PR Application Update

[ashesh]

Hi Members,

I had submitted my PR application on 17th November, 2021. My Profile as below,

Age: 36
No of years in sg: 10+ (Since 2010)
Education - Two Degree from NUS
Post Graduate Diploma in System Analysis - NUS (Full Time) - Completed in 2011
Masters in Business Analytics from NUS Business School (Part Time) - Completed in 2019
Profession: Data Manager (Silicon Photonics - Niche Semiconductor Domain) at a Local Company (Funded by EDB)
Experience: 10+ years in Semiconductor Domain (6+ in Photonics)
Salary - 125K Base + 3 months Bonus (When filing PR Application)
Gender/Nationality/Pass : Male/Indian/EP
Marital Status: Married to SPR in 2021 in SG (She recently applied for SC and status is pending) - PR for 14 years

Recently, i had applied for a new Job and received my IPA this week. The Salary Hike is significant to the one i had while filling the PR Application. But the EP is via Sponsorship Scheme as the Actual Employer (US Based) had no registered Office in SG and thus employed by PEO/EOR.

New Base Pay is 225K + Bonus

I see that we have been given an Option to Update Info (if Any) change in Employment (Annex 3) or Personal Detail. But, am i allowed to Update my new Pay/Employment detail with only IPA ? I am still require to serve 1 month Notice period with my current employer. Also, am just curious if working in EDB funded firm make any difference as compared to my new employer who is just acting as an Agent to a US based company.

Appreciate any Input/thoughts from forum members. Thanks

[mystic_river]

Actually, I’m also keen to hear if being employed by an EOR has any effect on your PR application (or SC application in my case).

@SMS and @SF?

[sundaymorningstaple]

I'm afraid I don't have any anecdotal evidence one way or the other. Is this "agent" a body shop? If it is, not an issue. However, I do think being employed by the EDB funded employer could be better, all other things being equal. In this case, two points. I do not see that as a deal breaker as the increment is substantial. The other is you cannot update your application until you actually start work. Currently you still are working for your old company. Wait until you actually start work and then file the necessary. What is a PEO//EOR? my acronyms are rusty after three years of inactivity.

[mystic_river]

I think it’s easier if I copy paste it from google than to actually try and explain it myself

A global EOR is an outsourced back-office administrator for companies with international employees. In short, Employers of Record place their clients’ international staff on their own global EOR payroll. In doing so, the business no longer needs to undertake the long, complex, and financially onerous task of setting up a subsidiary within their international employees’ countries, instead using the infrastructure and established payroll resources of their Employer of Record partner.

The expanding company is still the functioning employer and the one all international staff report to. The EOR executes back-office payroll, benefits, and regulatory technicalities associated with international staffing. They can also provide other auxiliary HR duties the original organization doesn’t have the resources, bandwidth, or technical expertise to tackle themselves.

In my case, I am employed by a European company which has no office/business entity in Singapore, so they use a company with physical presence in Singapore that provides EOR services. On record, my actual employer is the one that provides the EOR services and my salary is also paid by them (along with CPF and what not), though I work directly with the actual European country.

[ashesh]

@SMS - Yes, the Agent firm is more like a 'Body Shop' who is only responsible to handle the Payroll and Taxation in SG. Rest of the agreement is between the US firm and myself. I was under the same impression that i will only be able to Update my Employment details After starting my Work with New Firm, now that you have confirmed the same. Hopefully my application is not Rejected by then on the basis of Lower Pay scale.

My last application was in 2015 and profile have changed significantly since then in terms of Job Level / Education / Salary & Personal Status.

@mystic_river - Wish you good luck with your SC application.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I understand why you use EOR instead of the commonly referred to "Body Shop" as it doesn't have the negative impression that a Bodyshop has. I know. Before I was hired as the HR & Finance Mgr of a mid-sized SME here I actually was a Headhunter for the O&G Industry (My transition period between working offshore in the O&G exploration industry & changing professions to shore based employment). I always had staff out on the Refineries here, especially for revamps & upgrading projects. Basically Companies used this service because they often don't have room in their headcounts for additional permanent hire staff (if expatriate). Using a Bodyshop avoids this issue and still gets the required personnel on the jobsite. Often those subcontracts eventually turned into permanent hires by the company when the headcount permitted.

@ashesh - Just keep your fingers crossed. Even leaving the EDB backed position shouldn't create any real issues here. You are being sponsored via your spouse and the fact that you are fully able to find work and still have an increment is a supporting backup, as it were. If you don't have any notification from ICA by the time your notice is done, after the first full month's employment submit the new Annex A or whatever is called today, and chopped copy of the first full month's pay voucher to ICA to then update. Good Luck (oh, I also think your expertise will also hold you in good stead as it's one that is needed here.)

[ashesh]

After waiting for long 13+ months, received Rejection Letter last week. Not a good ending to Y2022. Not sure if Appeal would make any difference to result. My Wife's application for SC is also rejected after 1 year.

Is it better to apply next as EP holder or should i apply under sponsorship scheme (Wife is PR). But my salary is 4x times her basic pay. Any Guidance on this aspect ?

