requirements, quality and service standards at any point will be removed from the listing.
If there are inaccurate or conflicting verification results, MOM will ask the companies to explain the discrepancies and audit their verification process, including their correspondences with the institutions, to ascertain the accuracy of the verification checks.
The companies were assessed by the panel based on the following criteria:
(a) Scale of operations and geographical coverage;
(b) Cost of verification services;
(c) Time taken to verify qualifications;
(d) Processes to ensure accuracy of verifications;
(e) Capabilities for customer support; and
(f) Processes to protect confidentiality of client information.
MOM will take various steps to ensure a smooth implementation of the new requirement for employers. First, we have listed the 12 selected companies on our website, along with links to their respective websites. MOM has required these companies to have a dedicated page on their websites for employers to understand the coverage, cost and processing time of their verification services. Second, MOM will require the companies to adhere to the processing times they have declared in their proposals to MOM. Third, MOM will work with the associations represented in the panel to educate employers on the new requirement.
PAPERCUTS