Please read and give me your thoughts... need my ep asap!!

[Obscurityspeaks]

Hi all,

Recently came to Singapore on a social visit (jan 11 2012) to visit my boyfriend who holds an ep and has been in Singapore for the past 1.5 years. Meanwhile i got placed in a company on Feb 28 and applied for an extension of the social visit so that i can apply for my epass. My company is a start up company which is a part of one of singapore's leading classifieds group. however, they did not have the access to mom to apply for my ep. The wait was pretty long and i had to leave the country on Mar 11 as my social visit pass was going to end. I came back to India and after a while my company got the login access and applied for my ep online. Three days later, the company's hr sent me a mail saying she wanted a copy of my passport as it was not clear. I sent a scanned copy of it and i got a mail this morning from her saying that my ep was rejected. It came as a shock to me as much efforts have gone into it. Also, i have been freelancing for the company for sometime now for which i have not been paid.

Talking of my educational and professional background, i come with 9 years of work experience as a senior copywriter and social media specialist. I have done my BA in English through distance learning. The company has applied for my ep stating my salary which is 3000 sgd. I dont know the exact grounds on which my ep was rejected as the officers of MOM ardently follow their policy of not revealing the exact reasons. I stand crippled unable to reapply without being able to understand the exact reason. It can be either the educational qualification or the salary. Has someone here faced a similar situation? Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I love my boyfriend much and I would love to live with him there. We are even planning to get married so that I can go to Singapore on a dependent pass, but anyways that isn't going to help me get the ep. And yeah, i need to work as am the breadwinner of my family. Thanks in advance for your replies. Any experience shared would be more than valuable to me.

[zzm9980]

If you were married and approved for a dependent pass, you could then work under a letter of consent.

My only thought as to why you were rejected is the salary sounds quite low for nine years experience.

[JR8]

There might also be a problem with the degree via distance learning, that carries less weight than one done full-time.

You could look at the MOM site and see if the institution is on the MOM approved list, if not that's likely your problem. You could also run the MOM 'See if you're eligible' test to see what it makes of your status and the job specs...

p.s. Freelancing. I don't think there is such a concept in SG, certainly not without the appropriate EP. So I think you can kiss that owed salary goodbye.

[the lynx]

There might also be a problem with the degree via distance learning, that carries less weight than one done full-time.

You could look at the MOM site and see if the institution is on the MOM approved list, if not that's likely your problem. You could also run the MOM 'See if you're eligible' test to see what it makes of your status and the job specs...

p.s. Freelancing. I don't think there is such a concept in SG, certainly not without the appropriate EP. So I think you can kiss that owed salary goodbye.

I agree with JR8 on degree through distance learning, and also the fact that you are from India. No offence but I'm trying to paint a real picture from the ground here. MOM (and ICA) has been trying to rein in the demographics and yeah, I know it sounds unfair but that's what happens.

[Strong Eagle]

3 grand for nine years experience is a red flag. People with nine years experience should earn more... you go into the reject file... scam city when looking at an application... either you don't have the experience or the company is screwing you... either way... you don't get all the boxes checked.

You could not legally free lance for this company, except from India. Then, you would be paid in India. If you were working with the expectation that you would be paid in Singapore:

a) Your company is in violation of the law
b) You are in violation of the law

Not a good situation for a start up, is it?

Finally, this has to be a truly ignoramus company. Access to MOM online is so easy a blind, one legged Malaysian water monitor lizard could do it. I bet MOM looked at this start up and said, "what the hell?"

I don't see it. Wrong pay for years of experience. Clueless start up doesn't engender confidence. I'd say you are out of luck.

[Obscurityspeaks]

I guess like one of the user says i will have to kiss a goodbye to the money the company owes me. But I have signed an appointment letter with the company and they have given me a laptop to work from home in India. But the finance team is unable to process my pay without having me in their payroll.

