PEP - Finding job within 6 months

[mainsp]

Hi All,

I am a Canadian Citizen and planning to apply for PEP. Can please someone answer the following question:

- If I get PEP in Dec 2010 and does not move to Singapore until May 2010, when does the 6 month period for finding a job starts: 1) The date when I move to Singapore or 2) From the date of PEP issuance regardless of whether I move to Singapore immediately after getting PEP or not.

I appreciate everyone's input in advance!

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's the date the actual PEP is issued. However, please don't be mistaken. You don't get an approved PEP until you get here. What you get is the AIP and not the actual PEP. (AIP : Approval in Principle).

[mainsp]

Much appreciated sundaymorning for your help. I am glad I got the right forum and knowledgeable people to get help from.

Would my 6 month clock continue if I come back to Canada for couple of months (to wind up everything and make the move) immediately after getting my PEP from Singapore?

Also, I tried to PM Strong Eagle (Moderator) but I got the message that I can't send PM as I don't have enough posts. Can you please advise how many posts I need before I can PM. I would greatly appreciate if you can please help me in this regard as I need to contact Strong Eagle Moderator for local contact purposes. I don't want to make useless posts to increase my number of posts.

Thanks and Looking forward for your advice!

[sundaymorningstaple]

If you come here to collect your PEP, then the time starts running. It's a once only Pass and will expire in 5 years or after 6 months of unemployment. If you give up the PEP, it is also finished forever. It's a one-off thing that was created primarily as a stepping stone to become PRs at a later date. Which ever occurs first.

You will need at least 5 posts in order to have your PM function activate. This is part of the programme which we, as mods, cannot change. It's primarily a means of spam control so we need to just deal with it. You can, however, go to SE profile page and send him an email from there or by going to his personal website and sending him a message that way.

sms

[mainsp]

Thanks SMS for your valuable input again. How much time I will have to collect PEP once Approval in Principle letter is received (or is there any expiry of AIP).

Is it good time to apply for PEP, I am asking this question because it is year end and was just wondering whether there is any annual quota for PEP that would affect the chances of approval by applying now versus Jan 2011?

How many years after being a PR of Singapore, I can apply for Citizenship?

Appreciated!

[carteki]

To answer your questions - once your PEP is approved you get an "approval in principal" letter. This is valid for 6 months. If you don't exercise this within 6 months you need to start from scratch - although I don't know if you can apply for PEP again at this point.
As SMS has said, you then have 6 months from the date of issuance to find a job after which it will expire.
Given that you're only planning on coming over in 2011 it is probably only worth applying closer to the time. Give about a month of processing time.

Please read through the forum on your questions on citizenship - the answer is "how long is a piece of string?" There are no hard and fast rules and we've seen just about every scenario here.

Regards
Kim

[Strong Eagle]

Thanks SMS for your valuable input again. How much time I will have to collect PEP once Approval in Principle letter is received (or is there any expiry of AIP).

Is it good time to apply for PEP, I am asking this question because it is year end and was just wondering whether there is any annual quota for PEP that would affect the chances of approval by applying now versus Jan 2011?

How many years after being a PR of Singapore, I can apply for Citizenship?

Appreciated!

One question is: Why would you give up your Canadian citizenship, which recognizes dual citizenship, for a Singapore passport, when Singapore does not recognize dual citizenship?

[mainsp]

Thanks a lot Kim and Strong Eagle, I did not know that you can't have dual citizenship being a singapore citizen. I will certainly keep my Canadian Citizenship and will stay here on PEP and appy for PR.

Cheers!

[Saint]

Thanks a lot Kim and Strong Eagle, I did not know that you can't have dual citizenship being a singapore citizen. I will certainly keep my Canadian Citizenship and will stay here on PEP and appy for PR.

Cheers!

As long as you get your PEP approved and can secure a job within 6 months. I'm really not sure why you are doing it this way as it's got so many risks. Firstly I assume you are able to apply for PEP under the Overseas Professional scheme so you would be earning a fixed salary equivalent to S$7k per month? So why don't you just look for a position for that salary and above and apply for a P1 pass? Companies are becoming wise to first time overseas PEP holders who will accept virtually any position within the first 6 months as a stepping stone to better things.

