EP is the new PR. S Pass is the new EP

[Wd40]

I just found out my next EP renewal I am likely to get an S Pass because I am >40 years old and my salary <11k. The new rules comes into effect Sep 2023.

I have seen ever since I came to Singapore in 2009, our standard just kept getting downgraded. In 2009, we had heard about people who just came 1 yr before me got their PR in 6 months of their application. I found out forget getting PR, keeping your EP is like having a PR.

Also those day you could get a PEP, if you just had a salary of 3.5K provided you stayed in Singapore for 3 yeas or something and then they quickly changed the rule to min 8k salary and then kept increasing it faster than my salary could ever catch up.

Today I found out, forget about EP, S Pass is like the new E Pass now, for people like me who have crossed 40 but have hit the 15k kind of salary band and are in the financial services industry.

We can extend this to other things also. Given the way rents are increasing, HDB is the new condo Motorcycle is the new car

[truthhurts1]

Just came across a thai girl who got PR after landing in singapore after just 7 months in 2020.. and here some of us who are 10 years sloggin and paying taxes, trying multiple times..

[truthhurts1]

Just came across a thai girl who got PR after landing in singapore after just 7 months in 2020.. and here some of us who are 10 years sloggin and paying taxes, trying multiple times..

[NYY1]

I just found out my next EP renewal I am likely to get an S Pass because I am >40 years old and my salary <11k. The new rules comes into effect Sep 2023.

I have seen ever since I came to Singapore in 2009, our standard just kept getting downgraded. In 2009, we had heard about people who just came 1 yr before me got their PR in 6 months of their application. I found out forget getting PR, keeping your EP is like having a PR.

Also those day you could get a PEP, if you just had a salary of 3.5K provided you stayed in Singapore for 3 yeas or something and then they quickly changed the rule to min 8k salary and then kept increasing it faster than my salary could ever catch up.

Today I found out, forget about EP, S Pass is like the new E Pass now, for people like me who have crossed 40 but have hit the 15k kind of salary band and are in the financial services industry.

We can extend this to other things also. Given the way rents are increasing, HDB is the new condo Motorcycle is the new car

Sorry to hear if psychologically it doesn't feel good. But practically speaking, what's the difference? You are still eligible to have dependents here and/or could just switch to a Student Pass/LTVP for mother (unless this is harder for non-MOE school student?). If you plan to apply PR again is EP better (thought you were more or less just planning to stay as long as you can)? Anyways, if you are close to the salary threshold (believe this is the case), perhaps try to ask your employer to get you over the hurdle as a way to keep up with inflation and meet requirements.

The reality is that the local workforce is more educated and capable compared to decades ago. The tightening of standards is what it is considering the availability of manpower already here. That being said, while on paper it makes sense to want to add (only) higher skilled workers, the longer-term implications of this are not as clear to me. Singapore keeps adding more higher end jobs for locals (a good thing), but part of being a global city is that you attract workers from many other places. Again, in principle it makes sense to have these high-end employment visa options and some will definitely come. But not everyone starts out as a high-end employee on day 1, and where people otherwise flock to and setup camp could have some secondary effects.

Trade and immigration are two of the trickiest issues to handle, considering both the economic and political implications. I would also say the situation varies by country, and not everyone is able to realize this.

[smoulder]

Just came across a thai girl who got PR after landing in singapore after just 7 months in 2020.. and here some of us who are 10 years sloggin and paying taxes, trying multiple times..

Married to a local, Chinese by ethnicity or something else in her profile which is more than just "Thai" that you mention. Hazarding a guess.

[smoulder]

I just found out my next EP renewal I am likely to get an S Pass because I am >40 years old and my salary <11k. The new rules comes into effect Sep 2023.

I have seen ever since I came to Singapore in 2009, our standard just kept getting downgraded. In 2009, we had heard about people who just came 1 yr before me got their PR in 6 months of their application. I found out forget getting PR, keeping your EP is like having a PR.

Also those day you could get a PEP, if you just had a salary of 3.5K provided you stayed in Singapore for 3 yeas or something and then they quickly changed the rule to min 8k salary and then kept increasing it faster than my salary could ever catch up.

