Long Delay in Processing Time for EP

[Galactophagist]

Hello- I'm a US trained Speech-Langauge Therapist (SLT) with an offer in hand from a clinic in Singapore. The MoM has been evaluating my credentials for going on 8 weeks now. The Ministry of health has established a Allied Health Act to eventually establish criteria for SLTs such as myself being approved to work in Singapore. During the interim, MoM just keeps asking for form after form, license upon license and credential upon credential, without a set list of what they expect to see from me. Thus, the proces has dragged on and on. My potential employer is in my corner and in contact with MoM, but also has yet to receive any firm date for a decision or specific criteria.
I wonder if anyone is having a similar experience or has any advice.
Thanks.

[zzm9980]

What is your ethnicity, proposed income, and what schools were your degree from? Are those schools recognized by Singapore?

I don't really know the answer to your question, but think about those questions and it may put you on the right path to an answer.

[carteki]

Unfortunately this sounds par for the course with people who have medical qualifications. I spoke to an anethetist with 15 - yes, 15 years experience. One of the sticking points in his application was a copy of his school results. This is a UK trained and working for the NHS doc and not from the sub-continent. It took about 8 months for the EP to come through.

[Galactophagist]

Thanks for your responses. I'm a caucasian w/ dual US & UK citizenship. My degrees are from some top-notch schools: Boston College and U. of Georgia/Athens. I'm licensed in two countries, and six US states. I have over 13 years of experience, and I worked in Singapore as a SLT in 2005-06. From my perspective, I am more than qualified, given the above, and the fact that as it stands now, the only criteria to work as a SLT in Singapore is a Master's Degree in the field (which I have from UGA). My contract is for $5500SGD/month.

I wonder if the anethetist you mentioned was ever given a date for a decision, or if he/she just kept waiting.

[carteki]

I wonder if the anethetist you mentioned was ever given a date for a decision, or if he/she just kept waiting.

He just kept waiting. As the role was a sabattical from his UK hospital it wasn't as if he wasn't working while waiting for the visa. They have boxes to tick here and they need to be ticked in the exact order (but you've worked here before so none of this should surprise you.

[movingtospore]

I met an oncologist here, from Europe, who had the same problem.

I don't have any knowledge about your field, but I have fought with MOM on numerous occasions. In my case, it helped to get obnoxious and difficult and demand to speak with a supervisor and not take no for answer. And to let them know their turnaround time isn't OK.

but, that said, can you imagine how long a singapore-trained medical professional would wait to licensed in the UK/US etc? Compared to that perhaps 8 weeks isn't so bad.

[x9200]

The problem IMHO is exactly with the Allied Health Act. It is a pre-transitional period at this very moment and actually nobody knows what to expect. My guess they just want to be on a safe side so you don't need to take any verification tests once you are here.

[Galactophagist]

Thanks for your responses. I have surmised that the dealy really boils down to bureaucrats reviewing documents and ticking boxes on a self-perpetuating list. As you stated the Allied Health Act hasn't resulted in estabished criteria developed by health practioners as of yet. thus Ican only imagine that someone at MoM with little knowledge of the field is just reviewing my credentials and trying to find any possible holes.
My potential employer seems willing to call and visit MoM and tell them to get on with it. I'm not one for yelling or shouting. Ultimately the decision is out of my hands. If it is made favorably in my regard: wonderful. If not: then I have plenty of opportunities elsewhere.

[zzm9980]

In my case, it helped to get obnoxious and difficult and demand to speak with a supervisor and not take no for answer. And to let them know their turnaround time isn't OK.

I can't imagine that working with anything in Singapore, let alone dealing with MOM. But stranger things have happened.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I have fought with MOM on numerous occasions. In my case, it helped to get obnoxious and difficult and demand to speak with a supervisor and not take no for answer. And to let them know their turnaround time isn't OK.

Actually, while I hate to admit it, I have used that as well on occasion and quite often it works.

[ecureilx]

Hello- I'm a US trained Speech-Langauge Therapist (SLT) with an offer in hand from a clinic in Singapore. The MoM has been evaluating my credentials for going on 8 weeks now. The Ministry of health has established a Allied Health Act to eventually establish criteria for SLTs such as myself being approved to work in Singapore. During the interim, MoM just keeps asking for form after form, license upon license and credential upon credential, without a set list of what they expect to see from me. Thus, the proces has dragged on and on. My potential employer is in my corner and in contact with MoM, but also has yet to receive any firm date for a decision or specific criteria.
I wonder if anyone is having a similar experience or has any advice.
Thanks.

Just thinking aloud .. does your area of expertise have an approving council, like SMC or SNB or so ?

Maybe that is the primary cause of the delay

For SMC Approved applicants, the EP is issued within a week, but SMC takes 4 months or so to scan the applicant, and expects all certificates to be sent directly from each institute to the registering authority - as well as direct confirmation of employment from past employers - again - directly sent by the employer to the registering authority.

[Galactophagist]

Yes, that' seems to be the nature of the problem. The Allied Health Act has created a board to develop criteria, but I seem to be caught in the interim between development and implementation. I shall just let matters take their course. thanks.

[ecureilx]

Yes, that' seems to be the nature of the problem. The Allied Health Act has created a board to develop criteria, but I seem to be caught in the interim between development and implementation. I shall just let matters take their course. thanks.

Do Check your PM - maybe you have some way to assist the process !!!!

[Galactophagist]

If you have been follwing this thread, then you may be interested to know:

In a complete surprise, the MoM approved my EP application this week! The surprise being that I hadn't been expecting any definitive word for months. Though I felt confident in my skills and experience garnering a pass, I was less so in MoM seeing it that way.

In the end it all just took about 10 weeks, which really isn't all that long.
There was no yelling or screaming on my end, just some patience.

Thanks for all of your information and advice. Looking forward to relocating!

[ecureilx]

If you have been follwing this thread, then you may be interested to know:

In a complete surprise, the MoM approved my EP application this week! The surprise being that I hadn't been expecting any definitive word for months. Though I felt confident in my skills and experience garnering a pass, I was less so in MoM seeing it that way.

In the end it all just took about 10 weeks, which really isn't all that long.
There was no yelling or screaming on my end, just some patience.

Thanks for all of your information and advice. Looking forward to relocating!

Happy to hear that .. and possibly you have set the process for people of your skill set to breeze through