PEP processing time (personal employment pass)

[kranperry]

On that note, does anyone know how to move from EP to PEP without any work authorization gaps?

Is the order:
1. Ask company to cancel EP and give me a letter? (assuming that PEP IPA is good enough to continue working)
2. Schedule an appointment for PEP issuance and take the EP cancellation letter?

[LuluLily]

yes sorry, 3rd of April

@Sonny_76, Any luck so far with your application?

Yes, got the Approval today

so I hope @lululily is also approved , as applied at the same time....

Hi guys, yes, it's been approved same day as @Sunny_76's PEP got approved. I thought of updating this group since all of you have been very helpful and supportive, that includes you @pepapp

[LuluLily]

I submitted my PEP application on 13th April and it's still pending, just like others in this thread. Has anyone had luck by talking to the call center folks?

Hi, just sharing with you our experience. So we were calling MOM's hotline at around 10am (so many attempts actually), when we got hold of someone, we told them that ours has been a month overdue and the customer service rep agreed, told us that someone from MOM will be contacting us soon. No one called but around 4-5pm, PEP got approved.

I hope yours gets approved very soon.

[santynar]

Hi all,
My PEP got approved today. I'd applied for it on 12th April 2020 and after waiting for 11 weeks, I'd contacted MoM via their `Contact Us` page in the MoM website on 1st July. Not sure if my web-based feedback/request had any impact on the timeline though. I'd tried calling the hotline, but was unsuccessful even after multiple attempts.

[LuluLily]

Hi all,
My PEP got approved today. I'd applied for it on 12th April 2020 and after waiting for 11 weeks, I'd contacted MoM via their `Contact Us` page in the MoM website on 1st July. Not sure if my web-based feedback/request had any impact on the timeline though. I'd tried calling the hotline, but was unsuccessful even after multiple attempts.

Congratulations! Happy for you!

[veezzee]

Congratulations to all of you!
Any applicants from late April or early May here that have gotten a response from MOM?

[veezzee]

Hi all,

I've been researching the forum to find a similar loophole to the one I'm into, but couldn't find any. Since the core of the issue is the PEP processing time, I thought of requesting for advice here instead of opening a new thread. Hope you won't mind.

Spaniard, APAC Creative Director. Been working in SG since 2018. Due to massive staff cuts, my company canceled my work permit on the 8th of June. I applied for PEP on the 4th of June. But while it will take 8/10 weeks (expediting note has been sent twice), i only have an STVP until the 8th of July.

MOM's officer (through appointment) has advised me to overstay and pay the fine while I wait. And I find this advice to be extremely risky and bizarre. left the building kinda tripping. I booked a flight to Spain on the 6th just in case, but: IRAS won't have enough time to wire the money resulting from my taxes before the 8th of July, and ICA repeatedly says that I'm a MOM's problem. My lease ends in October (either to leave or renew) If i leave the country borders are closed for me to return, even once the PEP is granted.

So basically, I'm in a catch 22, where SG Government's institutions are asking me to leave the country and stay in the country all at the same time. I think this is crazy!

Do you guys happen to know what would be an overstaying penalty like if i follow MOM's advice? Or where can i call for help other than ICA, MOM, and my Embassy (none have provided a clear path so far)? Any other advice?

Thank you.
Arbor

@Arbor, What was the final outcome in your case? I am hoping things turned to work out well somehow...? All ears to hear if you'd like to share/

[Arbor]

Hi all,

I've been researching the forum to find a similar loophole to the one I'm into, but couldn't find any. Since the core of the issue is the PEP processing time, I thought of requesting for advice here instead of opening a new thread. Hope you won't mind.

Spaniard, APAC Creative Director. Been working in SG since 2018. Due to massive staff cuts, my company canceled my work permit on the 8th of June. I applied for PEP on the 4th of June. But while it will take 8/10 weeks (expediting note has been sent twice), i only have an STVP until the 8th of July.

MOM's officer (through appointment) has advised me to overstay and pay the fine while I wait. And I find this advice to be extremely risky and bizarre. left the building kinda tripping. I booked a flight to Spain on the 6th just in case, but: IRAS won't have enough time to wire the money resulting from my taxes before the 8th of July, and ICA repeatedly says that I'm a MOM's problem. My lease ends in October (either to leave or renew) If i leave the country borders are closed for me to return, even once the PEP is granted.

