Woman convicted over sham employment pass scheme linked to Singapore PR investment arrangement
A Singaporean woman was convicted for her role in a scheme that allegedly enabled foreigners to obtain employment passes through sham employment arrangements as a pathway towards permanent residency. One Chinese national paid S$360,000 under an investment arrangement tied to an employment pass.
- Wang Jue was convicted on 5 June 2026 over a false employment pass declaration involving a Chinese national.
- Prosecutors said she organised an immigration-linked investment scheme that used sham employment arrangements.
- The court found the investment agreement was a sham and that the employment pass was the only real benefit obtained.
SINGAPORE: A 43-year-old Singaporean woman has been convicted over her role in what prosecutors described as a sophisticated immigration investment scheme that enabled foreigners to obtain employment passes through sham employment arrangements as a pathway towards permanent residency in Singapore.
According to state media CNA, Wang Jue was convicted on 5 June 2026 of one count of conspiring to make a false statement in a declaration form submitted in support of an employment pass application.
According to court proceedings, Wang's scheme involved foreigners investing substantial sums into Singapore companies in exchange for employment passes, which could later be used to support applications for permanent residency.
Prosecutors from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) argued that Wang played a central role in designing and executing the scheme.
The employment pass arrangement
The charge related to Chinese national Zhang Qingqiao and Singapore company MW Dynamics.
Wang was accused of abetting Zhang and MW Dynamics director Ang Sek Chai in making a false declaration that Zhang would be employed by the company.
According to prosecutors, Wang designed the investment proposal, facilitated arrangements between Zhang and MW Dynamics and collected substantial fees for her services.
The prosecution argued that the employment arrangement was not genuine and existed primarily to secure an employment pass.
Wang denied the charge and denied involvement in the employment pass application process.
Her defence maintained that she was merely a middleman who assisted high-net-worth clients seeking to become permanent residents in Singapore and helped entrepreneurs invest in and incorporate companies locally.
Defence counsel Luke Netto argued that the prosecution had failed to establish a conspiracy beyond reasonable doubt.
Investment proposal linked to immigration
During the trial, Zhang testified that he was introduced to Wang by an immigration assistant who described her as an immigration agent capable of helping him relocate to Singapore.
He told the court that when he first met Wang in September 2019, she introduced him to an investment proposal and a related risk guarantee arrangement.
According to Zhang, Wang provided a PowerPoint presentation titled "Singapore Equity Investment Immigration Proposal".
The presentation outlined steps towards obtaining permanent residency in Singapore and contained several investment proposals.
Zhang testified that the terms contained in the presentation were later reflected in an investment agreement between himself and Ang.
The agreement involved an investment of S$360,000, monthly payments of S$10,000 for 36 months and a commitment by MW Dynamics to obtain an employment pass for him.
He said Wang presented the employment pass as part of the immigration process.
"So, regarding my immigration to Singapore, Wang Jue told us through investing in a company. So, after investing could obtain EP," Zhang testified.
He further told the court that he did not initially understand that an employment pass was a work pass requiring actual employment.
"So ... now I know that it is actually a work pass. But prior to my application, no one had ever told me it was a work pass," he said.
"So, I thought that in order to immigrate to Singapore to obtain Singapore PR, obtaining EP was part of the basic process."
Transfer of funds and employment pass application
Court proceedings revealed that Zhang transferred S$360,000 directly into Wang's company account.
He subsequently received two invoices.
One invoice was for S$12,500 described as investment consultancy and professional services.
A second invoice for S$288,000 was described as a dividends investment fund.
In September 2019, Zhang signed a declaration form supporting his employment pass application with MW Dynamics.
Ang also signed the same declaration.
The application was submitted to MOM's work pass division and an employment pass was subsequently issued to Zhang.
However, evidence presented during the trial showed that Zhang never worked for MW Dynamics and never visited the company's premises.
Ang confirmed this during testimony.
Monthly payments despite no work performed
Although Zhang did not perform any work for the company, he received monthly payments of S$10,000 from MW Dynamics for 13 months.
Zhang testified that the payments represented returns of his investment principal and dividends rather than salary for employment.
He maintained that the payments were connected to the S$360,000 investment arrangement.
Ang also testified that obtaining an employment pass for Zhang formed part of the company's obligations under the investment arrangement.
The prosecution argued that these facts demonstrated that the employment relationship was not genuine.
Court rejects defence account
During the proceedings, prosecutors contended that Wang attempted to distance herself from the employment pass application process by shifting responsibility to a person named Wang Wei.
The prosecution described Wang Wei as a fictitious character.
District Judge Tan Jen Tse rejected Wang's account.
In delivering his decision, the judge found that Wang's evidence regarding Wang Wei was unreliable.
He also concluded that there was ample evidence linking Wang to the arrangement.
The judge further determined that the investment agreement was, on its face, a sham.
According to the court, the agreement produced no genuine investment returns and provided only one tangible benefit to Zhang.
"The only tangible benefit Zhang received was an employment pass," Judge Tan said.
Previous case and pending charges
Court records showed that Wang had previously been named in another case involving a Chinese national who allegedly paid S$1 million in investment funds in the hope of obtaining Singapore permanent residency.
That matter formed part of a broader pattern referenced during the proceedings.
Wang also faces multiple other charges that remain before the courts.
She is scheduled to return to court in July 2026 for mitigation and sentencing.
For the offence of conspiring to make a false statement in an employment pass declaration form, she faces a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both.
