EPEC Approved - Long Term pass rejected

[cyberdev]

Hi,

We would appreciate some advice on this.
This is for my gf who is a graduate of National University of Singapore.

She applied for EPEC and she received the EPEC approval email on the 18th March 2010. After which she applied for Long Term Visit pass on the 26th March 2010 using the EPEC issue date as 18th March 2010. But when we got the hard-copy of the EPEC, the issue date was written as 24th March 2010. We sent a email ICA regarding the difference in issue dates. She arrived in Singapore on 9th April 2010. And today(8th May 2010), we got the Long term visit pass rejection email. This is quite baffling considering NUS background and EPEC approval. Is it because she wasn't in Singapore at the time of the application for Long Term Pass?

Can i appeal or reapply at the counter at ICA?
Her social visit pass is expiring on the 9th June(we did one extension).

Thanks.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Hi,

We would appreciate some advice on this.
This is for my gf who is a graduate of National University of Singapore.

She applied for EPEC and she received the EPEC approval email on the 18th March 2010. After which she applied for Long Term Visit pass on the 26th March 2010 using the EPEC issue date as 18th March 2010. But when we got the hard-copy of the EPEC, the issue date was written as 24th March 2010. We sent a email ICA regarding the difference in issue dates. She arrived in Singapore on 9th April 2010. And today(8th May 2010), we got the Long term visit pass rejection email. This is quite baffling considering NUS background and EPEC approval. Is it because she wasn't in Singapore at the time of the application for Long Term Pass?

Can i appeal or reapply at the counter at ICA?
Her social visit pass is expiring on the 9th June(we did one extension).

Thanks.

Your post is confusing as hell! Let me see if I understand this correctly.

She got the email notifying her that her EPEC was approved.

She applied for the LTVP BEFORE she actually received the EPEC and used the date of an eMail as the date of the EPEC?

If I'm correct so far, then ICA was correct in rejecting the LTVP. Singapore government applications have to be correct. Bureaucracy in the government is the holy grail. All the i's have to be dotted and all the t's have to be crossed. Accuracy is everything. This is especially so at the moment considering that they are using any and all methods to slow done the applications by foreigners to come here.

It's not baffling at all really. Whether or not you sent ICA an email to explain the discrepancy, they will reject the application. You will probably be better off submitting a new application (correctly) than trying to fish out the old one and get it changed. Use it as a lesson on how NOT to fill out form here in Singapore. Whether or not, under the current trends, they will accept a new application is something only they can decide. I personally don't see any reason why they won't accept a fresh correct application as the old application is closed.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Whether or not they will extend her visa again though, I don't know.

[north pole]

Same here, EPEC approved but long term visit pass pass not successful.

Just received email response from ICA this May 12, stating no reason as to why it was not successful. Is this possible? I only came here to claim the EPEC, just to find out the approval letter does not hold true always.

Just wondering, why is there a need for a long term visit pass if we have EPEC approved?

[sundaymorningstaple]

The EPEC is issued based on a certain set of educational criteria and is issued by the Ministry of Manpower. On the other hand, the LTVP is issued by ICA (Immigration & Checkpoint Authority). Each have their own agenda.

For the record, The EPEC ONLY is a piece of paper that indicates that you are eligible to receive an employment pass IF the employer is able to justify your employment. The EPEC is issued by MOM only. It is still up to ICA whether or not you get the LTVP in order to come stay here for a year. You do not need to be in Singapore to utilize the EPEC. Just applying for positions and noting that you are holding one, lets potential employers that you won't be rejected for YOUR qualifications. This means they are the only ones that need to pass the criteria hurdle.

[north pole]

Really appreciate the explanation. Now I understand that EPEC approved is not an assurance that I can stay in Singapore for 1 year. I may have an approved EPEC, but without an employer, I am still on long term social visit pass. LTSVP is required even if your EPEC is approved. Did I get it right?

[sundaymorningstaple]

Really appreciate the explanation. Now I understand that EPEC approved is not an assurance that I can stay in Singapore for 1 year. I may have an approved EPEC, but without an employer, I am still on long term social visit pass. LTSVP is required even if your EPEC is approved. Did I get it right?

Not quite.

EPEC = employment pass eligibility certificate = means you personally are pre-vetted as to be able to qualify for an Employment Pass

It does not mean you will ultimately get one however. The pass as to be sponsored by the Employer and if the Employer is deemed not to need a foreigner or otherwise disqualified from hiring a foreigner you are out of luck. This has nothing to do with an LTVP at this point.

If you are given an EPEC by MOM then ICA "can" issue you with a LTVP up to one year's duration. It doesn't have to but if it does, having an EPEC is a requirement.

You don't need a LTVP to use the EPEC. That certificate is just like having your degree certificate. It's just a piece of paper verifying your academic qualifications are inline with MOM guidelines.

[pmaloo]

Somewhat related to OP's post.

Do you have to be in Singapore to apply for LTVP?

