Employment pass not renewed, procedure to appeal

[the lynx]

@lolipop, I find it compelling to offer you my experience after reading this story! your cousin case is very common nowadays and I think many people here in this forum suffered this dilema too. I have been in your cousin situation before, although a bit different, and after looking for all the possible ways and consulting others in the same situation, here is the sure win way to get out of this mess. Go to NUS, NTU, SMU, Singapore Poly, Nanyang Poly, Ngee An Poly etc and search for all the courses such as Masters degrees, post graduate diplomas, technical diploma.. Make sure that you look for the cheapest and easiest to be accept and those with come with a 3 years service obligation will be the best. Look for those that has a lower entry level and not popular among local so you can sure get a slot if you apply. There are some courses that have a start date in January, other in August or May.. so pick the one that is closer or you have to go back home and wait for the admission letter. Make sure you get the one that you sure you can get in and can pay for it. With this offer you can then have a sure 1 or 2 years Student pass, where you can work for 20 hours a week on part time basis without an EP. Then use that time to look for a job and get a good one, once you get the job and your EP approved, you can either continue the course on part time basis or quit the course. I suggest you complete it because after you have a Master or a diploma from NUS, NTU, SMU... you can get a PR invitation letter that will help you gain your PR status and no more headache. It is not a cheap way out though as you have to spend money on tuition fee and also your time to prepare for the documents, but yes this is the light at the end of the tunnel. Many people have suceeded including myself who is a PR now after being retrenced before and was hopeless like your cousin, I wish you and him good luck!

Drowning man clutching a straw. A newbie poster and you take him as the gospel. Good Luck. You are going to need it.

To be fair, studying is not a bad idea. It is like killing two birds with one stone. You get to remain in Singapore AND you gain better qualifications.

BUT

Let you share something closer to real life at real time.

1. You may as well go for an actual course that will really upgrade your value, not just some delusional ruminant manure, just because you can 'get in easier' and it is cheaper. Why? Just in case, ICA and MOE closed all these 'loopholes' that vestapo have aired out here, you will actually have something of real value to put forth and increase your chances of being hired (and approved by MOM), even in other countries. Trust me, it really worth it.

2. PR invitation is no longer in practice, not even to 'favourable' foreign students. 2 years ago, yes, they offer PR to graduating students of various tertiary institutions (more commonly among university graduates from ranks of NUS, NTU etc).

vestapo, tell us, please, when did yours happen? Circa 2010 or within the last 12 months?

3. Unless you're under Singapore's prized ASEAN scholarship scheme and other university's prestigious programmes, studying favourable courses like medicine, biotech, engineering etc, forget about PR invitation.

4. I was once under consideration for such scheme so I know what I am talking about. My friends who went ahead of me to study in Singapore eventually got offered PR (both on such scholarship and on private basis), one of them was from a polytechnic (but he was studying health science-related, which is another plus point). Don't know about other courses though but they are now in Singapore since.

5. My friends (junior batch) who went in after me, hoping to be given the same chance. Unfortunately from their batch onwards, year 2010, the PR invitation did not come at all in that year to any despite of their favourable grades (note: favourable ordinary grade, it is not that they won Chancellor's award or something for outstanding achievement).

6. These people are of Malaysian Chinese descent (although of course, other nationalities were once under that PR invitation privilege). So if that happened to them, I'd say your chances are grim, unless you can win a Nobel prize with your masterpiece during your studies.

So lollipop99, it is not that SMS or other regulars are bursting your bubbles, they have been here very long to see what happened and I have been here long 'enough' and was from the 'inside' of such group to tell you what is really going on.

Take our words with discernment. You and your friends are playing in Singapore's system.

