Help! EP rejected, MOM wants tenancy agreement, but...

[s2k]

Hi:

It's glad to find this place. This is my first post.

I'm from China, got my Business Bachelor Degree in Singapore and now doing MBA in a private school (MDIS).

My friend's company is hiring me and is applying EP for me (manager position, $2800 salary).

But my application was rejected, when we called MOM, they told us need following documents:

1. Company's tenancy agreement where conduct business operation.
2. My degree cert.

Now the problems are:

1. My friend's company is a 1 year old small sized company (3 people, SPR & SC). They did not actually rent an office because of their business are mostly conducted online. So they work at home and use an address service to put company's official address (aka virtual office).

2. I already submitted my degree cert when first applying, so wondering why they need it again. Did they lost it in manual process?

3. They even did not ask me to apeal the application, just asked us fax them over, a little strange huh?

Since we cannot provide document 1, it seems I'm stucked here, and considering to travel to MOM with my friend, and do an interview to explain this to the officers.

So can anyone and give any advise will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance!

[xiaomi7]

manager post at 2.8k?
MOM has the perception that the company is not big enuf ord....

remember, one of the criteria is that your potential employer has to meet certain capital and profit turnover and number of headcounts.

[sundaymorningstaple]

xiaomi7, do you bother to research your answers before you spout garbage on here?

EP holder are not liable for "headcounts" or Quotas, only S & WP's are subject to quotas

Additionally, what has probably bounced the application is that because the office address is only a service address and not a brick & mortar shop, the company is not operating correctly. Even if it is online and they are operating out of an apartment, the apartment must be zone commercial or if it's an HDB flat, then permission must be obtained from HDB to conduct a business there.

Before ksl goes off the deep end again, in order to conduct a business from home, you are only allowed to employ family members and nobody else. If hiring outsiders you have to be in a commercial property. So I believe MOM has added up 2 + 2 and unfortunately only got a answer of 3 so it's been bounced. A manager only needs one subordinate to be a manager and as only family members can work in a home enviornment, a manager wouldn't be needed.

sms

[Strong Eagle]

And so the answer is to get a lease at a serviced office... there are cheap ones available. This gives you a physical address and a company phone number.... only option I see.

[s2k]

Many thanks to above Mods, that clears a lot!
I'll pass the infomation to them! So guess a "porper address" is nessesary for the company.

Strong Eagle: May I know how much a cheap service office costs? I did a quick check online but all links need "ask for price". If it's cheap I can have my friend rent one right away, so they can have their company run "correctly".

Last question: If they rent a serviced office they'll not need the virtual office anymore, is it correct?

Many thanks again, lucky I posted here rather than just run to MOM and get bounced again.

But it's strange through: my another friend just got his EP from a even newer founded company (only 4 months), only have virtual office, and did not conduct business yet. MOM approved his aplication and he is holding same degree as mine....

Guess it's luck huh

[Strong Eagle]

But it's strange through: my another friend just got his EP from a even newer founded company (only 4 months), only have virtual office, and did not conduct business yet. MOM approved his aplication and he is holding same degree as mine....

Guess it's luck huh

Luck... and how much money is the other EP holder being paid?

As for costs for an office, you do the research. I have a high end one because that is what my business needs.

Make sure your business is following these rules. I'll bet the other company did.

http://www.acra.gov.sg/Services/Busines ... ddress.htm

[jpatokal]

Before ksl goes off the deep end again, in order to conduct a business from home, you are only allowed to employ family members and nobody else. If hiring outsiders you have to be in a commercial property.

That's not quite correct -- residences registered under the URA Home Office scheme do allow up to two non-residents to work from private property.

http://edanet.ura.gov.sg/dcd/homeoffice ... Oindex.jsp

[s2k]

But it's strange through: my another friend just got his EP from a even newer founded company (only 4 months), only have virtual office, and did not conduct business yet. MOM approved his aplication and he is holding same degree as mine....

Guess it's luck huh

Luck... and how much money is the other EP holder being paid?

As for costs for an office, you do the research. I have a high end one because that is what my business needs.

Make sure your business is following these rules. I'll bet the other company did.

http://www.acra.gov.sg/Services/Busines ... ddress.htm

$2600 only, the other company also did not have an "operating location" because it was not actually "operating" by the time they submitted application.

anyway, thanks so much for the help from the Mods, very appreciated.

I'll ask them get a serviced office first.

[KanB]

**

[KanB]

Hi .. I dont think a virtual office would help, as there is no tenancy agreement for a virtual office & MOM wants to know where the company would be seating their staff if they are hiring.Thats the reason of the rejection! You will either need a shared address with an agreement in place or need to hire an office.

[Mi Amigo]

Were you answering yourself there? And do you really think that anyone here would be "willing to share an office address" with an unknown poster who just joined the forum?

[the lynx]

Were you answering yourself there?

My thoughts exactly!

[Mi Amigo]

Hmm. Now s/he has removed the first post with the request about sharing an office address.

But I see it has now reappeared in its own thread.