And yeah, coming to epass matters. It could have been rejected on either one of the grounds you folks have mentioned. Maybe am underpaid for my experience or my qualification is not considered valid. But yes, University of Madras falls into the list of universities mentioned on the MOM site!

I have a news for you guys. The company is sending an spass appeal with a lesser salary of 2500 SGD. I know it sounds crazy who think I deserve a better salary, but the company feels its worth a shot. After all, the government would be happier to buy a Senior Copywriter who comes with 9 years of work experience. Cheap talent is what they call us sadly!

[sundaymorningstaple]

I have a news for you guys. The company is sending an spass appeal with a lesser salary of 2500 SGD. I know it sounds crazy who think I deserve a better salary, but the company feels its worth a shot. After all, the government would be happier to buy a Senior Copywriter who comes with 9 years of work experience. Cheap talent is what they call us sadly!

I have news for you as well.



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

Important Note:

If you had not indicated in your Employment Pass application that you also wish to be considered for S Pass, you cannot appeal for an S Pass if your Employment Pass application is rejected. Any subsequent request to be considered for an S Pass should be submitted as a new application and a $20 administrative fee will apply.

So hopefully, your English is just bad, because if they are submitting an appeal, you are already dead meat.

[zzm9980]

Hopefully you can sell that laptop for enough to cover what they owe you so far.

[Obscurityspeaks]

@ "sunday morning staple" - Appreciate your efforts taking a screen grab from the MOM site, but I have read it already. I'm afraid you cannot talk here about my credibility as a writer considering the fact that you have not read my writings But nevertheless, thanks for the share. I have no hard feelings and definitely nothing against the Singaporean government or the company that employed me. No offense given and nothing taken Chill pill.

@zzm9980 - I can't do that. It does not belong to me. However, I like your concern and your quick thought. Do keep coming.

I will not give up my attempts to get employed in Singapore. I love the country and its people. Made some really good friends!

Regards
OS

[sundaymorningstaple]

Obscurity, I read your writings here. You stated initially that your company applied for an EP and it was rejected.

In your recent post to which I was responding, you said your company was sending an S pass Appeal. So, Unless your English is bad and you didn't proofread, then you cannot appeal what you haven't applied for. Nor can you appeal the Ep for an S pass, if that is what you were attempting to say. This is why the screen grab and subsequent quote from the MOM site. No offense was intended. But we only have the written word to go by on here. That's the problem with text forums. As we have people from virtually every country in the world, not everybody's mother tongue is English, therefore we often get people saying what they don't mean and need to clarify it. Capisce?

One thing is for certain, however. You are most definitely from the subcontinent.

[zzm9980]

@zzm9980 - I can't do that. It does not belong to me. However, I like your concern and your quick thought. Do keep coming.

Right, but money for your time and the work you are producing does belong to you. And quite likely, you're not going to get it or your work permit. So my suggestion was when the company doesn't pay you what's owed, at least you can sell the laptop for some of it.

[Obscurityspeaks]

sundaymorningstaple - The company has ticked on the option that says employment pass and spass and they have sent an spass appeal. This lies in the hands of the HR manager of the company and I couldn't interfere as I believe being a native she knows better about the MOM matters than me. I hope this clarifies? This also explains why i types epass at the start of the thread and later mentioned that the company has appealed for spass. Yes, am most definitely from the subcontinent and am proud of it!

[sundaymorningstaple]

Yeah, it come through loud and clear like a scarlet letter A pinned on the chest.

[Obscurityspeaks]

Hi all i went through the LOC application form and the details asked for are focused more on the spouse and the employer. Does this imply that the process is easier than getting an epass? Please advise.

[sundaymorningstaple]

Very much so. The Letter of Consent does not require the applicant to meet any academic criteria at all. It can be denied, however, and I have seen that happen, albeit, rarely. The only problem is selling the employer on it, as most employers are ignorant of the LoC and don't even know about it. It is the employer that must file the LoC. It is tied to the EP holders EP which means it expired with the EP holder's pass expires and is renewed at the same time.