Commonwealth of Australia vs Republic of Singapore
A neutral side-by-side of immigration systems, routes and regulators. Each row links to the underlying visa page with its primary government source.
Last reviewed:
Source basis
This comparison combines Commonwealth of Australia and Republic of Singapore government portals with the primary sources for each side's dominant skilled route. Every detailed figure links through to the underlying route or data page.
Reviewed
Primary sources
- Department of Home Affairs — Immigration and citizenship
Department of Home Affairs (Australia) - verified
- Ministry of Manpower — Work passes and permits
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
- Department of Home Affairs — Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
Department of Home Affairs - verified
- MOM — Employment Pass
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) - verified
Commonwealth of Australia
Australia operates a points-based SkillSelect system for permanent and provisional skilled visas alongside employer-sponsored subclasses (482 TSS, 186 ENS, 494 Regional), Working Holiday Maker subclasses, and student and global talent visas.
- Official portal
- Department of Home Affairs (Australia)
- Languages
- English
- Currency
- Australian dollar
Republic of Singapore
Singapore operates a tiered work-pass system administered by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). The Employment Pass targets professionals earning above the qualifying salary, the S Pass covers mid-level skilled workers, and the ONE Pass and Tech.Pass attract top-tier global talent. EntrePass serves founders. All passes are employer-linked except PEP and ONE Pass.
- Official portal
- Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
- Languages
- English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil
- Currency
- Singapore dollar
How Commonwealth of Australia and Republic of Singapore differ
| Dimension | Commonwealth of Australia | Republic of Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| Total routes covered | 9 | 7 |
| Routes without employer sponsor | 6 | 4 |
| Routes leading to permanent residence | 7 | 0 |
| Typical full settlement timeline | Arrival on 482 → 186 ENS after 2 years (Specialist Skills Pathway) or 3-4 years (Core Skills) → PR → citizenship after 4 years from arrival (minimum 12 months as PR). | Employment Pass -> discretionary PR application after building a Singapore record -> citizenship usually no earlier than PR+2 years. |
| Dominant skilled visa | Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) | Employment Pass (EP) |
| Skilled visa salary minimum | — | SGD 5,600/month |
| Skilled visa processing time | Home Affairs publishes a typical decision window of 6–12 months for the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, counted from the date you lodge. Because 189 is points-tested and invitation-only, much of the real waiting often happens earlier – in the SkillSelect pool, waiting for an invitation to apply. | MOM says Employment Pass applications submitted online are processed, or receive an update, within 10 business days. |
| Skilled visa government fees | The Australia subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa costs roughly A$6,640 for a single primary applicant once the current VAC, a police clearance and an indicative health examination are included, before skills-assessment and English-test costs. | A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge. |
| Official languages | English | English, Malay, Mandarin, Tamil |
| Currency | Australian dollar | Singapore dollar |
| Primary regulator | MARA | LawSoc |
| Policy changes (last 12 months) | 0 | 0 |
Skilled-route head-to-head
Comparing each country’s most-used skilled-migration route side by side.
Commonwealth of Australia
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
- Salary minimum
- —
- Government fees
- The Australia subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa costs roughly A$6,640 for a single primary applicant once the current VAC, a police clearance and an indicative health examination are included, before skills-assessment and English-test costs.
- Processing time
- Home Affairs publishes a typical decision window of 6–12 months for the subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa, counted from the date you lodge. Because 189 is points-tested and invitation-only, much of the real waiting often happens earlier – in the SkillSelect pool, waiting for an invitation to apply.
- Sponsor required
- No
- Leads to settlement
- Yes
Republic of Singapore
Employment Pass (EP)
- Salary minimum
- SGD 5,600/month
- Government fees
- A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge.
- Processing time
- MOM says Employment Pass applications submitted online are processed, or receive an update, within 10 business days.
- Sponsor required
- Yes
- Leads to settlement
- No
Routes unique to Commonwealth of Australia
Routes unique to Republic of Singapore
Visa routes side by side
Commonwealth of Australia (9)
Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Up to 4 years; Hong Kong passport holders may be granted up to 5 years.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · 5 years provisional, with pathway to permanent residence.
Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
Sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Working Holiday Maker visa (subclass 417/462)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 12 months per grant; up to 3 visas with qualifying specified work.
National Innovation visa (formerly Global Talent)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Permanent residence.
Australian Student visa (subclass 500)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Programme length plus small buffer.
Partner visa (subclass 820/801, 309/100)
No sponsor · Leads to settlement · Initial provisional to permanent residence.
Republic of Singapore (7)
Employment Pass (EP)
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years on first issuance; renewable for up to 3 years.
S Pass
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Up to 2 years; renewable.
Overseas Networks & Expertise Pass (ONE Pass)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 5 years; renewable.
EntrePass
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 1 year initially; renewable for 2 years subject to meeting business milestones.
Personalised Employment Pass (PEP)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · 3 years; non-renewable.
Dependant's Pass (DP)
No sponsor · Non-settlement · Tied to sponsor's work pass validity.
Student Pass
Sponsor · Non-settlement · Duration of study programme.
Frequently asked questions
How long does permanent residence typically take in Commonwealth of Australia vs Republic of Singapore?+
Commonwealth of Australia: Arrival on 482 → 186 ENS after 2 years (Specialist Skills Pathway) or 3-4 years (Core Skills) → PR → citizenship after 4 years from arrival (minimum 12 months as PR).. Republic of Singapore: Employment Pass -> discretionary PR application after building a Singapore record -> citizenship usually no earlier than PR+2 years.. Both timelines are route-dependent — see each country’s settlement page for the breakdown per visa.
Which country has an easier skilled-migration route, Commonwealth of Australia or Republic of Singapore?+
Commonwealth of Australia’s Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189) is the dominant skilled route; Republic of Singapore’s Employment Pass (EP) requires SGD 5,600/month. “Easier” depends on your salary, sponsor situation, and nationality — see each visa’s eligibility detail.
Does Commonwealth of Australia or Republic of Singapore have more visa routes without an employer sponsor?+
Commonwealth of Australia has more: 6 of its covered routes can be pursued without an employer sponsor, against 4 for Republic of Singapore. No-sponsor routes — such as digital-nomad, self-employment, and points-based skilled migration — matter most if you do not yet have a job offer.
Is the main skilled visa cheaper in Commonwealth of Australia or Republic of Singapore?+
Comparing the dominant skilled route in each country: The Australia subclass 189 Skilled Independent visa costs roughly A$6,640 for a single primary applicant once the current VAC, a police clearance and an indicative health examination are included, before skills-assessment and English-test costs. By contrast, A Singapore Employment Pass costs SGD 330 in mandatory MOM government fees for a single applicant, excluding any Multiple Journey Visa charge. Those are government fees only and exclude relocation, qualification recognition, and living costs — open each fee page for the itemised breakdown.
Cite or reuse this dataset
This comparison is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0. Cite the page for the compiled head-to-head table and use the country-comparisons JSON endpoint to retrieve the indexed pair, destination profiles and underlying source datasets.
Suggested citation
Visa Atlas, "Commonwealth of Australia vs Republic of Singapore immigration comparison", https://visaatlas.org/compare/australia/vs/singapore. Last verified 27 June 2026.
- JSON endpoint
- https://visaatlas.org/api/public/country-comparisons