Letter of concent taking a long time to get approved

[Rambutan2000]

Hi all, again jsut saying how great this site is.

So my wife has got a job (awesome) but it's taking MOM a Looooong time to decide on the LOC. This is fine, it's not my country so I can't complain about the processes here, but is it normal for a LOC application to take over 7 weeks? We only hear back from them every 2 weeks to ask for information they already have. I guess my questions is should we be calling MOM once a week or so to ask about the status or is it just best to leave sleeping dogs lie?

Thanks!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Everything is taking longer nowadays. Primarily they are getting stiffer on the issuing of LoC's. In years gone by, no real qualifications were required to get the LoC, but now, the locals are up in arms and the MOM is having to be a bit more circumspect on who they issue LoCs to, e.g., they need to be qualified for the position being offered. Having said that, 7 weeks does seem to be a bit longer than usual. Hang in there. If they are coming back to you, then is sounds like it's working, but I guess a call now and again wouldn't hurt.

[Rambutan2000]

So we just found out the LoC was rejected. From what we've heard it was on the basis of not qualified for the position even though the company explained to MoM that she was qualified. It was a Psychology job and the qualifications differ a lot country to conutry, but in Singapore you only need a Bachelor and in other countries (Australia, Canada etc) you need a Masters which my wife has, so technically she's more than qualified. The only other part in this equation is the position was only part time, and apparently MoM doesn't really take part time wages into account, so even through full time you might be earning $8k and part time $4K they still just treat you as earning $4k, even though the contract said she would go full time in a year.

I guess the Gov is really getting some heat about these issues and tightening up.

Anyone had experience of this sort of thing? If you're rejected what are the chances of it not being rejected in the future?

Thanks!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Depends on the position being applied for. Each application is position specific.

[Rambutan2000]

So another guy at my work just told me his GF on a LTSV just got her EP rejected for the same reasons, and my neighbor who's in HR has said it's just gotten a lot harder to get anything approved...

I was looking forward to being a contributing member of society here, even started looking into volunteering at non profits in my spare time etc but now I'm just looking to get out. There's zero point in staying in a country this expensive, and this is coming from someone who doesn't have a car, never even takes a taxi and eats primarilly at local hawkers. I'm affraid these blanket measure are going to squeeze out the people who actually want to stay here as opposed to the people just earning enough $$$ to not give a crap how much everything costs.

[triste]

wait. hold the phone. Girlfriend? On LTVP? Spouse of SC is on the same pass as girlfriends?

I do agree with you about the measures pushing out people who want to be here and are trying to integrate in favor of the ultrarich who just spend and spend but don't try to be a part of the country.

[sundaymorningstaple]

wait. hold the phone. Girlfriend? On LTVP? Spouse of SC is on the same pass as girlfriends?

I do agree with you about the measures pushing out people who want to be here and are trying to integrate in favor of the ultrarich who just spend and spend but don't try to be a part of the country.

I believe you will find that the gf is in fact a common law or de facto spouse who set up housekeeping with the EP holder before coming to Singapore. In that case, the gahment will make an exception to allow the gf/common law spouse to stay here on an LTVP so that they can keep the EP holder. However, the LTVP holder cannot get a LoC so must qualifiy in their own right if they want to work they will have to qualify for an EP/S/WP as the case may be. Only the DP hold (legally married) is able to obtain the LoC without qualifying for the EP/S/WP pass. The restriction for locals with foreign spouses is to make sure that the foreign spouse isn't just duping the local (very easily done apparently) to get residency here. Therefore they have to be married 3 years OR two years and have a child before the foreign spouse can get an LTVP+ which allows the foreign spouse to work.

[Rambutan2000]

wait. hold the phone. Girlfriend? On LTVP? Spouse of SC is on the same pass as girlfriends?

Yup I looked into this a lot before I moved over, as long as you've been living together for 1+ years your're counted as being in a defacto or common law relationship and you'll (might) be granted LTVP. But it doesn't matter what you're home state/country counts as common law it's what Singapore defines it as, which is fair enough. I know a couple of people on this, even a PEP that has a LTVP partner.

[sundaymorningstaple]

One little bit of added advice. If you are an Expat on an Employment Pass or PEP, don't find an Asian gf after you have been here and then try to get her on an LTVP as the ICA will just laugh at you. It's not done here in Singapore and it's only because the "relationship" was already established before coming to Singapore is the only reason the ICA/MOM will tolerate it as they know, in theory, it's only a temporary situation (EP can be revoked or not renewed at their leisure).

[Rambutan2000]

I've also been told that UK citizens won't even be able to get the LTVP soon.