Short answerThe Advance Placement Scheme (APS) is a MOM pilot that started in August 2016. Participating employment agencies are allowed to source for and bring in a specific number of helpers before they have found an employer, so you can interview a helper face to face, and because she is already in Singapore she can be quickly deployed to your household. To qualify, you need to be eligible for the MDW concessionary levy. MOM lists the participating agencies on its APS page.
This page explains MOM's Advance Placement Scheme from MOM's own APS page, which was last updated on 17 October 2024, and links to MOM's list of participating agencies rather than repeating it. For the levy rules behind the eligibility test, see the maid levy guide; for every step of hiring, see how to hire a maid.
What the APS is
- A pilot. MOM describes the APS as a pilot which started in August 2016.
- Its aim. MOM says it was proposed by the employment agency industry to enable faster placement and better matching of helpers for employers with caregiving needs.
- How it differs. Participating agencies are allowed to source for and bring in a specific number of helpers before they have found an employer.
Who can hire through the APS
To qualify for the APS, you need to be eligible for the MDW concessionary levy. Under MOM's levy concession rules, that means an eligible person lives in your household:
- A child below 16 who is a Singapore citizen.
- A Singapore citizen aged 67 or above.
- A permanent resident aged 67 or above, if a Singapore citizen is in the family: if the permanent resident is you, your spouse must be a Singapore citizen; if it is your spouse, you must be one; if it is your or your spouse's parent or grandparent, you or your spouse must be one.
- A person with disabilities certified by a Singapore-registered doctor as requiring help with at least 1 activity of daily living, such as washing, feeding or dressing, who is a Singapore citizen, or a permanent resident with a parent, spouse or child who is a Singapore citizen. You also apply with the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) and receive a recommendation letter from it.
For an elderly person other than you or your spouse, and for a person with disabilities, both your NRIC and theirs must show the same address, and they must be listed as your household member on FDW eService. For a child who is not your own, the concession starts from the date you add the child as a household member on FDW eService. Our levy guide covers when the concession starts and stops.
What it changes for you
- Meeting her first. MOM says the scheme enables employers to conduct face-to-face interviews with prospective helpers to facilitate better matching.
- A quicker start. As these helpers are already in Singapore, MOM says they can also be quickly deployed to households.
For what to ask in the interview and the other hiring steps, see how to hire a maid.
Finding a participating agency
MOM's Advance Placement Scheme page lists the employment agencies you can approach to enquire about hiring an APS helper, with each agency's licence number and email. It groups them into agencies that take part in the Eldercarer MDW Scheme and agencies that do not. We do not reproduce that list. MOM points to its EA Directory to find employment agencies, and you can check any licence in our A to Z directory of licensed agencies.
If you need a helper trained in eldercare
MOM says that if you need an eldercare-trained helper, you can approach any of the agencies able to provide one, and that they are part of MOH's pilot Eldercarer MDW Scheme, which taps on the APS. AIC says a helper hired under that scheme receives two days of classroom training before she arrives and three hours of on-the-job training after, and that if you have urgent caregiving needs you can contact the agencies on its list that are part of the APS. MOM adds that you may also be eligible for the Caregivers Training Grant. Our guide to hiring a helper for elderly care covers the grant and caregiver training.
Sources, checked 18 Oct 2026: MOM, Advance Placement Scheme (APS) for Migrant Domestic Workers; MOM, Levy concession for an MDW; AIC, Knowing available care options (Eldercarer Migrant Domestic Worker Scheme).
Common questions
What is the Advance Placement Scheme for maids?
A MOM pilot that started in August 2016. Participating employment agencies are allowed to source for and bring in a specific number of helpers before they have found an employer, so employers can interview them face to face, and they can be quickly deployed because they are already in Singapore.
Is the Advance Placement Scheme still a pilot?
Yes. MOM's APS page, last updated on 17 October 2024 and checked on 18 October 2026, describes it as a pilot which started in August 2016.
Who is eligible for the APS?
You need to be eligible for the MDW concessionary levy: an eligible person lives in your household, such as a Singapore citizen child below 16, a Singapore citizen aged 67 or above, or a person with disabilities who meets MOM's conditions. Permanent residents aged 67 or above count only with a Singapore citizen in the family, as MOM sets out.
Can I interview an APS helper in person?
Yes. MOM says the scheme enables employers to conduct face-to-face interviews with prospective helpers to facilitate better matching.
Where is the list of APS agencies?
On MOM's Advance Placement Scheme page, with each agency's licence number and email. MOM groups them into agencies that take part in the Eldercarer MDW Scheme and agencies that do not.
How is the APS linked to the Eldercarer MDW Scheme?
MOM says the agencies able to provide eldercare-trained helpers are part of MOH's pilot Eldercarer MDW Scheme, which taps on the APS. AIC says helpers hired under that scheme get two days of classroom training before arrival and three hours of on-the-job training after.