I recently received the EPEC approval, and when I went to apply for LTVP using e-VP, I noted that it asked for a Singapore address. Since, I am not in Singapore or have a Singapore relative/friend, where I would be staying at initially really depends on when the LTVP gets approved. Its not practical for me to book a hotel before I know when I would go there.

So, do you first apply for short term visa and then apply for LTVP once you are in Singapore? or am I missing something here?

[sundaymorningstaple]

So, do you first apply for short term visa and then apply for LTVP once you are in Singapore?

Yes. What will happen is your white disembarcation card will be retain by ICA and you will be given a Green Multiple-Entry LTVP that looks very similar to the bog standard Work Permit (but you cannot work with the LTVP!)

[pmaloo]

Yes. What will happen is your white disembarcation card will be retain by ICA and you will be given a Green Multiple-Entry LTVP that looks very similar to the bog standard Work Permit (but you cannot work with the LTVP!)

Great. Thanks for the information SMS. Much appreciated.

[morenangpinay]

hi guys. i used an EPEC before when I came to Singapore. I also got denied for my LTVP. I just wrote an appeal and went personally to ICA with my original documents and i presented to the Officer. The Officer then said "Huh! Why did you get rejected?" I said "I also don't know"...so in short he went to do something in the back (maybe discuss with some peeps) and came back and granted me my LTVP.

so you can appeal.

[darkages]

hi guys. i used an EPEC before when I came to Singapore. I also got denied for my LTVP. I just wrote an appeal and went personally to ICA with my original documents and i presented to the Officer. The Officer then said "Huh! Why did you get rejected?" I said "I also don't know"...so in short he went to do something in the back (maybe discuss with some peeps) and came back and granted me my LTVP.

so you can appeal.

May I know who did you meet at ICA? The general enquiry counter or you took a number to meet the officers?

[JR8]

Couple of comments on my EPEC/LTVP experience.

You can apply based upon academic attainment OR based upon having been issued Skilled Migrant visas by other countries (tho ironically having previously had a Singaporean SMV carrries zero weight!).

I think I was one of the early applicants for an EPEC on-line. What I found was that you had to input university qualifications on page 1, then enter, in order to proceed to page 2 where you could enter details of SMVs, and so on...

Now, I've had three SMVs but dropped out of uni. I suppose that MOM had figured that that was an impossible scenario, and so I was unable to process my application.

I spent about 3 months trying to convince MOM that I was eligible for an EPEC, but that their sparkly new website simply wouldn't take my data (people here will understand the brick wall of disbelief such claims are often met with here). Anyway, I finally got the application in by entering that I'd in fact finished my uni course, then in the notes stating that I hadn't, and explaining why I'd input it like that.

I got here on a 30 day SVP. Wanting to extend my potential to here as long as possible I did two visa-runs to JB, taking me to 3 months. Not wanting to send up any red-flags with ICA I then applied for the LTVP. No problemo. Last year I married my long term local girlfriend, and renewed my LTVP on the basis of being a dependent of a citizen (tried to do it online, but had to provide lots of documents/proofs), and ended up going in person to ICA. As I recall they said I could have done it online...

Another thing I learned was that, in general, you will get an answer much more quickly if you call ICA rather than e-mail them. They are usually very helpful...

[sundaymorningstaple]

True. Unless you are trying to keep them from sending a couple of your workers back home because of suspect documents after 6 months of working!

[darkages]

Couple of comments on my EPEC/LTVP experience.

You can apply based upon academic attainment OR based upon having been issued Skilled Migrant visas by other countries (tho ironically having previously had a Singaporean SMV carrries zero weight!).

I think I was one of the early applicants for an EPEC on-line. What I found was that you had to input university qualifications on page 1, then enter, in order to proceed to page 2 where you could enter details of SMVs, and so on...

Now, I've had three SMVs but dropped out of uni. I suppose that MOM had figured that that was an impossible scenario, and so I was unable to process my application.

I spent about 3 months trying to convince MOM that I was eligible for an EPEC, but that their sparkly new website simply wouldn't take my data (people here will understand the brick wall of disbelief such claims are often met with here). Anyway, I finally got the application in by entering that I'd in fact finished my uni course, then in the notes stating that I hadn't, and explaining why I'd input it like that.

I got here on a 30 day SVP. Wanting to extend my potential to here as long as possible I did two visa-runs to JB, taking me to 3 months. Not wanting to send up any red-flags with ICA I then applied for the LTVP. No problemo. Last year I married my long term local girlfriend, and renewed my LTVP on the basis of being a dependent of a citizen (tried to do it online, but had to provide lots of documents/proofs), and ended up going in person to ICA. As I recall they said I could have done it online...

Another thing I learned was that, in general, you will get an answer much more quickly if you call ICA rather than e-mail them. They are usually very helpful...

Would like to know if you applied LTVP within your 90 days SVP or after. Also, how long did you wait before you were granted LTVP.