EP rejected, need suggestions !

[Avinashgalav]

Hello All,

Firstly wishing you all a very happy and prosperous 2016 !

I have been working in Singapore since 11th March 2013 with an American Broadcast media company as a senior sales executive & was on S pass with salary of S$3600. Recently, I have received a job offer from another American media company (competition to my last employers) and I accepted the offer with the 35% hike to my last salary & resigned from current company.

i was supposed to be on a payroll of 3rd party ( HR firm) agency but would work for this American company itself and would based of their office only. Since my salary was high agency thought to apply for EP then S pass but it got rejected along with the appeal.

Reason - MOM said there is a significant hike in the salary so they asked for my 3 months bank statements, salary slip, signed contract & justification on why the salary.

We did share all the requested documents along with my boss email saying " my roles and responsibility will increase along with my designation i.e. Assistant sales and marketing manager. Hence the salary hike.

Unfortunately, MOM didn't find any relevance among the documents and justification provided and they rejected my appeal as well. Also, we were asked not to appeal again.

Now, my employer ( American company) will apply on my behalf directly.

Background - this company has been operation out of sinrbgapore for last 6-8 years and employ more then 150 employees ( most of them are locals only) in its Singapore office.

They would apply on 26th Jan for either EP or S pass and would show my salary 4500 then 5000 as shown previously. Hence, the hike would only be 20% then what it was previously.

My education back ground & work experience -
I am a post graduate in Ma in marketing strategy from university of greenwich London.
I have approx. 5 years of relevant experience -
1.9 years in London
2.10 Years in Singapore

As per MOM assessment tool, I am qualifying for both EP and S pass.


Reason why I think I would go through this time -

1. My employer is directly applying this time.
2. It's big and reputatted MNC
3. It employed high percentage of locals and no too many expats
4. Salary has been revised to comply with MOM instructions

These are my thoughts, however any feedback or suggestions would be highly appreciable.

Cheers

[PNGMK]

That's the sort of job that is very easily filled by a Singaporean and should be filled by a Singaporean - it's in the classic PMET space that has had long term employment issues for a decade now. I hope MOM stick to their guns. You will need to look elsewhere for a job (and others note what happens when you job hop).

[sundaymorningstaple]

Especially what happens before you turn in your letter of resignation before having an IPA in hand. That was a classic screw-up that you are really going to pay for. (You do know that your previous application with a local recruiter with the rejections and why, will be visible to the MOM when they receive the EP application for the new company. Good luck to you, but as PNGMK noted, it is in an area that is relatively easy for a local to fill as well.

[ecureilx]

That's the sort of job that is very easily filled by a Singaporean and should be filled by a Singaporean - it's in the classic PMET space that has had long term employment issues for a decade now. I hope MOM stick to their guns. You will need to look elsewhere for a job (and others note what happens when you job hop).

Those who been here in SG for a while will remember, pre-2005 or so, it was impossible to get an EP for any sales job.

And a few sales jobs that secured passes were for technical sales and such, with the technical part being emphasised than the sales part.

And to be honest, a few SG guys I know, who were in sales and quite good and extremely knowledgeable, were eliminated by cheaper talents. And after a few years of lull, and one of these fellow even ended up working as a security guard, some of them are now being sought by recruiters - I guess MOM is doing something to make in tighter for sales jobs to get passes.

[PNGMK]

That's the sort of job that is very easily filled by a Singaporean and should be filled by a Singaporean - it's in the classic PMET space that has had long term employment issues for a decade now. I hope MOM stick to their guns. You will need to look elsewhere for a job (and others note what happens when you job hop).

Those who been here in SG for a while will remember, pre-2005 or so, it was impossible to get an EP for any sales job.

And a few sales jobs that secured passes were for technical sales and such, with the technical part being emphasised than the sales part.

And to be honest, a few SG guys I know, who were in sales and quite good and extremely knowledgeable, were eliminated by cheaper talents. And after a few years of lull, and one of these fellow even ended up working as a security guard, some of them are now being sought by recruiters - I guess MOM is doing something to make in tighter for sales jobs to get passes.

And thank God for that. There's no reason to bring in a foreigner for local sales positions without proof the job absolutely cannot be locally filled. I know one guy who could do this (a local) and he's been out of work for a few years now. Good for the MOM.

[PNGMK]

PMET should be PMETS - my bad.

[Avinashgalav]

Hi All,

Thanks for taking time out and reply !

wish you a all have good week ahead.

[ecureilx]

Hi All,

Thanks for taking time out and reply !

wish you a all have good week ahead.

In the past, if you can really justify that your role is more of a technical nature and less of sales nature, there was a slight chance to succeed.

And MOM do monitor if your story is right, so don't make it up, unless your job description matches what was in the form.

[Avinashgalav]

Thanks for your reply @ecurelix

The media company runs a Hindi channel in SEA and my job includes to get business not only from Singapore but also from rest of the APAC market.
In other words it's a regional role with specific language requirement I.e. Hindi

Moreover, this is what exactly I was doing in other media company. The only addition would be that now I would have to over see bigger pie.

So if MOM felt I could work in Singapore before then why not now as it's just the change of the company ( competition of my last company).

All my media experience be in London or now in Singapore consist of dealing with mostly Hindi speaking client. Hence, I feel I deal with the niche market not the mainstream one.

This current company employed approx. 150 locals in its Singapore office and would never outsource its services unless they feel to actually hire somebody with specific skills which are not available in abundance locally.

Therefore, I come into picture.

I feel, MOM concern was the significant hike in my salary ( as I have explained in my first msg) and my employer is ready to comply with that part and would apply again.

hopefully I get visa this time around

[ecureilx]

So if MOM felt I could work in Singapore before then why not now as it's just the change of the company ( competition of my last company).

What changed ? haha.

I am not going to tell you what changed, but if you been in Singapore you will know what changed in the past 2 or 3 years.

[Avinashgalav]

Well, let's just hope !

[hendra_ahg]

One question... why you resign before receive the IPA? This is common knowledge for us foreigner working in singapore...

[Avinashgalav]

@Hendra

Thanks for your msg !

Yes even I would have to agree with your statement that I shouldn't have resigned at first place without having IPA.

Actually my notice period was for 3 months and as per my knowledge IPA validity is only 4 weeks so I had no other option but to resign once I signed the new contract.

any ways it's a mistake which can't be changed now.

In your view, do you think I may get luck this time around ?

[hendra_ahg]

IPA valid for about 2-3 months. Even 6 months. Last time i am under DP and have IPA for me new EP. But the agency keeps on delaying my ep issuance until near end of my IPA validity. A 0Bit scary though...

As for EP, i got rejected many times especially around 2012 where mom start to thighten up. But i keep on trying, and each time i got new job,the salary is higher than before, untill it met mom satisfaction... how many times? Hmm.. maybe after 7-8 rejection.

I cant say for sure about your chances. My background is IT and now Mom have this jobbank where company needs to declare salary for the jobs posted there, dunno for what purpose. But surely they know which job can be given to foreigner.

So, no harm to keep on trying, the limit is yours to set. And once it reached you can decide whether it is worth the try, or look on other option.

Good luck!!