Start with the first-time employer check
MOM's employer-requirements page controls the current eligibility framework and says a first-time employer must attend the Employers' Orientation Programme before applying for an MDW.
Use the live MOM page for your circumstances. This guide cannot decide whether a household meets the employer requirements, whether its financial ability is sufficient or whether MOM will approve an application.
Complete EOP before the application
MOM states that a first-time employer must complete EOP at least 2 working days before submitting the Work Permit application. Treat that interval as an early dependency rather than a final paperwork step.
Course formats, providers, fees and representative arrangements can change. Open MOM's EOP page when registering instead of relying on a copied table or an older draft.
Choose who will submit the application
MOM's application page says an employer, a sponsor or an authorised employment agency may submit the application. If an employment agency applies, the employer should still understand which records and consent are being used.
MOM also requires the MDW's written consent before the application. Keep consent and identity documents inside the appropriate protected process, not in a public form or an unsolicited first message.
Keep later hiring stages in their own lane
The first-time employer route resolves an early prerequisite. Placement, transfer and direct-hire choices remain part of the broader hiring route, while insurance, security bond, arrival and issuance steps remain controlled by their current official pages and the facts of the case.
Do not use EOP completion as evidence that an employer is eligible, that a helper is suitable or available, or that a Work Permit application will succeed.
Prepare a document-light first conversation
For an initial route discussion, share only that you are a first-time employer, the household need, the intended timing and whether a helper has already been identified.
Do not send passports, identity numbers, medical details, financial records or signed forms through a public page or unsolicited first message. A later protected handoff should specify what is actually required.
Source-led answers
Frequently asked questions
Must a first-time MDW employer attend EOP?
MOM's current employer and EOP pages state that first-time employers must attend EOP before applying for an MDW Work Permit. Recheck the live page when you are ready to register.
How early should EOP be completed?
MOM currently says to complete EOP at least 2 working days before submitting the Work Permit application. Provider schedules and registration details should be checked live.
Can an employment agency submit the application?
MOM's application page says an authorised employment agency may apply, alongside the employer or a sponsor. The MDW's written consent is still required before the application.
Does completing EOP confirm employer eligibility or approval?
No. EOP is a first-time employer prerequisite. MOM separately assesses the employer and the Work Permit application, so this guide cannot give an eligibility or approval conclusion.
Freshness and provenance
What changed in this review
- : Restored the distinct first-time employer and EOP user job from the governed draft after current MOM source reconciliation.
Read the public guide review-date and material-change rules.
Relevant service