The other risk to be aware of is I'm guessing you'll be renting an apartment and the min lease period is 12 months. Therefore if you don't find a position within the first 6 months you'll be on the first plane out of Changi and also liable for the remaining 6 months of your lease. When looking for apartments to rent, Landlords tend to enquire exactly what job position you hold, if you tell them truthfully you currently not working but looking they won't touch you with a barge pole.

[skkamandy]

Hi,

Let me tell my situation.
Assume that I am able to apply for PEP under the Overseas Professional scheme.

Should I still apply for P1 pass instead of PEP? Would it better to find job if I have got PEP approval? Should I apply for job first in SG and then apply for PEP or P1?

Kindly comment. Thx.

Thanks a lot Kim and Strong Eagle, I did not know that you can't have dual citizenship being a singapore citizen. I will certainly keep my Canadian Citizenship and will stay here on PEP and appy for PR.

Cheers!

As long as you get your PEP approved and can secure a job within 6 months. I'm really not sure why you are doing it this way as it's got so many risks. Firstly I assume you are able to apply for PEP under the Overseas Professional scheme so you would be earning a fixed salary equivalent to S$7k per month? So why don't you just look for a position for that salary and above and apply for a P1 pass? Companies are becoming wise to first time overseas PEP holders who will accept virtually any position within the first 6 months as a stepping stone to better things.

The other risk to be aware of is I'm guessing you'll be renting an apartment and the min lease period is 12 months. Therefore if you don't find a position within the first 6 months you'll be on the first plane out of Changi and also liable for the remaining 6 months of your lease. When looking for apartments to rent, Landlords tend to enquire exactly what job position you hold, if you tell them truthfully you currently not working but looking they won't touch you with a barge pole.

[adyoung2]

Hi All,

I am a Canadian Citizen and planning to apply for PEP. Can please someone answer the following question:

- If I get PEP in Dec 2010 and does not move to Singapore until May 2010, when does the 6 month period for finding a job starts: 1) The date when I move to Singapore or 2) From the date of PEP issuance regardless of whether I move to Singapore immediately after getting PEP or not.

I appreciate everyone's input in advance!

Mainsp,
Rather coincidentally, I'm in the exact same position as you - including being a Canadian citizen. I posted a very similar question a few weeks back (http://forum.singaporeexpats.com/ftopic75566.html) as to gain an opinion from the experts like SMS et al.
To me, the PEP does seem initially like a rather simple and affordable (S$160 vs S$1500 for LPR) solution, but as highlighted, it comes with a great deal of risk. I went through the old UK Highly Skilled Migrant Programme back in 2003 / 2004 which had a similar approval in principle letter process, which then the local High Commission would give you 1 year entry clearance to find work. The big difference between Britain (at the time - they've tightened up now) and Singapore is that the UK let you stick around after 1 year if you could demonstrate you had "sufficiently looked for employment". This was interpreted to mean sending out a few CVs and getting an interview. Singapore sadly isn't so generous - no job, not welcome.

Feel free to get in touch if you want to chat more. Sounds like we have similar objectives.

Cheers,
AY

[adyoung2]

Mainsp,

I should add that I've been looking for various employment opportunities in SG from over here in Canada for about a year now. I've had varying degrees of success, but the biggest challenge I've faced is very few employers take you seriously when they learn you are applying from (in my case) 15000 kms away. Furthermore, depending on your line of work, my feeling is that SG is a fairly saturated market in the mid level ranks. For a foreigner to come in and "compete" at these mid levels with resident Singaporeans has proven to be very challenging indeed. The other push back I've always received from potential employers (if I have been able to convince them I'm serious and not just mucking around) is on the topic of wages. Unfortunately, being a foreign professional, it has been difficult for me to try to convince potential employers that I'm not looking for some "all inclusive" expat package per se.

Not sure your industry, but I work in aerospace and aviation... SG has plans to grow as an aviation hub (you can read about the lofty plans they have for Seletar), but not much in the line of jobs have appeared just yet. If you are finance, perhaps you'll stand a better chance than I.

SMS made a good point to suggest that what could be best is to head over there on a visit pass for a couple months and do some legwork on the employment side before throwing in everything and going for the heavily time limited PEP.