Cancelling EP IPA and applying for a new one? Will I be blacklisted?

[jamessh]

Basically as the title says: I have an Employmeny Pass IPA from Company A. I have not changed this for EP yet, and have not started work. I've now received a job offer from another company. I understand I can't apply for a new EP with an outstanding IPA, so I'm thinking of cancelling my current IPA and applying for a new one with Company B. If I cancel my current outstanding IPA, is MOM likely to blacklist me or prevent me from getting new EP?

I understand of course that there's a risk involved, and a lot depends on Company B's eligibility for EP sponsorship, but all things being equal, will I as an individual face repercussions for cancelling an IPA? Not sure if anyone else has had this experience before. Appreciate if anyone can share! I've searched the forum for similar situations, but haven't found anything.

[sundaymorningstaple]

eHave you told your impending new employer you will have to cancel your IPA before they can apply for a new EP for you? If you have, I'll expound on that in a bit.

First you have to ask your current 'new' employer to cancel the IPA. Now if you led him on during the interview and/or he really wants/needs you and you had given him your word then he may well NOT cancel it and just waits until it runs out (nothing you can do as it's the employer to applies for you and not vice versa), which I believe has a validity period of either 3 or 6 months. So if company A was to be snarky, company B may not be willing to wait that long.

Now, assuming company A does withdraw the IPA application/request from MOM, and you have told your new employer 'B' that the withdrawal is necessary before you can join them, you will have told them that you cannot be either depended on or trusted to keep your word, so, while they may still hire you, at the first sign of a downturn, guess who will be the first to go.....

Good luck.

[jamessh]

Thanks for your reply, sundaymorningstable. I remember seeing your response on the Jobs in Singapore thread with a similarly worded warning about downturn. Thanks to your and other posters' contributions in other threads on the board, I'm quite familiar with the risks you mentioned. My question is more about if jobseekers are likely to be penalised by the MOM for cancelling outstanding IPAs.

[singaporeflyer]

Thanks for your reply, sundaymorningstable. I remember seeing your response on the Jobs in Singapore thread with a similarly worded warning about downturn. Thanks to your and other posters contributions in other threads on the board, I'm quite familiar with the risks you mentioned. My question is more about if jobseekers are likely to be penalised by the MOM for cancelling outstanding IPAs.

If it is just cancellation of ONE IPA, it might not be an issue. But if this happens repeatedly, MOM will make a note of this and MAY take action.

[jamessh]

If it is just cancellation of ONE IPA, it might not be an issue. But if this happens repeatedly, MOM will make a note of this and MAY take action.

Thanks singaporeflyer, I hope this is the case!

[jamessh]

Updating this for anyone else in a similar situation: called MOM, and they told me cancelling IPA will have no impact on future applications.

[singaporeflyer]

Updating this for anyone else in a similar situation: called MOM, and they told me cancelling IPA will have no impact on future applications.

This is what is called theoretical knowledge. Whom you speak to are just customer service officers. Applications are not processed by them.

Did you ask them if you cancel IPA a few times,what impact it will have on future applications?

[sundaymorningstaple]

^^^This.

[ITSmart]

Hi Jamesh...I am wondering what has happend with your scenario? Were you able to cancel your IPA?

[jamessh]

Hi, ITSmart. I haven't gone through this process yet. Will post an update if I do!

[ITSmart]

Just update whenever you got any news. Thx a lot

[The Ref]

As a note.

Moving from PEP to EP took about a week to get the IPA, but just before the IPA an error was noticed (the error was advise from the agency which was wrong) so I had to reapply and the agency asked to expidite it due to the error. The second (expidited replacement) one took over 2 weeks. Read into that what you will, I had been here over 8 years by then and had just started my third job.