Working In Singapore

[dancer30]

Hi

I am from Perth Australia and am looking aggressively for work in Singapore. I am a experienced IT Senior Recruitment Consultant with over 7 years experience with the same company. I am a specialist in my field.

I am finding it difficult to be able to find a job with a company, can anyone please help or give me answers as to better ways I could go to find employment in Singapore.

Also can anyone please enlighten on once you have obtained a job, what are the requirements needed to gain a S-Pass and what do they look into in order to grant you a S-pass.

Is it better to try to get a work visa into the country and then try for a S-pass. Im really not sure anymore what way to go.

Thankyou so much.

[AngMoG]

Hi

I am from Perth Australia and am looking aggressively for work in Singapore. I am a experienced IT Senior Recruitment Consultant with over 7 years experience with the same company. I am a specialist in my field.

I am finding it difficult to be able to find a job with a company, can anyone please help or give me answers as to better ways I could go to find employment in Singapore.

Also can anyone please enlighten on once you have obtained a job, what are the requirements needed to gain a S-Pass and what do they look into in order to grant you a S-pass.

Is it better to try to get a work visa into the country and then try for a S-pass. Im really not sure anymore what way to go.

Thankyou so much.

First of all, please don't post the same thing three times. It doesn't do anything besides annoying the mods.

The requirements for an S-Pass are published on the MOM website. Googling for 5 seconds would have helped you easily.

Finally, as a recruiter, you do not exactly have a niche specialization - recruiting is an area that is easily filled with Singaporeans, and thus less jobs are open to foreigners. Finding a company that is willing to sponsor your visa while you are not even in Singapore now will be very difficult. Maybe you can enlighten us why you want to move to Singapore, seeing as you are already in Australia?

[dancer30]

I have been to singapore 3 times, i was just there and had a interview with a recruitment firm, I love the country, the people, the climate everything about the place. I have a family with a 4yr old boy, perth is not the right place to raise a family, the crime rate is ridiculous here and my wife and I love singapore that is why we are trying to relocate.

I have spoken to quite a few recruitment agencies, I am still in talks with a few, they say its not a problem bringing over expats and they themselves are expats, it just needs to be the right fit for the company. They say they have the quota to bring on more expats, thats not an issue.

In regards to the requirements for an S-pass I have googled the MOM Website, yes it states a few things but I want to know if anyone has been through these checks and what sort of background checks do they look at ( e.g.. credit checks, criminal etc.. ). Also what sort of documentation do they need and an insight into why it is harder now then ever to get an S-pass for expats.

Thanks

[AngMoG]

I have been to singapore 3 times, i was just there and had a interview with a recruitment firm, I love the country, the people, the climate everything about the place. I have a family with a 4yr old boy, perth is not the right place to raise a family, the crime rate is ridiculous here and my wife and I love singapore that is why we are trying to relocate.

I have spoken to quite a few recruitment agencies, I am still in talks with a few, they say its not a problem bringing over expats and they themselves are expats, it just needs to be the right fit for the company. They say they have the quota to bring on more expats, thats not an issue.

Well, I hope you are aware that while Singapore is a safe place to live, it is also an incredibly expensive one, especially considering you have a wife and a child reaching school age. Since you are mentioning S-Pass, it sounds like you are targeting < S$4,000 salary levels, which will be very tough for a family to live on, considering that an apartment will probably cost you at least S$2,000 to rent (HDB, two bedrooms, not central). Also note that in order to bring in your wife and child, you must earn at least $4,000 per month. But maybe you were a bit confused there, and actually meant EP.

It is good that you are already in talks with companies willing to hire you, and I wish you good luck in your search. However, please note that I mentioned the fact that locals can do this job not only because of companies willing to extend and offer to you, but also because this will determine how easy it is for the company to obtain a visa for you. I have seen quite a few (usually high-end) recruiters that were Western expats. But at the end of the day, it is up to the MOM to grant a working visa to you, and availability of local talent for the position in question is normally a factor.

In that sense, it would be wise not to make any commitment to move until you have an IPA (in-principle approval) letter for your working visa, and the salary is acceptable to you considering the cost of living in SG (which should be significantly north of S$4k).

[dancer30]

Thankyou so much for the information.

Would it better for me to come to Singapore and try to look for work while I am there, would that look better to prospective employers or should I just stay in perth and keep looking they way I am now??

If I did move to Singapore without a job and I am looking for work is there a period that I can only stay in Singapore without work while I am looking it for a job. Do I need to apply for a visa pass or any pass while I am there so I can stay and look for work?

I was going to move over for a while without my family anyway. So wether I had work or I was looking for work my family wouldn't move over for a while. My wife has looked into and spoke to Singaporeans over there about home schooling my son which is all lined up once I can find a job

[taxico]

Thankyou so much for the information.

Would it better for me to come to Singapore and try to look for work while I am there, would that look better to prospective employers or should I just stay in perth and keep looking they way I am now??

If I did move to Singapore without a job and I am looking for work is there a period that I can only stay in Singapore without work while I am looking it for a job. Do I need to apply for a visa pass or any pass while I am there so I can stay and look for work?

