rejection of EP / PEP/ PR

[floydd]

hey there everyone who contributed to this post. my ep has been approved now - i have no idea how that helps anyone here - but i thought i'd let you all know. i'm going to fetch it in a few days time. i don't know what grade it is nor for how long, but it's a relief after an 8 week wait. i'm hoping it might be P1 this time.

:0)

thanks so much for al your advice and encouragement.

[carlsum1986]

hey there everyone who contributed to this post. my ep has been approved now - i have no idea how that helps anyone here - but i thought i'd let you all know. i'm going to fetch it in a few days time. i don't know what grade it is nor for how long, but it's a relief after an 8 week wait. i'm hoping it might be P1 this time.

:0)

thanks so much for al your advice and encouragement.

all those details of how long is the validity and also which grade should be in the IPA

[floydd]

yes i guessed that: i should have asked the officer this morning. but we'll see the good news is that i have one - a darn sight better than last week.

[richie303]

Hi, hope someone can shed some light onto this.

I have been in Singapore for 1 month, I applied for a PEP based on the fact I am a P1 holder and have a salary both here and abroad far in excess of the requirements for a PEP, so I figured it would give me a 5 year buffer without having to consider PR.

My PEP application has been rejected, I have been given no reason for rejection and I had no issue with the original P1 EP application for my company.

How can I appeal to the decision if I don't know why its rejected, or what are my options? A colleague of mine who is similarly educated experienced and in the same job (on a similar salary) has just had his granted and he has only been in Singapore for 5 months.

I am a little confused!

cheers

Richie

[ksl]

If you have a salary abroad and also in Singapore, I would think it is from your own business venture, if that is so, you do not qualify for PEP.
Read here: The PEP holder is not allowed to start his/her own business or engage in any entrepreneurial activities. The holder must apply for an EntrePass if he/she intends to do so. Though you may also be employed here I don't know, and still earning abroad. That I would question, were is it all coming from. I think you may have to read through the application details and see if you slipped up.

There is not enough information on what you are doing here and your income from abroad. The PEP link is from September 2010.

http://www.mom.gov.sg/foreign-manpower/ ... fault.aspx

[litoange]

Hey guys,
Just wondering, is anybody here knows how it is with the S Pass application?

I'm 24 years old graduated from the 2nd top university in Indonesia for architecture course, have an almost 2 years experience of working in that field.

The company that want to hire me apply for my S Pass, and of course i've heard some crazy story about the S Pass application, and yet it's now happening to me.
As I guessed, the application was rejected due to some "quota" problem with the company. After they work things out, they send an appeal for me on Sept 27th, but somehow it was rejected again on Oct 4th with NO reason, and today I just found out from the HR lady who handle my application that she called the MOM regarding my S Pass application or appeal (whatever it is) but things that she heard from them was that they suddenly have this some kind of "random check" which they will just pick out somebody's application "randomly" and fortunately it was MINE! and the MOM was saying that it might take time for about 2 months.

I just don't get it. what kind of things that you need to check that takes about 2 months?!
and now it become a difficult situation since the company have kept my position empty while waiting for me to get the pass, and yet it's still not here...

it seems like they make things difficult and they obviously doing it purposely, hoping that any of us either me or the employer will give up trying to apply for S Pass and just give to job to somebody else who's somehow "local"...
and if they have reason not to give out the pass, why don't they just say so, rather than making people's life difficult?! this is ridiculous!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Sounds like it's still a quota problem and the HR is trying to push the blame on the MOM instead of accepting the fact that they have too many foreigners and have busted their quota allotment which runs on a percentage of the previous 3 months running average of the number of citizen/prs employed by the company. Talking to MOM in that regard WILL NOT ALLEVIATE the quota problem.

However, MOM does do check on qualifications and it can actually take up to 3 months to sort out. In the past they would issue the S pass and then cancel it 6 months later if found out that the docs were not good. With the tightening up they are checking before issuing the passes. Indonesia, Myanmar and a few more countries take a lot of time because records tend to not be computerized in the various universities so the vetting teams in those countries have to wait while the universities sort through manual records which takes time (and they are not always cooperative).

[litoange]

Heya!
Thanks for the input..
Well, i'm pretty sure that the quota problem is sorted out, because one of the foreigner was already resigned when they sent out my appeal.
So it shouldn't be a problem since i can fill in his/her possition in the quota percentage right?
So the MOM just want to make sure that the documents are real,etc by doing the vetting check? Means, if there're nothing wrong with my document i'm gonna get th S pass for sure then?
Just need to wait longer for them to finished running the check? hmmphh... -_-'''

[sundaymorningstaple]

Heya!
Thanks for the input..
Well, i'm pretty sure that the quota problem is sorted out, because one of the foreigner was already resigned when they sent out my appeal.
So it shouldn't be a problem since i can fill in his/her possition in the quota percentage right?

Not necessarily. It depends on the citizen/pr staff movement as well. If they have had staff movements in the previous three months, generally MOM does not count partial months of employment. Therefore, even if a local leaves during the month, unless the replacement started on the first of the month, then there would be a gap during that one month on the local headcount. Assuming you were in the service sector (example only and I'm very familiar with this classification) and you had 10 local staff, with a 50% dependency ratio and a 25% maximum allocation for S pass holders, you would be allowed 1 S pass holder for every 2 local staff you employ. The is averaged by the three preceeding months CPF wages reported (the previous month's CPF will not be counted as it isn't even submitted until the middle of the following month. Therefore October's quota is determined by the period of June-August. If there was only 9 local employees (for the full month) say in July, then the company would only be allowed 4 S pass holders (June 10 locals, July 9, July 10 for a total or 29/3 or 9 2/3'ds) short by 1/3rd to warrant the 5th S pass holder.
therefore limiting the company to 4 employees.

