The dreaded employment pass issue…………..

[jpatokal]

Not really sure that the MOM take any of that into account! But, maybe they are less likely to turn applications down in industries where they hardly get any?

Here's my view: stop worrying and just apply. It costs you nothing and it costs the company virtually nothing (S$10!). Once you get the yea or the nay, you'll know that either it's possible to move to Singapore, or either it's not.

One downside: your base salary has to be agreed on before they can apply for EP, since it can't be changed afterwards. However, benefits, bonuses and basically anything that increases your take-home pay etc can be adjusted freely, just get everything in writing.

[ksl]

Does anyone know how much hassle it is from the employers perspective to hire an expat who has no work visa... (ie the employer has to sponsor or organise an employment pass)?

thanks

Every employer in Singapore who hires a foreigner has to go through the same hassle. From an employers perspective, it's a moot point if they want the individual.

And ksl, LTVP holder cannot work. It's only 5 something so I know it's not the Barons yet!

Quite right I should have said can apply to work by their own merits through MOM!

Mike: Todays paper in Singapore there is an article about the Media Development Authority of Singapore looking to grow the local digital media market further by tapping nascent potential of electronic books.
MDA identifies these platforms as high growth, expected to grow at 14% annually from 2007 to 2015. Short listed projects under the MDA schemes will recieve support. Deloitte did the research study. There is 730 million $ set aside Singapore press holdings, Creative technology, and Popular E Learning holdings are among the companies involved. A partner network programme for the Future books programme. 18$ billion last years expected to hit 44 billion$ by 2012. Online publishing is on a role!