Today I found out, forget about EP, S Pass is like the new E Pass now, for people like me who have crossed 40 but have hit the 15k kind of salary band and are in the financial services industry.

We can extend this to other things also. Given the way rents are increasing, HDB is the new condo Motorcycle is the new car

When I first landed in 2013, I met a 50 plus year old Indian from some village in Tamil Nadu in India. Working as a cook at a coffee shop in Serangoon. He had a PR! His salary couldn't have been more than 2k per month. He had to send his wife and kids back to India because he couldn't afford to support them here.

[truthhurts1]

Just came across a thai girl who got PR after landing in singapore after just 7 months in 2020.. and here some of us who are 10 years sloggin and paying taxes, trying multiple times..

Married to a local, Chinese by ethnicity or something else in her profile which is more than just "Thai" that you mention. Hazarding a guess.

Not married to local or PR.. single and working in the MICE sector in 2020 that was completely dead.. come on bro thats a bit much of an eye opener

[MOCHS]

You didn’t mention age or whether she has Chinese ancestry or studied here before or maybe has parents/siblings who are PR/SC.

Without knowing full profile, we don’t know why ICA decided to grant PR. Perhaps she doesn’t share everything with her colleagues and she could have some unknown X factor.

[advisestrict]

The level that I've seen in Singapore since my arrival in 2009 has been steadily declining. In 2009, we had heard about persons who merely come 1 yr before me received their PR in 6 months of their application. I figured out forget gaining PR, retaining your EP is like having a PR.

[malcontent]

There is the one consistent theme across my more than 2.5 decades here — the screws only get turned one direction… tighter.

I was just speaking to a guy in my office yesterday (from India). He works in accounting, EP holder, making around $8k, has two kids, oldest in P2. Rejected for PR multiple times.

I advised him to look outside Singapore, don’t keep wasting your time and flushing money down the toilet on high rents and school fees hoping for something that may never come. Look to Australia, UK or Canada.

[jalanjalan]

There is the one consistent theme across my more than 2.5 decades here — the screws only get turned one direction… tighter.

I was just speaking to a guy in my office yesterday (from India). He works in accounting, EP holder, making around $8k, has two kids, oldest in P2. Rejected for PR multiple times.

I advised him to look outside Singapore, don’t keep wasting your time and flushing money down the toilet on high rents and school fees hoping for something that may never come. Look to Australia, UK or Canada.

As for Canada, I'd recommend anyone thinking of there as a plan B (or C) to really do their homework, visit the place (in winter), line up a job that meets your expectations (or be prepared to start at the bottom), and investigate housing (and taxes) thoroughly in the province you want to go to before applying. Even locals find it increasingly hard to get affordable housing. Also, there is a crazy long wait time to apply for PR now.

[MOCHS]

For Canadian job visa, my friend applied for a job in Canada in Nov 2021, the boss does want to hire her but the visa is STILL in processing and earliest it would be done is by Feb 2023.

For Canadian PR, another friend had to wait at least a year (close to two) for it to be approved. If you’re in a small town, don’t be surprised if you have to pay a lot more for fresh produce ‘cos some places can’t grow their own food and transporting the food via trucks is costly. Healthcare can be… frustrating too.

I would recommend Australia for plan B. At least they publish a list of jobs they need skilled workers for.

[smoulder]

You didn’t mention age or whether she has Chinese ancestry or studied here before or maybe has parents/siblings who are PR/SC.

Without knowing full profile, we don’t know why ICA decided to grant PR. Perhaps she doesn’t share everything with her colleagues and she could have some unknown X factor.

I do think there is something that is missing from the story - if she's ethnically Thai, she's in the others category which has the smallest bucket but has to compete against all the Caucasians, many of whom are in senior well paid roles. So the impression that truthhurts1 is giving (that she was given a PR with little resistance) is probably untrue.

[korosensei]

Just came across a thai girl who got PR after landing in singapore after just 7 months in 2020.. and here some of us who are 10 years sloggin and paying taxes, trying multiple times..

she is one lucky girl. been here for 8yrs tried applying PR for 2 times both rejected.