So basically, I'm in a catch 22, where SG Government's institutions are asking me to leave the country and stay in the country all at the same time. I think this is crazy!

Do you guys happen to know what would be an overstaying penalty like if i follow MOM's advice? Or where can i call for help other than ICA, MOM, and my Embassy (none have provided a clear path so far)? Any other advice?

Thank you.
Arbor

@Arbor, What was the final outcome in your case? I am hoping things turned to work out well somehow...? All ears to hear if you'd like to share/

Hi!

Well, I haven't received any news so far, and ultimately decided to skip the advice of overstaying and take the flight to Spain and wait here instead. Landed yesterday night.
From what I'm reading, MOM is releasing now the PEPs for those who applied early April, so I guess that no matter what situation you are in, waiting is the only thing that can be done.

IRAS is still processing my taxes. My ex-company only received its ticket yesterday. Weirdly enough, on one side (through my Tax portal) is asking me to pay 2020 while the ticket received by my company already computes 2020+2021 together. Since they are withholding my last payment (more than enough to pay both years) I hope it won't cause any problems. But again, it feels like there's a lack of internal communication in IRAS, similar to the one I'm experiencing with MOM.

[LuluLily]

Hi!

Well, I haven't received any news so far, and ultimately decided to skip the advice of overstaying and take the flight to Spain and wait here instead. Landed yesterday night.
From what I'm reading, MOM is releasing now the PEPs for those who applied early April, so I guess that no matter what situation you are in, waiting is the only thing that can be done.

IRAS is still processing my taxes. My ex-company only received its ticket yesterday. Weirdly enough, on one side (through my Tax portal) is asking me to pay 2020 while the ticket received by my company already computes 2020+2021 together. Since they are withholding my last payment (more than enough to pay both years) I hope it won't cause any problems. But again, it feels like there's a lack of internal communication in IRAS, similar to the one I'm experiencing with MOM.

Hi!

Well, I haven't received any news so far, and ultimately decided to skip the advice of overstaying and take the flight to Spain and wait here instead. Landed yesterday night.
From what I'm reading, MOM is releasing now the PEPs for those who applied early April, so I guess that no matter what situation you are in, waiting is the only thing that can be done.

IRAS is still processing my taxes. My ex-company only received its ticket yesterday. Weirdly enough, on one side (through my Tax portal) is asking me to pay 2020 while the ticket received by my company already computes 2020+2021 together. Since they are withholding my last payment (more than enough to pay both years) I hope it won't cause any problems. But again, it feels like there's a lack of internal communication in IRAS, similar to the one I'm experiencing with MOM.
[/quote]

Very sorry to hear that you had to fly back to Spain. What I realized during this whole process is that while I feel like we did have to wait for 8 weeks, after that, following up did help our cause a bit. Reason for that is when most of the PEPs applied later than we did already got approved sooner than those applied earlier, it was because they were following up either in person, via call or the feedback form on MOM's website. I guess then that if you are really keen to come back here, once the 8th-week mark came, you can follow up with them.

By the way, what happened to your lease? From what I recall, it was supposed to end by October ?

[tacdou]

4/19 approved

[krans27]

Hello Guys,

My PEP is approved today. Applied on 20/04. This forum has been quite helpful with all the suggestions and information. Thanks Guys for sharing !! And Good luck to all the ones who are waiting for the approvals. I'm sure the process is now expedited and all the pending applications will have an approval in due course. Just need to be a little patient

Cheers !!

[veezzee]

It’s good to see positive results coming through for everyone.
Any response for fag end of April or early May applications, pls keep us posted. This forum has been quite informative and collaborative so far. Keep it coming. Cheers!

[Waholder71]

Just got the approval following a 24/04 application. So exactly 12 weeks.
I only applied for myself and it seems like the IPA is valid for 6 months. Do I need to apply for new DPs for my wife and children now as well?
Is there any disadvantage to only do this towards the tail end of the IPA validity in Dec/Jan?

[shin.akiyama]

My application on 1st of May has been approved today, almost 12 weeks!

I guess we don't need to check the status everyday since the system will send you an email once it is approved. Finally thank you for all of the info provided.

[veezzee]

Just received the PEP approval. I had applied on 9th May.
Thanks to all the folks on this forum for keeping it so active and collaborative all through. I hope it helped/helps the rest as well, as it did for me.
Good Luck and Stay Safe!