At the time of Rejection:
Total # of times applied for SPR - 3 (The previous application was in 2015)
Age: 37
No of years in SG: 12 (Since 2010)
Education - Two Degree from NUS
Post Graduate Diploma in System Analysis - NUS (Full Time) - Completed in 2011
Masters in Business Analytics from NUS Business School (Part Time) - Completed in 2019
Profession: Senior Staff Manager (Employed by US MNC under PEO scheme, Local HR firm is sponsoring EP) - LIDAR Tech
Experience: 10+ years in Semiconductor Domain (6+ in Photonics)
Salary - 225K Base + variable Bonus (When filing for PR it was 150k, Submitted New Pay Slip of 1 month soon after joining in August, 2022)
Gender/Nationality/Pass : Male/Indian/EP
Marital Status: Married to SPR in 2021 in SG (She recently applied for SC - Rejected) - PR for 14 years

[reddotaspirant]

After waiting for long 13+ months, received Rejection Letter last week. Not a good ending to Y2022. Not sure if Appeal would make any difference to result. My Wife's application for SC is also rejected after 1 year.

Is it better to apply next as EP holder or should i apply under sponsorship scheme (Wife is PR). But my salary is 4x times her basic pay. Any Guidance on this aspect ?

At the time of Rejection:
Total # of times applied for SPR - 3 (The previous application was in 2015)
Age: 37
No of years in SG: 12 (Since 2010)
Education - Two Degree from NUS
Post Graduate Diploma in System Analysis - NUS (Full Time) - Completed in 2011
Masters in Business Analytics from NUS Business School (Part Time) - Completed in 2019
Profession: Senior Staff Manager (Employed by US MNC under PEO scheme, Local HR firm is sponsoring EP) - LIDAR Tech
Experience: 10+ years in Semiconductor Domain (6+ in Photonics)
Salary - 225K Base + variable Bonus (When filing for PR it was 150k, Submitted New Pay Slip of 1 month soon after joining in August, 2022)
Gender/Nationality/Pass : Male/Indian/EP
Marital Status: Married to SPR in 2021 in SG (She recently applied for SC - Rejected) - PR for 14 years

[MOCHS]

You applied for PR via PTS scheme? Ask your wife to sponsor your PR via family ties scheme after 2 years of marriage.

[ashesh]

Hi @MOCHS, Yes, i had applied via PTS scheme. The reason being i thought under Family ties scheme the Sponsor income should be fairly High, I am not sure if this is true. If it is not then i will try via Family Scheme for my next application in 2 years of our marriage.

[MOCHS]

“High” is a subjective number. Sponsor has to earn enough to financially support themselves and spouse. What’s your spouse annual income?

[sundaymorningstaple]

The anecdotal amount seems to be somewhere between 4 & 5 K/mo. However, this isn't engraved in stone. I've seen cases where 3K was enough but must add that the local spouse already had an HDB flat so a large chunk of the required monthly expense was already paid.

[ashesh]

@MOCHS, The guru is bang on with the salary aspect. Her salary is 4k Basic + Variable Bonus. She has only recently joined new firm. She was working for SIA for 17+ years prior to this new job.

We do not own any property as of now, but do have plan to purchase one in future (Ofcourse not 100%).I assume applying once under family scheme make sense ?

[sundaymorningstaple]

I must add that it's not a given, using the FT scheme. It's better with the anchor spouse being an SGC than a PR. Reason being is if anchor PR has been rejected for SGC then they might not be so keen adding a PTS who has been rejected to another PR who has been rejected for SGC already. I'll be honest, I have to wonder why she hasn't applied for SGC a long time ago. Also her salary seems awfully low for having spent 17 years with SIA previously. Did she lose her job at SIA due to Covid? Just asking - don't think it would have any bearing one way or the other but did she take a large salary cut? In any case, if both are still working, it's worth the gamble but only after you two have been married a full two years (or one year if she manages to produce a child after a year of marriage.) Still no guarantee but odds much better.

NB: You rejections are being caused, in all probability, by the fact that you are a contract worker employed by a body shop and not by the end user. The rest of your credentials look good
NNB: before I became the HR & Finance Mgr of a local MNC here I spent 10 years as a headhunter here mostly for the Oil & Gas Industry. I had a large contingent working in the Refineries on the offshore island here.

[ashesh]

Hi @Sundaymorning,

Appreciate your remarks and its brutally honest. I was hopeful this time as a lot had changed in my profile since it was rejected last time. But seems like it is not meant to be this time. I will try via FTS once without much hope. As you stated, her SC Rejection will count against the decision as well.

On to why she had not applied for SC earlier, it was just a dumb decision as she was not very sure on staying back in SG. She quit her Job from SIA after our marriage as it was getting difficult to get to spend time together with hectic flying schedule. It was a U-turn since borders opened.

With very specific Skillset to offer, there were not many options available. She was not very keen on HR and Hospitality related Jobs which could have fetched her a bit more Pay. She is currently working as a RelationShip Manager for a firm which deals in Citizenship by Investment for High Profile clients. Something where she can hone her computer skills pertaining to CRM/DB/Data Entries etc...

Also, i dnt think the company am currently working for have any Plan to start offshore office here in SG. More likely in India or Thailand as those are better Markets. As i am there only employee based in SG it dose not make much sense for them as well. All in all i am kind off confused on if to migrate out or to try out again.