Possibility of getting job with Dependency Visa

[saimahuda]

My husband got an offer in singapore and he is going there next month. We are from UK. I am working in the University here. The problem is, i have got dependency visa but i am not sure whether it will help me to get a job in Singapore as i don't want to take any risk by leaving my current job. Is it possible/easy to find a job with dependency visa?
Is there any recruitment agencies that i can contact with?

Any help/advice will be appreciatable.

Bye
Sam

[Vaucluse]

Well Sam - how about giving us som examples of WHAT YOU DO? How can anyone give you any answers if you could be a nuclear physicist, garbo, nasi lemak purveyor or a secretary . . .

[Wally]

I am about to transfer to Singapore and my wife is in the same situation. From the information I have read you will be able to work on a dependant pass based upon your husband getting a work permit and your new potential employer has to apply - apparently takes about three weeks to get approval.

When applying for your DP ensure that you send copies of your educational qualifications as these are rated.

Here is some other parts of the site that also talk about the subject that may put your mind to rest

http://www.singaporeexpats.com/forum/ftopic23663.html

Not sure who Vaucluse is - but in Sydney it is a suburb full of complete tossers - suppose he picked the perfect name juding the previous response you got.

Good luck with it all.

[saimahuda]

Hi Wally

We have already send all the documents to Singapore. My husband send all of his certificates but i didn't .. Actually they didn't ask anything from me as the main person is my husband.
I am still thinking whether to go with him or stay in UK.

When are you thinking to move there? Hope everything works out with you. The place, people all are nice there. I am just not sure about the possibility of getting job..(how easy it will be).

Best of luck!!

[corsicafrance]

If your husband is hired by a company in Singapore, other than processing only his paper work, naturally, they will also help out with any paper work needed for his family to come to Singapore with him!

I'm in the same situation here. We'll be relocating to Singapore in January 2006, while my husband will be on a employment pass (EP), me & my son will be on Dependant Pass (DP). Upon getting a job, the employer will give me an official letter of offer, which will be used to apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) that allows me to work. It shouldn't be too difficult to get job in Singapore unless you are in a very specialized field & have very specified requirement.

I'm familiar with this process as we were already in Singapore in 1994 & returned to France in 1999. This will be the 2nd time that we move to Singapore.

[corsicafrance]

If your husband is hired by a company in Singapore, other than processing only his paper work, naturally, they will also help out with any paper work needed for his family to come to Singapore with him!

I'm in the same situation here. We'll be relocating to Singapore in January 2006, while my husband will be on a employment pass (EP), me & my son will be on Dependant Pass (DP). Upon getting a job, the employer will give me an official letter of offer, which will be used to apply for a Letter of Consent (LOC) that allows me to work. It shouldn't be too difficult to get job in Singapore unless you are in a very specialized field & have very specified requirement.

I'm familiar with this process as we were already in Singapore in 1994 & returned to France in 1999. This will be the 2nd time that we move to Singapore.

[saimahuda]

Hi

That's a big Relief !!I was so stressed out with the whole situtaion whether to leave my current job and go with my husband or shall i stay in UK. My husband got a good offer from the company in Singapore and we are waiting for the visa to come and hopefully i will leave my job and will look for a job in Singapore.
Can i just ask you a favour?? What is the best & quicker way to find a job?

I am sure you have enjoyed in Singapore and that's why you are moving there again in 2006.

[KY]

I have been in Singapore about a year now...have about 5 years marketing experience but for some reason, companies don't reply back to you if they know you are a dependant. HR guys hardly know about the LOC (letter of consent) which the government gives us dependants to be able to work out here. I did work for 2 months about 4 months back and that was coz my friend put me thru to the company....interviews were aced, job was offered, but when they applied for the pass, it got rejected....I had to beg the HR lady to take a look at the MOM site and see that such a thing as an LOC does exist....which I got, thank god for small mercies...

Try securing a job before u get here if possible, else don't be too disheartened if you have to wait 6 months or so before u get one. Not trying to discourage u, just letting you know how it is out here....I have friends sitting at home staring at their MBA degrees...

KY

[saimahuda]

Hi KY
Thanks for your advice. I do understand your point and i know its quite difficult and the system is different out there, That's the main worry .
But lets see what happens !!

The main thing is my husband got a job and going there soon (as an Expat), so the second thing is, i have to try hard to find a job when i am there.

[corsicafrance]

It's true that most HR in Spore is not familiar with LOC for DP holders, this is because most of the time when a person is on DP, his/her partner is on expat package so most of DP holders just act as a stay-at-home-mother or wife (or may be they didn't know that they can actually work too with a LOC).

Anyway, you can just go ahead with your job search, when the company shows interest in hiring you, just explain to them about DP & LOC, (if necessary, bring paper work from the MOM to show them how easy this can be done). If you have a good educational level & credential, it is almost garantee that your LOC can be issued. You need to explain this to the company as they are not familiar with DP, that's why they confused the application of LOC with WP & EP (which takes tons of immigration paperwork on company part, hence, they are reluctant to apply EP unless they consider this future employee is important enough to worth all these hassel...)

When I was in Singapore, I worked in HR department & recruitment was my focus. We did have people with DP applying for jobs & they were treated the same way as S'porean citizen or PR in the hiring process (meaning - people who have legal working paper).

In conclusion, being a DP holder shouldn't minimize your chance of getting a job that you're qualified for. All it takes is for you to take a few minutes to explain to HR people about getting the LOC if they are not familiar with this process.

[saimahuda]

Many many thanks for your help and advice. I really appreciate it. And i will try my best to explain them if i get the job . I have a business degree and done my MSc in IT Consultancy. Currently I am working for one of the University in London.
Now i have to try and wait for the time to come.....(SCARY!!!)

Thanks a lot