I was going to move over for a while without my family anyway. So wether I had work or I was looking for work my family wouldn't move over for a while. My wife has looked into and spoke to Singaporeans over there about home schooling my son which is all lined up once I can find a job

the consensus, i think, is that it will probably be easier to arrange and attend interviews if you're physically here (thus a higher chance of getting an offer?).

i think as an asutralian you'd get a 90 day visa. you can engage in job hunting on a tourist visa - as long as you're not getting paid (?) or violating the terms of that visa. unlike australia, immigration/customs is unlikely to give you a hard time even if they find academic documents/resumes in your luggage.

unfortunately... you'd still have to figure out where to live while you're here (without a guarantee of a job). unless you know someone that you can bunk/room/live with, accommodation for tourists tend to be pricey... although you can certainly slum it out for under SG$50 a night but it all adds up.

food isn't expensive, and public transportation is generally affordable.

good luck on your job hunt.

[ecureilx]

Thankyou so much for the information.

Would it better for me to come to Singapore and try to look for work while I am there, would that look better to prospective employers or should I just stay in perth and keep looking they way I am now??

If I did move to Singapore without a job and I am looking for work is there a period that I can only stay in Singapore without work while I am looking it for a job. Do I need to apply for a visa pass or any pass while I am there so I can stay and look for work?

I was going to move over for a while without my family anyway. So wether I had work or I was looking for work my family wouldn't move over for a while. My wife has looked into and spoke to Singaporeans over there about home schooling my son which is all lined up once I can find a job

ICA says 30 day visa on arrival for Au passport holders

the visa called Social Visit Pass allows you to stay and look for a job ...or kill time in Singapore till you get a work pass

a one time extension of 30 days may be granted (note the Maybe) failure of which, or after completion of the additional 30 days if you haven't got a job / pass, you should leave Singapore and come back, preferably after 5 days out of the country ....

social visit pass info .. requirements

Valid travel document (minimum validity of 6 months at the time of departure)
Onward or return ticket (if applicable)
Entry facilities to the next destination; and
Sufficient funds to stay in Singapore and visa for entry into Singapore (if applicable)

www.ica.gov.sg/services_centre_overview.aspx?pageid=252

[dancer30]

Hi all,

thankyou so much for the information.

I relation to obtaining a S-pass, does anyone know what are the requirements and documents needed to provide to MOM. I have had a look into MOM website and looked under S-pass and got some information.

I wanted to know what sort of checks they might do, I have no criminal records, I graduated from school but have no degrees, but the one I am not sure of is there checks on your credit file as my credit score is quite low and not the best so not sure wether that will make it a problem for me.

Once again thanks in advance

[AngMoG]

Hi all,

thankyou so much for the information.

I relation to obtaining a S-pass, does anyone know what are the requirements and documents needed to provide to MOM. I have had a look into MOM website and looked under S-pass and got some information.

I wanted to know what sort of checks they might do, I have no criminal records, I graduated from school but have no degrees, but the one I am not sure of is there checks on your credit file as my credit score is quite low and not the best so not sure wether that will make it a problem for me.

Once again thanks in advance

It is not you who needs to submit the application but your prospective employer. I believe apart from personal data, school leaving certificate / A-levels / O-levels, diplomas and degrees may be required. Passport, obviously. Apart from that, not sure.

I don't think they check credit score abroad (at least I haven't heard of that), they may check criminal records and verify the veracity of any diplomas or degrees though.

Well, it is better to be in SG when looking for a job - a local address and phone number will get you more interviews. Though as mentioned above by others, this is also quite expensive to do - S$50 per night gets you a somewhat shady hotel that may or may not be clean. Food and transport are very affordable, going out isn't.

[rajagainstthemachine]

why would anyone want to move out of Australia and of all places want to go to Singapore? unless you are on some expat package or you have a decent enough salary its definitely the wrong place to be in.
An S Pass is not the class of pass that you'd be looking at anyway , you'd be wanting to look at job opportunities which give you an Employment Pass.

[x9200]

Unless something has changed recently, no degree + the said salary level = no go. In some reasonably recent past, if your contract gave you the salary above S$8k, you could have been granted an EP without degree, but what it is observed since then is a tightening of the criteria and with all the minimum salary levels going up. 8k may not be good enough now.

[dancer30]

In regards to the pass, I got told I would need a s-pass cause if I want to bring in my wife and son that is the pass I need.

There is heaps of reasons to move from Australia, the crime rage here is just terrible, the people are rude, aggressive and slobs and quite honestly I don't want to bring up my child in this country the way it is going. I refuse to bring my son up around children that have no discipline or respect for other people or property.

My wife and I love Singapore, we have been there 3 times now, we love the people, culture, weather and the list goes on. I have looked into costs and everything and have got some good advice on monthly salaries and affordable living so I have done a lot of research into, it's just the checks from the government that I am not sure on.

[rajagainstthemachine]

yes the crime rate is low in singapore, but people aren't really all smiles here in Singapore, frankly I think Australians are a way more cheerful bunch than most Sinkies

[ecureilx]

There is heaps of reasons to move from Australia, the crime rage here is just terrible, the people are rude, aggressive and slobs and quite honestly I don't want to bring up my child in this country the way it is going. I refuse to bring my son up around children that have no discipline or respect for other people or property.

don't let the SG natives read this view of Australia ... as one of their famous gripe is Comparing with Australia and moaning that Singapore sucks

[x9200]

...the people are rude, aggressive and slobs
[..]
My wife and I love Singapore, we have been there 3 times now, we love the people, culture, weather and the list goes on. I have looked into costs and everything and have got some good advice on monthly salaries and affordable living so I have done a lot of research into, it's just the checks from the government that I am not sure on.

Search this forum for the phrase "honey moon" and read the related comments (you may need some digging to get to the right threads). I can only tell you this, that after living for few years in Singapore I spent some holidays in Australia (not in Perth admittedly) and I was very much enjoying the stay over there including interaction with all the people who were nice, very polite and also could drive their cars.