Job hunting in Singapore

[filipina_mercado]

Together with my colleagues here in the Philippines, we have plans of moving to Singapore in September. We don't have any work yet nor any kind of pass neither. I understand that we can go to Singapore since visa is not required. But the questions are:

1) How long does the Immigration will allow us to stay without pass or visa?
2) How can we find a accommodation (a room to stay in) while we are still here in the Philippines? How much will it costs us? We are 3 (2 female and 1 male), our budget is around S$1500, 1 month only.

Thanks

PEn

[jpatokal]

Together with my colleagues here in the Philippines, we have plans of moving to Singapore in September. We don't have any work yet nor any kind of pass neither. I understand that we can go to Singapore since visa is not required. But the questions are:

1) How long does the Immigration will allow us to stay without pass or visa?

30 days. Expect some questions for why you're staying so long and how you're going to support yourself.

2) How can we find a accommodation (a room to stay in) while we are still here in the Philippines? How much will it costs us? We are 3 (2 female and 1 male), our budget is around S$1500, 1 month only.

Legally, you can't get non-hotel accommodation unless you're a resident, not that anybody would want a one-month tenant anyway. But your budget is enough for a long-term stay at a cheap hotel.

Quite frankly, it sounds to me like you're about to blow a lot of money on a high stakes gamble...

[sundaymorningstaple]

Will have to agree that it would seem like a high risk gamble. Having said that, as a recruiter during the '90's boom times it would depend on your qualifications. If you guys are hard engineers (Mech, Elec/Electr, Civil, Instru, etc) and or a good knowledge of the drafting disciplines you always stand a chance of finding work with companies like Chyioda (Singapore), JEL, the various Shipyards, and within the building, marine & O&G/Petrochem/Pharm construction industries. If so qualified, you probably wont be hired as an engineer initially but as a Technician but at least it's a foot in the door.

Good luck.

[ching]

Pen, do you have any friends or relatives in Singapore?

You can reduce some of your risk by doing research up-front on prospective employers, checking what kinds of qualifications they are looking for, and by getting advice and help from friends who are already here.

Don't burn your bridges back home, though. Even if you find a job you like, you might find you don't like living in Singapore - it's not for everyone and you may find yourself longing to fly back at the end of the month.

I don't mean to discourage you, just sharing some experiences from friends who've moved here from Manila. Good luck!