[friendlybossy]

Having an offer of admission from a local university will be an advantage in getting a student pass but it does not mean that 100% will be approved. In 2008, 2009 crisis, a lot of retrenched foreigners used this method to stay back in Singapore instead of having to go home, but this is not as easy as before. The government no longer issues PR invitation letter for students even from the ranked school like NUS or NTU so do not hope that going to school will get you a PR. Moreover, how to justify being over 30 years old, having a Master degree from NTU and working for and a salary of 2,200? If you have read the new criteria, they are looking at the level of experience, qualification and comparable salary in issuing the pass. Only fresh graduate may get a Q pass with low salary, and by low I mean 3K, older workers will have to get a higher salary according to their age and qualification. So go figure out, having a higher degree can be a double sword, if your earning power is not increased with the qualification, you are in a bad position in the view of MOM officer. Gone are the days when they just look at your degrees or certs and issue you you the pass, they are looking at the whole package now and will scrutinize everything to make sure that they approve the right person. So lolipop99, I do not think this advice is really useful now, anymore.

[AndrewV]

Having an offer of admission from a local university will be an advantage in getting a student pass but it does not mean that 100% will be approved. In 2008, 2009 crisis, a lot of retrenched foreigners used this method to stay back in Singapore instead of having to go home, but this is not as easy as before. The government no longer issues PR invitation letter for students even from the ranked school like NUS or NTU so do not hope that going to school will get you a PR. Moreover, how to justify being over 30 years old, having a Master degree from NTU and working for and a salary of 2,200? If you have read the new criteria, they are looking at the level of experience, qualification and comparable salary in issuing the pass. Only fresh graduate may get a Q pass with low salary, and by low I mean 3K, older workers will have to get a higher salary according to their age and qualification. So go figure out, having a higher degree can be a double sword, if your earning power is not increased with the qualification, you are in a bad position in the view of MOM officer. Gone are the days when they just look at your degrees or certs and issue you you the pass, they are looking at the whole package now and will scrutinize everything to make sure that they approve the right person. So lolipop99, I do not think this advice is really useful now, anymore.

dayaammnn, i didn't know several people used this to stay back in singapore. otherwise it would have been a good time to get rid of the residue

[vestapo]

ok guys, calm down, I know things are getting tougher but I just tell lolipop my experience on how to deal with this kind of situation. I do not usually post here as I just want to read the info but I find that this guy is having a problem and he is sad and why not just show him that it is not all ended and when there is a will there is a way! I am a christian and I believe that when you help someone, you will be better off as you feel happier. My situtation is a bit different as it was in 2007 and I was not rejected a Pass but just that my company laid me off. And lolipop is asking about a way to stay back and so studying in a local university is the safest best as I do not believe that ICA will reject a student pass for someone pursuing a Master degree at the prestigious local universities. And when you are admitted to a local institutions you have to sign a 3 years service obligation which guaranteed that you can work here at least 3 years post graduation. I do not suggest wasting money for private institutions as the risk for Student pass being rejected is much higher.

[sundaymorningstaple]

It's not that you do no usually post here, it's more like you never post here as you just registered yesterday and that was your first and only post. This one is your second. You experience is 5 years old and not at all relevant as that took place before 2009 and also before the last GE as well. If you not know the current situation on the ground, it would be better if you didn't post as you are giving false hope. These people need the truth as it stands today, not 5 years ago. We don't blow smoke here.

moderator

[x9200]

To be fair, studying is not a bad idea. It is like killing two birds with one stone. You get to remain in Singapore AND you gain better qualifications.

Yes, but going via the cheapest route suggested above he will probably not be gaining anything better. Just something different likely not matching his current education = he will be starting his career from scratch.

[the lynx]

To be fair, studying is not a bad idea. It is like killing two birds with one stone. You get to remain in Singapore AND you gain better qualifications.

Yes, but going via the cheapest route suggested above he will probably not be gaining anything better. Just something different likely not matching his current education = he will be starting his career from scratch.

You are right. That is why I placed a big BUT after that line...

[lolipop99]

just to update, my cousin has found another job and not only that he got his S pass approved this time almost immediately but he also got a better job with a higher salary in a large company! So happy for him and his family! thanks everyone for your help