How long do I have to file a TADM salary claim after I leave the job?

Within 6 months from your last date of employment, and claims generally cannot reach further back than 1 year from filing. Read the live eServices text and verify the clock before you rely on it.

Is the deadline different if I'm still employed there?

Yes, and the gap between the two is the whole problem. While you are still employed you have a year after the dispute arose for a salary-related claim. Once you have left, the window collapses to 6 months.

Does filing a TADM claim buy me more time on my pass?

No. Filing a claim buys you no immigration time at all. The two tracks run in parallel and the pass one moves faster, so sort the HR cancellation and STVP choreography alongside the claim rather than after it.

TADM salary claims for EP / S Pass: filing clocks

You have a year to file a TADM salary claim while employed, but only 6 months once you leave. And filing buys no extra time on your EP or S Pass.

Living3 min readReviewed 15 Sep 2026Updated 20 Sep 2026

On this page

The "I'll file TADM after I land home" threads on r/askSingapore all miss the same thing. The clock changes the moment you stop being an employee, and it gets a lot shorter. The underlying patterns, like levy kickbacks and a declared salary that never matched what you were paid, are covered in salary disputes and TADM. This companion is about the filing clocks and how they collide with your pass.

The clocks TADM publishes

Verify these live before you rely on them.

Situation	Filing orientation
Still employed	A salary-related claim goes in within 1 year after the dispute arose
Left employment	Within 6 months from your last date of employment, and claims generally cannot reach further back than 1 year from filing — read the live eServices text
Wrongful dismissal, general	Often within 1 month of your last day; see the parent guide
Wrongful dismissal tied to pregnancy or maternity	Within 2 months from the date of confinement; see the parent guide

The gap between those first two rows is the whole problem. While you are still employed you have a year; once you have left, the window collapses to 6 months. People who wait until they have flown home, unpacked, and felt ready to deal with it regularly find the window shut behind them.

If you're on an EP or S Pass under a contract of service, you're in the ordinary TADM population. The exclusions are the ones you'd expect — domestic workers, seafarers, public servants — and they're worth verifying live rather than assuming.

How the process runs, and what it can award

You start with advisory. "Ask TADM" or an appointment is where MOM redirects salary and wrongful-dismissal help, and it's also where you find out whether what you have is a claim or a grievance.

Mediation comes next, online or in person. Expect to be in the room on your own, because lawyers and friends generally aren't allowed in under the Employment Claims Act framing. That catches out anyone who has quietly budgeted for representation.

If mediation doesn't resolve it, you're issued a claim referral certificate, and that certificate is what opens the Employment Claims Tribunals. There's no route to the ECT that skips the mediation step.

On quantum, the caps are often up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 where you have recognised union or TMF assistance. Combined salary and wrongful-dismissal caps can sit higher on the live page, so read it rather than assuming the lower figure is your ceiling.

TADM does not extend your pass

Filing a claim buys you no immigration time at all. The two tracks run in parallel, and the pass one moves faster.

Document the arrears now, not once things calm down
File while you're still in Singapore if the left-employment clock is tight
Sort the HR cancellation and STVP choreography: between jobs
Get a new IPA before you burn the old job, where that's possible: career pivots
Start IR21 and exit tax if you're leaving: tax clearance

The rule worth remembering

Work out today which clock applies to you, the still-employed one or the left-employment one, and diary it. Mediate at TADM. The ECT only opens with a referral certificate. The underlying patterns, levy kickbacks and fake declared salary, stay with salary disputes.

Questions, answered

How long do I have to file a TADM salary claim after I leave the job?: Within 6 months from your last date of employment, and claims generally cannot reach further back than 1 year from filing. Read the live eServices text and verify the clock before you rely on it.
Is the deadline different if I'm still employed there?: Yes, and the gap between the two is the whole problem. While you are still employed you have a year after the dispute arose for a salary-related claim. Once you have left, the window collapses to 6 months.
Can I file once I've flown home and unpacked?: That's the plan that fails. People who wait until they have flown home, unpacked, and felt ready to deal with it regularly find the window shut behind them. File while you're still in Singapore if the left-employment clock is tight.
Does filing a TADM claim buy me more time on my pass?: No. Filing a claim buys you no immigration time at all. The two tracks run in parallel and the pass one moves faster, so sort the HR cancellation and STVP choreography alongside the claim rather than after it.
Can I bring a lawyer or a friend to the TADM mediation?: Generally not. Expect to be in the room on your own, because lawyers and friends generally aren't allowed in under the Employment Claims Act framing. That catches out anyone who has quietly budgeted for representation.
How much can a TADM claim actually recover?: The caps are often up to S$20,000, or S$30,000 where you have recognised union or TMF assistance. Combined salary and wrongful-dismissal caps can sit higher on the live page, so read it rather than assuming the lower figure is your ceiling.

Sources & citations

Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.