So the MOM just want to make sure that the documents are real,etc by doing the vetting check? Means, if there're nothing wrong with my document i'm gonna get th S pass for sure then?

If that is, in fact what is happening, then theoretically yes, you would, but you should be able to have the HR show you on the computer as it would tell you "awaiting document verification" or something worded similar to that.
Just need to wait longer for them to finished running the check? hmmphh... -_-'''

If the company is playing their cards right, they can hire another local or two immediately (if they are bluffing you on the document vetting) and two months down the road, the quota will be upped enough to support another S pass holder and they can always say that the vetting was successful and you won't be any the wiser. There's all kinds of ways that employers can be deceitful. But, if, at the end of the day, you get the job, then maybe it's worth it.

[Anew10]

Hi All,

I am a foreigner who came to Singapore a few months ago and have been staying in Singapore using a PEP status. As I am still looking for a job and noticed that a lot of job applications prefers Singapore Citizens/PRs, I wonder if I should have applied for LPR instead.

Anybody knows if it is going to make that big of a difference between the two options. Why do companies prefer PRs over PEP when they offer the same flexibility??

Thanks

[aimsie]

Additional fuel to the fire.

I received notice of another of my S pass staff having their appeal for renewal of S pass rejected after the renewal was rejected. That is actually four now. Two as I have noted several times here, late last year, and another several months ago. Now I have had another for a total of four in the past 9 months.

The facts......

arrived Dec 2008
S pass from a day or two later
Myanmar National
B.Sc Zoology from Yangoon University of Distance Learning

Academically totally unrelated to being a pest control technician but met MOM's criteria in 2008 as it was a degree. Had no experience but at the time MOM really wasn't too particular. Now? Things in common with all 4 of my rejections: Distance Learning degrees and degrees with absolutely no bearing with the industry employed.

Read it and weep. And keep your fingers crossed as it doesn't look good.

Hi Sundaymorningstapel,

I realise this post is a month old, but I am also trying to move to Singapore as my boyfriend has a job there and has already started. My application for EPEC was rejected so I thought I'd just come there on a holiday visa and try to line up some work while there in that three months (I have a few contacts). I've just realised that alot of people are talking on here about how MOM is cracking down on EP applications and I was wondering whether you know if the people who worked for you that had their renewals rejected, had studied at universities which are listed on the "selected institutions list" on the MOM website under "eligibility"? My university is in Australia, and is listed for the EP but not for the EPEC.

I realise that they've already had approval before but I know that this list is updated regularly and I'd be interested to know whether thier university is on the list in case that is why.

Sorry for the long post! I'm appreciative of any help you have.

Thanks!

[Saint]

Hi All,

I am a foreigner who came to Singapore a few months ago and have been staying in Singapore using a PEP status. As I am still looking for a job and noticed that a lot of job applications prefers Singapore Citizens/PRs, I wonder if I should have applied for LPR instead.

Anybody knows if it is going to make that big of a difference between the two options. Why do companies prefer PRs over PEP when they offer the same flexibility??

Thanks

A PEP in theory is just as good as being PR in that a company doesn't have to apply for a work pass or justify employing you over a Citizen/PR to the MOM. Only downside is that a PEP only lasts 5 years and no one yet knows what happens after that.

There's no reason why you shouldn't apply for Citizen/PR only positions, just make it absolutely clear in the application that you are a PEP holder.

[Anew10]

Hi Saint,

Thanks for your input. Even though PEP is only valid for 5 years, isn't it easily convertible to PR once one is employed or correct me if I am wrong.

A lot of companies (MNC included) are still not familiar with the PEP as it is not announced when it first came out. But at the same time, I also heard that nowadays some companies are required by government to keep certain headcount ratios so as to give more opportunities to the locals versus the foreigners. Not sure if it is true though

[Strong Eagle]

Hi Saint,

Thanks for your input. Even though PEP is only valid for 5 years, isn't it easily convertible to PR once one is employed or correct me if I am wrong.

You are wrong. A person with a PEP must go through exactly the same application and waiting process as anyone else(for example, an EP holder).

A lot of companies (MNC included) are still not familiar with the PEP as it is not announced when it first came out.

Wrong. There were plenty of announcements about the PEP.

But at the same time, I also heard that nowadays some companies are required by government to keep certain headcount ratios so as to give more opportunities to the locals versus the foreigners. Not sure if it is true though

There are no ratios required for PEP or EP. Ratios are required for S-Pass.

[Saint]

Hi Saint,

Thanks for your input. Even though PEP is only valid for 5 years, isn't it easily convertible to PR once one is employed or correct me if I am wrong.

A lot of companies (MNC included) are still not familiar with the PEP as it is not announced when it first came out. But at the same time, I also heard that nowadays some companies are required by government to keep certain headcount ratios so as to give more opportunities to the locals versus the foreigners. Not sure if it is true though

I would imagine that the 2 year unwritten rule would still apply for PEP holders, like yourself, to apply for PR. What happens after 5 years no one knows at the moment but my guess is that you'll be invited to apply for PR, if you decide not to take up the offer any ones guess what happens.

As for HR departments not knowing exactly what a PEP is, well that doesn't surprise me. As I mentioned, in any application for a position spell it out that you are a PEP holder and exactly what it means. As for headcount quotas, SMS is the expert on this topic, but I don't think PEP holders are included as part of the quota calculations, but I might be wrong.