From May 4, MOM Lets Employers Issue Your Work Permit on the myMOM Portal. What Filipinos in Singapore Should Watch For

From 4 May 2026, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) switched on a new 'Issue Work Permit' function in the myMOM Portal, so your employer now completes Work Permit issuance online. For Filipino Work Permit holders, that means less paper and faster updates, plus a few things to confirm with HR.

What the new Issue function does

Issuance is the step between MOM approving your In-Principle Approval (IPA) and your physical permit being released.

Until now, employers gathered your medical examination (ME) results, chest x-ray report, address proof and mobile number, then submitted hard copies or uploaded scans through an older Work Pass system.

From 4 May 2026, that step moves to the myMOM Portal Issue Work Permit eService. According to MOM, the new function:

• Removes hard-copy uploads of medical examination reports and chest x-rays at issuance. Results now arrive in digital form.
• Simplifies updates to your residential address and Singapore mobile number inside the same flow.
• Sends real-time notifications to the registered Work Pass account when an issuance step needs attention, to the employer and in some cases the worker.

MOM has also published FAQs and short video tutorials for employers.

What this means for you, the Filipino worker

1. HR may be slower than usual for a few weeks.

New systems make for a bumpy first month. Smaller employers such as coffee shops, salons and cleaning companies may take longer to update your details. If you're waiting on issuance, check in with HR, and don't read silence as a failed application.

2. Make sure MOM has your correct mobile number.

Notifications go to the registered account. If MOM still has your old PH number, an outdated SG SIM or a previous employer's HR phone, you'll miss prompts that need your action. Ask HR to confirm the number on file and update it at the next issuance or renewal.

3. More is coming.

MOM's roadmap moves the whole Work Permit lifecycle onto myMOM Portal: cancellation in the second half of 2026, and renewal in the first half of 2027.

That lands in the same window as the July 2026 Local Qualifying Salary hike and the September 2026 NTS Occupation List expansion.

What to ask your employer this week

Send HR a short message with these three questions:

• "Hi, has the company started using the new myMOM Portal Issue Work Permit function?"
• "Can you confirm what mobile number MOM has on file for me?"
• "Will my medical examination still be done at the same clinic, or has the process changed?"

A Singaporean colleague would ask the same things without thinking twice.

Why this matters for the long game

For years, Filipinos on Work Permits have depended on how well HR knows MOM systems. A digital issuance flow means fewer lost forms, fewer "we'll update your address next time" delays and fewer surprises at renewal.

Your move this week

Text your HR and confirm your registered mobile number with MOM. If you have a renewal coming up before December, ask early, because the system is new and timing matters.