How easy/hard would it be for me to get a job in Singapore?

[dimitrisaet]

Hello everyone!

I just found this forum and is my first time posting here, I hope I'm not breaking any rules.


My fiance just got a great job offer in Singapore. She was going to say no because we live literally on the opposite side of the world, but I quite like the idea of moving to the opposite side of the world and Singapore seemed like a great place to live from what I remember when I visited a few years back, so I convinced her to put that offer on hold while I evaluate my chances of getting a decent job offer there as well.


I'm a software engineer. I have a Bachelors and a Masters, both relevant to the field and both from mid-tier european universities (greek, in case it matters) and 2 years of industry experience.


I'm not necessarily aiming for the highest-paying jobs at top corporations. I'd gladly work for a startup or a mid-sized company (actually, that is probably what I would prefer).


I'm not familiar with the IT job market in Singapore at all, so I was hopping someone here who is could give me an idea of what to expect, since it would suck to burn thousands of dollars in flights and accommodation in Singapore just to come back empty-handed. And if you have some tips to make my job hunting easier, I'll gladly take those as well.


Thanks in advance for the help!

[PNGMK]

Marry your fiance and move out as a trailing spouse. You can get a dependants pass as her spouse which allows you to work. I think you'll find something to do esp if you're not fussy about salary and are keen on startups. Fintech and all that are hiring here.

(You can't get a DP as a fiance unless the Greek Embassy is prepared to provide you a letter stating that you are considered to be a defacto couple in Greece).

[dimitrisaet]

Thank you for the reply.

I suspected marriage would be the easiest option to get a permit, but I'm trying to keep it as a last resort. Also, the Greek embassy would probably be unable to help (I'm Greek, fiance is French and we both live in Denmark ).

I did some research and from my understanding (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) I should be able to get a work permit easily, provided I can land a job paying at least S$3600/month, which is not that high (is actually less than I'm making in Denmark). Would I be at a disadvantage when searching for jobs for not having my residence status taken care of?

[PNGMK]

Your fiance may be able to get that letter from the French embassy. You would not the be the first to have to marry to live together in Singapore.

You're right about the salary level but the problem is the time it takes to find a job and then secondly that WP are issued on a quota basis. Having a DP in hand solves that problem.

[dimitrisaet]

All right, seems like I have a lot to consider. Thank you for the advice